Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino , lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. Alfalfa may have twice the protein and three times the level of calcium than grass hay. Thus alfalfa is often fed to animals that need more protein and minerals. Nutritional Value of Hay The nutritional value of hay is related to leaf content.
The leaves of grass hay have more nutrients and are more digestible when the plant is immature and growing, and more fiber when the plant has reached full growth. Alfalfa stems, for example, are woody, serving as structural support for the plant.
Leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criterion in judging nutrient quality in an alfalfa plant. The digestibility, palatability and nutrient values are highest when the plant is young—with more leaves and less stems.
Coarse, thick-stemmed hay overly mature has more fiber and less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with finer stems. Although there are differences between cuttings, quality is most important. First-cut alfalfa can be stemmy, but only if it is too mature when harvested. However, weeds tend to appear in first-cut alfalfa hay. Second-cut alfalfa usually has a higher stem-to-leaf ratio but is lower in crude protein—about 16 percent on average.
Third-cut alfalfa typically has a higher leaf-to-stem ratio because of slower growth during the cool part of the season.
If buying grass hay, maturity at harvest will also make a difference in its nutrient quality. Early bloom alfalfa cut before the blossoms open has about 18 percent crude protein, compared with 9.
Alfalfa cut at full bloom drops to Thus legume hay, cut early, is more apt to meet the protein and mineral needs of young growing, pregnant or lactating animals than will many of the grass hays. Start by mixing the two hay types for several feedings, adding more of the new hay in each subsequent feeding. Changing to a legume hay suddenly can make an animal sick, or cause a ruminant animal to bloat.
This can disrupt the microbes that help the animals digest their feed. Hay for Horses Horses can do well on grass or alfalfa or other legume hay. Important factors to keep in mind for horse hay are the nutritional needs of the animals mature horses will not need high protein or calcium levels unless they are mares nursing foals , and the way the hay was harvested. If it was rained on after it was cut, baled too green or too wet or too dry, it may not be safe to feed.
Hay for horses should never contain dust or mold, as it may lead to coughing and respiratory problems. Some types of mold may cause colic or can cause a pregnant mare to abort.
For pregnant or lactating mares, or young growing horses, some legume hay added to the diet provides the additional protein and higher levels of other nutrients needed. A mix of grass and legume hay often works well. In some regions, it is hard to find good grass hay. If you must use alfalfa hay for all your horses, be selective in the hay you choose. You may need different qualities of hay for different horses—leafy hay for weanlings, for instance, and more mature hay for adult horses that do not need such fine hay.
Cattle hay. Poor quality hay is sometimes called cattle hay. Cattle are well equipped to digest stalky, mature grass and hay. The ability of horses to do the same falls off by 20 per cent or more. The most nutritious meadow hay will come from a nice mix of leafy grass and clover. Grass which is stalky and has developed mature seedheads is past its best. Once cut, the last thing anyone wants is rain, which leaches nutrients from the cut grass into the soil.
A little rain soon after cutting usually does little harm, but showers when the grass is close to baling is much worse. Inspect it closely. Hay with an abundance of stalk and mature seedheads will have been baled past its best. Casually check out the paddocks as you head for the haystack. It will have more fibre and less protein than leafier hay. If you see small immature seedheads, the hay will be fine. In fact, some consider this to be an ideal state for hay-making.
Good hay is a pale green to pale gold in colour. The best area to assess colour is in the heart of a bale, not the outside, which can bleach out in daylight. Chances are it has simply been spending its days on the outside of a haystack. The bleached area will probably have lost its vitamin A content, but most of the nutrients should still be there.
Hay should ideally be baled when the moisture content is around 15 to 17 per cent. Most contractors will assess moisture content on experience. You might get away with slightly higher moisture with conventional bales, but it will be a close-run thing.
It also provides perfect growing conditions for mould, which can be toxic to livestock. This is another thing to check when you cut open a sample bale, or pull out a sample by hand.
Worry not: you have another weapon in your arsenal. That nose on your face is not just for decoration! Hay in history. A renowned physicist argues that hay was the most important invention of the last two thousand years. Freeman Dyson points out that hay was unknown in classical Greek and Roman times. The Greeks and Romans did not need hay, as the warm Mediterranean climate meant enough grass grew all year round to feed horses and livestock. Dyson argues that the lack of hay effectively thwarted the spread of civilisation into the cooler climes further north, where a source of winter feed was essential to keep animals.
The sweet smell of good hay is just glorious and comes from a plant chemical called coumarin. But your nose is also an essential tool in sniffing out mould.
You may well smell mould before seeing it. If the smell is sharp, musty, almost metallic, it is a sure sign the hay is mould-affected. While some horse owners believe that high protein levels in alfalfa hay can be linked to orthopedic diseases, equine experts tell us that this is not the case. In fact, horses will filter out any extra protein. As long as the hay has been stored in a dry environment such as a barn, only Vitamin A will be depleted, and that usually occurs in the first six months of storage.
Energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients and minerals remain consistent after even two years. Your horses depend on you for quality hay. Knowing the difference between dairy, dry cow, and horse quality alfalfa will help you provide them just that.
For over 17 years, The Hay Manager has been innovating and improving hay management tools to the farming industry. Besides manufacturing round bale feeders. The nutritional value of hay is determined by the maturity of the grasses and the legumes when they are cut and harvested.
The stems are mostly fiber, while the leaves contain a full range of nutrients. In early blooming stages, grasses, etc. As they mature, however, they increase in fiber and decrease in other nutrients. Thus, a young, leafy hay does provide more nutrition than a mature, stemmy one. These include breed, body type, age, metabolism, activity level, usage such as for breeding vs.
A still-growing 2-year-old thoroughbred racehorse in training will certainly have much greater energy requirements, and thus need a high quality hay. Conversely, a middle-aged easy-keeping Quarter Horse going on trail rides on the weekends likely needs a lot less. Going for hours without food and only receiving a couple flakes of hay twice a day is detrimental to digestive health and increases the risk for digestive imbalance , hindgut acidosis , stomach and hindgut ulcers , and other conditions.
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