During drought or when pasture is unavailable, hay becomes the main livestock nutrition source. Before purchasing hay, examine the nutrient content and whether it is low in endophyte concentrations.
According to David Woods Hay Service, the type and breed of cattle determine their food requirements. Young calves need fine, soft hay that is easy to chew.
Grass Hay Versus Alfalfa Hay
Grass hay is typically lower in protein than alfalfa and is sometimes higher in calcium. This makes it more suitable for cattle whose needs include plenty of energy and calcium but not as much protein as dairy cows require. Whether you should feed your livestock grass or alfalfa hay will depend on a variety of factors, including the region in which it was grown, soil conditions, and harvesting methods.
Choosing the right hay will be easier if you know what to look for. Good quality hay will be uniformly green in color and will smell fresh. It will also be light and fluffy, with flakes that separate easily. Poor quality hay may be heavy, stick together, dusty, and have a musty or sour smell. Moldy hay is undesirable, as it can cause respiratory problems and even abortion in pregnant cattle.
You can check for quality by examining the hay for signs of moisture. Moisture content will affect nutritional value, as it will determine how brittle the stems are and how quickly the hay will decompose. You can also test the hay’s maturity by bending a handful in your hand. If the hay bends easily, it’s more palatable and contains less woody lignin than hay that snaps like twigs.
If you’re feeding cattle, choose hay that has been cut while still young and growing for the highest levels of nutrition. Avoid hay that is overly mature or brown, as it will have lost a significant amount of its nutrient value.
Legumes such as alfalfa, various types of clover (red, crimson, and alsike), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, and vetch are good protein, vitamin A, and calcium sources. Often, they have double the protein and three times as much calcium as grass hay. Good legume hay is dense and high in total digestible nutrients, or TDN.
While you can feed dairy cattle a diet of pure alfalfa, you should not feed it to beef animals because it’s too rich for their digestive systems. It can lead to bloating. Instead, feed a mix of grass and legumes to beef animals.
Grass Hay Versus Legume Hay
Grass and legume hay are important fiber and energy sources in large animal diets. They also contain protein and a variety of other nutrients that vary depending on the type of plants in them. Legume hay typically contains more leaves and seeds than grass hay and is generally considered more nutrient dense. Legume hay can contain more protein than grass hay, making it a better choice for growing or lactating animals with higher protein content.
Both types of hay can be nutritious, but you should always choose the best quality hay possible. Look for hay that is fresh, moist, and green in color. Avoid hay that is dry, dusty, or has a lot of weeds. You should also look for a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and high levels of vitamins A, D, and E. When purchasing hay, inspect each bale for weeds, foreign material (rocks, sticks, baling twine), and mold (especially in alfalfa hay), which can cause bloating in cattle and be fatal to pregnant cows.
For mature beef cattle, a grass hay diet can provide adequate nutrition, especially if it is cut while still green and has a good protein level. Young calves, however, require a much more nutrient-dense diet. If you are feeding young calves, legume hay is essential to provide them with the protein they need.
Horses also benefit from a diet of high-quality legume hay. It is easy for horses to digest and provides them with plenty of energy and calories. The only drawback to legume hay is its higher protein content, which can lead to mineral imbalances in the body. It is, therefore, important to balance legume hay with a grass hay diet to ensure that horses receive all the amino acids they need to thrive.
When choosing hay for your livestock, you should work with a veterinarian or cattle specialist to pick the perfect ration. They can help you determine the right amount of nutrients to feed your livestock and make sure that it is a good fit for their breed, age, and health status.
Grass Hay Versus Beetle Hay
When feeding cattle, a whole host of issues can come into play. The type of land your cattle graze on, the climate in your region and the season, the quality of the hay you can purchase or grow yourself, your budget, and the specific needs of your herd should all be considered. In addition, the age of your cows and the level of activity they’re going through can also profoundly impact their nutritional requirements.
First, you’ll need to assess the availability of high-quality hay in your area. Many different types of grass hay exist, including timothy, brome, and orchard grass in northern regions, coastal Bermuda grass in warmer areas, and fescue, ryegrass, and Sudan grass in more arid climates. Depending on where you live, you may even be able to find legume hay such as alfalfa, red clover, alsike, or ladino hay.
Grass hays typically have lower levels of protein and calcium than legume hays but are generally more palatable to horses. They’re also usually less dusty than other hays and can be ideal for herds with respiratory issues.
The nutritional value and moisture content are the most important factors in determining which kind of hay to feed your herd. Ideally, hay should be picked at the peak of its nutrient density before it becomes too dry. It should also be cured properly to avoid moisture loss and spoilage.
Inspecting a few bales closely before purchasing or storing hay is always a good idea. Look for weeds, mold, dirt, or debris in the bales themselves (such as rocks, sticks, and baling twines that can cause fatal peritonitis in cattle if they’re ingested). Also, check the hay for a high leaf-to-stem ratio – this indicates higher nutritional value because leaves contain more nutrients.
Once you know what kind of hay you have available, determine how much your cattle should weigh. This will be a big factor in what kind of hay you’ll need to feed them and will help you decide how to supplement their diet with grains. Generally speaking, mature beef cattle and young calves can get by with grass hay, but lactating cows require more protein in their diet. In this case, you’ll likely want to incorporate legume hay like alfalfa into their diets.
Grass Hay Versus Horse Hay
When choosing hay for cattle, it is important to know the type of grass that is in it. Grass that is high in sugar or starch can cause bloat in cattle. The best hay for cattle contains little or no sugar or starch, as well as low lignin content and an appropriate balance of protein and calcium. It also is less likely to be contaminated by molds that are toxic to cattle.
Alfalfa hay is the better choice for young calves because it is high in protein and energy. However, it is unsuitable for adult dairy cows because it is too rich for them. In fact, dairy-quality alfalfa is too rich for most horses and should be avoided. Beef cattle do not need alfalfa’s extra energy and nutrients, so they should eat only grass hay.
If you choose to feed alfalfa, wait until it is in the vegetative or early bloom stages of growth. At this time, it has the lowest risk of causing bloat in cattle. The risk of bloat increases as the alfalfa plant enters the full bloom or post-bloom stages. Bloat risk is also higher when hay is cut later than necessary or when it has been exposed to excessive sunlight after being baled.
It is also a good idea to store your hay properly. Leaving hay out in the sun increases its moisture content and robs it of its nutrients. If you must store hay outdoors, protect it from rain or snow by covering it or stacking it in a bale shelter.
You can buy hay in small square bales or large round bales. The choice of which one you buy comes down to your preference and how your stable and outdoor feeding areas are arranged. Small square bales are often preferred because they are easier to handle. But round bales may save you money in the long run because they are often cheaper to purchase than large square bales.
When evaluating the quality of hay, look at its color and odor. It should be green and smell fresh, not musty or sour. The hay should also be light in weight and separate easily when pulled apart. If you are unsure of the quality of your hay, have it tested for nitrate levels. High levels of nitrates can be toxic to animals.
