Hay Quality

[inyati13]

I am feeding an alfalfa and mixed grass square baled hay. It is the traditional small bales. The content is about 40 percent alfalfa with orchard grass, fescue, other grasses. Some of it may be as high as 75 per cent alfalfa. A neighbor has told me the hay is too rich for beef cows. They are not having any issues and he did not imply that they would have nutrition or health issues but just that it was too rich. I purchased the hay for $3.50 per bale. I do not raise my own hay. This hay is very clean and I know the producer and how it is put up. Should I look for a good clean grass hay? I might save a $1.00 per bale. The hay must be clean of objects, debris and metal; that is an essential standard for my cows.

 

[novatech]

A poop test would tell you a lot. If it to rich the the droppings will be very loose and splatter when it hits the ground. If not then don't worry about it. If it does then buy some cheap hay and and mix with it.

 

[TexasBred]

I am feeding an alfalfa and mixed grass square baled hay. It is the traditional small bales. The content is about 40 percent alfalfa with orchard grass, fescue, other grasses. Some of it may be as high as 75 per cent alfalfa. A neighbor has told me the hay is too rich for beef cows. They are not having any issues and he did not imply that they would have nutrition or health issues but just that it was too rich. I purchased the hay for $3.50 per bale. I do not raise my own hay. This hay is very clean and I know the producer and how it is put up. Should I look for a good clean grass hay? I might save a $1.00 per bale. The hay must be clean of objects, debris and metal; that is an essential standard for my cows.

I assume by "rich" you mean too much protein. At the price you're giving for it I'd feed the heck out of it and never look back. The protein the cattle don't need they'll put back on the ground.

 

[inyati13]

Their feces have tightened up since I have started feeding the hay. The feces even stack to some extent, kind of reminds me of the test for proper hydration of concrete, where you put the concrete in a cone, invert it on a flat surface and measure how much the concrete slumps. It has been the wettest year in all recorded history here in KY (61.36 inches of precipitation here in Maysville, the average is about 45). I also have planted a lot of new pasture so with the rain, it has been a feast all summer. There is a saying in these parts that would go like this, "the cows could sh*t through a screen door and not touch a wire." Based on the responses above I don't need to worry!