Old hay tastier than fresh?

[herofan]

We have rolls of hay that we are currently feeding that is mostly fescue, orchard grass, and a few weeds I'm sure. We have hay we cut in the summer of 2012 and some left over from the summer of 2011. All the hay comes from the same fields, is the same type, and sits outside until fed. I've noticed that the heifers seem to eat the older hay more quickly than the newer hay. I would assume the older hay would be less appealing, especially since it sits outside, but it's not. What could cause this?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Guess they like aged hay like we like aged beef. :lol2:
This was some 4 year old sudan hay, that had been just sitting outside. They liked it better then the year old Sudan hay.

 

[Banjo]

They seem to like that rotten silagey smell, but they still won't eat it if its rotten. They will clean up hay that has been wrapped dry, that is as green when you feed it as when you baled it.Also its more nutritious.

 

[herofan]

Guess they like aged hay like we like aged beef. :lol2:
This was some 4 year old sudan hay, that had been just sitting outside. They liked it better then the year old Sudan hay.

Interesting! I just assumed the older the hay was and the more it remained outside, the less appealing it was, but I guess not. I won't worry about having left-over hay that stays outside anymore. The cows may consider it a delicacy.

 

[Kscattle]

The hay breaks down over time and is softer to chew, plus it loses some nutrition so they eat more to stay warm. Old clover hay is a good example.

 

[dun]

Even off of the same field the hay will vary from year to year. The older stuff may have been cut at a more appealing (sugar) stage.

 

[Kingfisher]

Kind of like an old tootsie rolls is way better than an old Danish!

 

[ohiosteve]

I only feed a few cows and I feed small square bales so I pay close attention to the hay they prefer. I am always amazed at their selection. This year they pass over the third cutting with no rain on it that I thought was primo and go go straight for the first cutting which also had no rain on it but is much coarser. Go figure.

 

[kenny thomas]

Dun brings up a good point. The sugar content is different according to the time of day the hay is cut even if its in the same field.

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm always afraid to tell this, I don't want to be called a liar. My neighbor was going to burn some 5 year old hay that had been left outside. He gave it to me to stop up a gully. It had been net wrapped, so i took the wrap off. In the middle of summer my cows cleaned that hay up like it was candy corn. He had at least 50 or 60 rolls, I went and got it all. I stopped my rotation, and put them in one field, and fed hay like it was winter. I stockpiled enough grass to get me past Christmas.

 

[snake67]

Take 3 plus year old hay - provided it was put up right - that has been stored outside in the weather.

Take three plus year old straw bales - oats seems the best - that has been put up right and stored outside in the weather.

Put it in a field of the best grass you have

There is a good chance the cows will eat the bales first

They love that old stuff.

Do not know why and I do not care - if I have it I will give them some once in a while.

This winter they have had every old rotten bale I can find because hay is so short

Cows love old hay and straw

Best to all

Bez

 

[herofan]

Thanks for all the replies! I learn something new all the time!!

 

[snake67]

Thanks for all the replies! I learn something new all the time!!

Further to my comments, as we also keep around 100 or so sheep - it seems that sheep are the same

Best to all

Bez

 

[B&M Farms]

I'm always afraid to tell this, I don't want to be called a liar. My neighbor was going to burn some 5 year old hay that had been left outside. He gave it to me to stop up a gully. It had been net wrapped, so i took the wrap off. In the middle of summer my cows cleaned that hay up like it was candy corn. He had at least 50 or 60 rolls, I went and got it all. I stopped my rotation, and put them in one field, and fed hay like it was winter. I stockpiled enough grass to get me past Christmas.

My grandpa once told me if I had some old hay my cows wouldn't eat out of a feeder to use it to stop a wash or put it in a gully and they would eat every bit of it.

 

[dun]

I'm always afraid to tell this, I don't want to be called a liar. My neighbor was going to burn some 5 year old hay that had been left outside. He gave it to me to stop up a gully. It had been net wrapped, so i took the wrap off. In the middle of summer my cows cleaned that hay up like it was candy corn. He had at least 50 or 60 rolls, I went and got it all. I stopped my rotation, and put them in one field, and fed hay like it was winter. I stockpiled enough grass to get me past Christmas.

My grandpa once told me if I had some old hay my cows wouldn't eat out of a feeder to use it to stop a wash or put it in a gully and they would eat every bit of it.

A couple of years ago we baled some big bluestem that had stems the size of my thumb. Baled it just to get it off the field. Used it for bedding for calves the next year when we had thick ice coating everything. Cows had some nice hay to eat in the feeders but they ate the bluestem like it was candy and ignored the good stuff.

 

[herofan]

I've had a roll of our newest hay from 2012 sitting out for 5 days and they have barely touched it. So, today I put out a very small roll just to get it out of the way (last one out of the roller) from the same 2012 crop, and they literally attacked it. I guess I'll just put it out and stop trying to figure anything out. :?

 

[Fred]

Cows do prefer rice straw that is a year or two old.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Even off of the same field the hay will vary from year to year. The older stuff may have been cut at a more appealing (sugar) stage.

I think in most cases this is what it is.

 

[ChrisB]

I had about 200 bales of 4 year old hay that had been rained on several times over a 2 week period before I finally got it baled. I had been using/selling it for bedding and giving a bale to the cows every 2 weeks or so just to let them pick at it when hungry and then I would spread it around for them to lay on. But this year they are cleaning it up even with better hay available. I was regretting that I ever baled it up and wished I would have burned it off, but now along with corn silage, I am feeding 2 good bales of alfalfa/grass hay and 1 old bale and it will really stretch my hay supply. It was put up dry so there isn't too much mold but still doesn't look the best.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I only feed a few cows and I feed small square bales so I pay close attention to the hay they prefer. I am always amazed at their selection. This year they pass over the third cutting with no rain on it that I thought was primo and go go straight for the first cutting which also had no rain on it but is much coarser. Go figure.

Can be the time of day it was cut and/or how quickly it dried.
First crop usually has a higher sugar content.