How about this Hay?

ceresone · #1 09/14/10, 07:36 AM

I've always been told second cuttings of hay were best, and of course, dry, no mold, etc. Thing is, we've had the hottest summer in 100 years here, and dry too. The Gentleman I buy hay from says he will get a third cutting in a week or so, because rains have started, and its doing good now.
The thing is, I'm feeding 2 older horses, and I'm wondering about the quality of this hay--will it be tougher, with less nutrients, that the second cutting in his barn?
The hay I bought last year from a different man had been harvested for seed before he put the hay in my barn--pretty well useless for hay, so this year, I'm concerned I get good hay.One horse is 24 years old.

**Kris in MI** · #2 09/14/10, 07:40 AM

Around here, third cutting is typically your richest hay. As in, most horse people I know do not feed it alone, but feed it 50/50 with a less nutrient-dense hay such as first cutting.

ceresone · #3 09/14/10, 08:17 AM

Is that only when they arent on additional pasture? Mine are on at least 20 acres, but grass isnt the best.

**Kris in MI** · #4 09/14/10, 08:39 AM

Do they get grain too, or just pasturage?

Here, we can only plan on pasture about 6 months of the year, so hay and grain are the main diet. Some people with breeding stock/youngstock feed 3rd cutting for the higher protein levels (used to know Arab-circuit people who fed it to their youngsters to get them to grow faster/taller), but most people like 2nd cutting as their 'main' hay, 1st is fed w/pasture, and 3rd is usually fed during the winter and cut 50/50 with 1st cutting if not enough 2nd is available.

Also, is this hay grass, grass/clover, grass/alfalfa, or straight alfalfa?

A 3rd of straight alfalfa is so rich that you would have to feed small quantities of it, which probably isn't going to give the horses enough roughage. That's a main reason why alot of people around here cut it with 1st--3rd gives the nutrient punch and 1st gives the roughage and mass needed to maintain weight (and keep them busy chewing hay instead of fences, stalls, someone else's tail, etc out of boredom).

ceresone · #5 09/14/10, 09:13 AM

Sounds as if our climate, etc. is about the same here in So.Mo. as it is in Michigan, except we get mainly ice, instead of snow.
The hay is grass/clover mix, I'm afraid of straight Alfalfa, altho we dont have our founder horse anymore. These 2 are straight Arabian 24 years, and 1/2 Arab, 16 years. I grain once a day.
I'm having a bit of a problem, as my SIL hauls it--and He's determined to get it in the field, instead of from the barn. I'm wanting a firm reason to have him haul from the barn, He has a way of intimidating me, if you know what I mean.
Probably, now that the one isnt with us anymore, we can fertilize our fields, and bring up to soil test. (Fences last longer too)

mylala · #6 09/14/10, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceresone

I've always been told second cuttings of hay were best, and of course, dry, no mold, etc. Thing is, we've had the hottest summer in 100 years here, and dry too. The Gentleman I buy hay from says he will get a third cutting in a week or so, because rains have started, and its doing good now.
The thing is, I'm feeding 2 older horses, and I'm wondering about the quality of this hay--will it be tougher, with less nutrients, that the second cutting in his barn?
The hay I bought last year from a different man had been harvested for seed before he put the hay in my barn--pretty well useless for hay, so this year, I'm concerned I get good hay.One horse is 24 years old.

The only sure way to know the nutritional value of the hay is to have it tested.

motdaugrnds · #7 09/14/10, 01:28 PM

We are on the east coast and this summer was terrible on pastures; so we feel lucky to get nutrition.

I prefer the 1st cutting on alfalfa and the 2nd cutting on orchard grass, although the 1st cutting on orchard grass can be quite nutritious too. (My goats prefer a softer leaf; yet sneeze too much on alfalfa. That is why we take OG when we can get it.)

Picking baled hay up in the fields (in my experience) is the same as getting it out of a barn. It is the same hay; just cheaper because it has not been handled by the owner as much. (As long as it has not been rained on, I'ld continue getting it out of the field. Also, the owner of that pasture probably has some type of record stating the nutrition of his hay.)