Can I use this hay?

deineria · #1 07/31/10, 11:41 AM

Literally RIGHT down our road less than 1/8 mile - people finally cut their mixed grass fields - it hasn't been cut this year though until now

.
It is 4x5 rolls. I know it is probably worthless, so I planned to pass on buying it,
but I wanted to be sure first that it wouldn't be worth buying . . .

I hate that they didn't cut it sooner! We don't have a way to haul much, so it being close would be awesome! We'd had to drive over an hour this year for hay.

ozark_jewels · #2 07/31/10, 11:56 AM

Here, that hay would be filler at best and bedding at worst. No, I wouldn't buy it.

tinknal · #3 07/31/10, 12:00 PM

If the price was right, and it is clean and mold free you could feed it along with a small amount of high quality alfalfa.

Of course it depends on what you are feeding it to and why.

deineria · #4 07/31/10, 01:12 PM

Yea, I didn't think it would work. How sad. I hope they cut it again before the season is over.

I am not going to buy it - I have a heifer, 15 or so goats and 6 horses.

topside1 · #5 07/31/10, 01:20 PM

Good call, that stuff was cut way to late in the season. Bet it feels like baled sticks...Topside

springvalley · #6 07/31/10, 02:16 PM

depends on what it is, may have alot of new growth by now. As I always say it is better than a snow ball. And depends what your feeding it to, would be ok for fat cattle wanting some roughage..Thanks Marc

ksfarmer · #7 07/31/10, 03:52 PM

Don't know about your part of the country and the types of grass you have there. Here we are just now baling native prairie hay. (Big bluestem, little bluestem, gamma grass, etc.) It doesn't reach it's prime till late July. Of course we only get 1 cutting per year.

topside1 · #8 07/31/10, 04:30 PM

In Tennessee first cutting better be finished by middle of June. Most hayman don't bother with a second cutting, some do most don't....Of course that's here.

deineria · #9 07/31/10, 07:17 PM

Here we often get 3 cuts, and the second cut has been finished for a few weeks here and in KY and Oh.

This is mosty Clover and Orchard grass.

olivehill · #10 07/31/10, 07:50 PM

For those uses any money you'd have saved on the hay you'd end up having to spend in supplemental nutrition anyway. Best to save your money and just buy quality hay.

Bret4207 · #11 08/01/10, 08:30 AM

Huh. Most guys around here, me included, haven't got our first cut done because it's so wet. I can tell you this much- that so called lousy hay will have a lot more nutrition in it than snowballs this winter. If you can get it for cheap I'd take it, you'll never have too much hay.

vaponydoc · #12 08/01/10, 10:50 AM

I've gotten first cutting put up in August (years ago) that looked like nice early first cutting because of all the new growth that had come up in it. Picky horses loved it. This year may not be as good due to dry spell (here, anyways) but I would look at the hay and see if it looks leafy or stemmy and how it smells. It may surprise you.

tinknal · #13 08/01/10, 11:10 AM

If you could get a sample of the hay you could bring it to your feedmill and have it tested.

genebo · #14 08/01/10, 11:15 AM

You can probably take a sample to your county extension agent to be tested for quality. Ours does it free.

The worst thing about bad hay is the weed seeds. Since it stood long enough for the weeds to go to seed, you'll be importing them to your pastures.

I'm finally winning the battle against horse nettles, but I got them with some otherwise high quality hay.

Genebo
Paradise Farm