Need opinion on hay

Donna1982 · #1 12/20/11, 05:35 PM

As most of you know hay in Oklahoma is hard to come by unless you want to pay out the nose for it. Well our hay guy (lucky for us) has been able to keep us in brome hay and everytime we go pick it up he has asked me if I want to try the red clover hay he has. Now I am a little stand offish because main reason when he first asked he said the mice got into them. When I hear that I think welll they peed and poop in it. It does not smell like mouse at all but I still worried. Also (not sure) I think he said that its last year bales but again not sure. My kids never had anything but alfalfa and brome so I don't even know if they will eat it. I am just trying to have a back up if we run out of the brome which am pretty sure he will. So what do you think? Would you try a bale or just say no?

FrogTacos · #2 12/20/11, 06:11 PM

I don't know if hay exists that could be called mouse free.

Ask him for a couple handfuls so you can see if your goats even like it.

Donna1982 · #3 12/20/11, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogTacos

I don't know if hay exists that could be called mouse free.

Ask him for a couple handfuls so you can see if your goats even like it.

Hes really good about if they dont like it to bring it back and he will either give something else or give our money back. He says all the time hes never met a bunch of goats that were picky as mine are. I laugh and say well you haven't met many goats have ya?

Chaty · #4 12/20/11, 06:22 PM

I have bought Red CLover its almost like Alfalfa hay and I have fed it to my goats lots of times. Mine love it and I get it when I cant buy alfalfa. I agree I have never had any the mice havent gotten into, mine just eat around the problem areas.

FrogTacos · #5 12/20/11, 06:27 PM

I managed to get my hands on a round bale, no idea what kind of hay it is. Lots of sticks and root balls in it, lots of weeds, its probably what most would call junk - it is of course their favorite one.

If he is willing to take it back if they don't like it, you might as well try it. So long as it isn't moldy it is better than nothing.

Donna1982 · #6 12/20/11, 06:32 PM

Its been barn kept and we have so far (knock on wood) had really good luck with his hay. I want to stick with him as long as I can because he is such a good guy and has far prices. What about it maybe being last years hay? Would y'all try it still?

FrogTacos · #7 12/20/11, 06:35 PM

My round bale is last years. I have been pulling it apart (not suggested without a nice strapping young teenage boy) and giving them a 55 gal trash can worth each day.

For me, it was literally that or nothing (that I could find anyway) - figured if they wouldn't eat it, they would get to sleep in it. $25 for the round and its still a heck of a lot cheaper than any other bedding substrate I could dream of finding.

Donna1982 · #8 12/20/11, 06:53 PM

Never thought of it that way. Guess I can try it out.

Cannon_Farms · #9 12/20/11, 09:42 PM

Clover is a legume the same family as alfalfa carries about a 13% protein average so its pretty good stuff, my picky goats love it and I would buy all I could get.
On a side note, clover being a legume it adds nitrates back in the soil saving you money on fertilizer if you allow it to grow. Down here we use it as a spring grass until burmuda comes back to life.

grandmajo · #10 12/20/11, 10:29 PM

Clover hay is good hay, if the person who does it knows what they're doing. If it's not put up properly it will get a black mold. If your confident that your hay guy knows what he's doing, then go for it. If not, then tell him no thanks.

Also, on a side note you're goats may get a slight case of the poops if you feed it to them straight right away. You can counter this by giving them half their regular hay and half clover hay until they get adjusted to it. My goats love the stuff!