Wheat hay (not straw) .....

[Anonymous]

Howdy all, whats the skinny on Wheat hay - good, bad, ok if the price is right. With the weather 'round here, (rain, rain and more rain) hay is getting expensive and crappy at the same time. Found some wheat that was cheap(or cheaper)and was wondering the how it would affect my cattle - Just calved mommas, yearling heifers and a couple freezer steers.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

The best way to determine if the hay is worth the money is to take a forage sample. That is really the only way to know for sure. let me know if you need a place to send your sample I can point you in the right direction.



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[Anonymous]

That is exactly right. One other way to determine the quality of wheat hay is to ask what stage growth it was harvested. The "flag"leaf stage, that stage just prior to heading, the protein will be at its greatest. Each day after and especially after head formation the protein may drop as much as one-half to one point per day. Reason is that all the energy in the plant is being used to produce the seed. Wheat forage is excellent hay if harvested at the correct time. Wheat hay harvested with seed heads is hard to get dry and rodent problems will increase.

> The best way to determine if the
> hay is worth the money is to take
> a forage sample. That is really
> the only way to know for sure. let
> me know if you need a place to
> send your sample I can point you
> in the right direction.



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[Anonymous]

If you don;t have the luxury of time to get an analysis, if the price is right go ahead and try it out. As long as it isn't moldy or rotten. You may, make that probably, will need to feed grain or some other supplement along with it. We have fed wheat hay to 3rd stage cows and recent calvers with no ill affects. Had a sample done and it turned out to be aaround 7% protien but very high TDN. Never have figured that out. We fed about 2 lbs of 13% grain per head. Calves were normal sized, cows and heifers milked normally, no difficulties in any way. The cows are just now getting on grass but they had already started to cycle even while on the wheat hay and grain ration.

dun

> Howdy all, whats the skinny on
> Wheat hay - good, bad, ok if the
> price is right. With the weather
> 'round here, (rain, rain and more
> rain) hay is getting expensive and
> crappy at the same time. Found
> some wheat that was cheap(or
> cheaper)and was wondering the how
> it would affect my cattle - Just
> calved mommas, yearling heifers
> and a couple freezer steers.

> Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

> If you don;t have the luxury of
> time to get an analysis, if the
> price is right go ahead and try it
> out. As long as it isn't moldy or
> rotten. You may, make that
> probably, will need to feed grain
> or some other supplement along
> with it. We have fed wheat hay to
> 3rd stage cows and recent calvers
> with no ill affects. Had a sample
> done and it turned out to be
> aaround 7% protien but very high
> TDN. Never have figured that out.
> We fed about 2 lbs of 13% grain
> per head. Calves were normal
> sized, cows and heifers milked
> normally, no difficulties in any
> way. The cows are just now getting
> on grass but they had already
> started to cycle even while on the
> wheat hay and grain ration.

> dun

We to are experiencing a short supply of hay also, due to last years dry conditions. I posted the same question on an earlier thread. See Dun's reply. Dun stated I may have a volunteer crop for late season grazing. We have been using it in a small pasture that I will use for the winter pasture next year. If the volunteer crop comes up, it may save me a week or so of haying.

I payed, in March, what I would normally pay for the same size bail of 2nd cutting Alfalfa. Talking to the man's father that produced it, I got the impression that it was a hybred cross between wheat and rye.

I have sample of the wheat and the hay we feeding out for analysis now. If the analysis comes back good and the out of the field price is less, we may purchase some more to alternate with our other hay next year. The cows seem to be eating it ok, but haven't been on it long enough to offer any opion.

Is this wheat hay a new product?



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[Anonymous]

A cross of Durham wheat with rye pollen is called triticale. Don't know of anyone growing it.

dun

> We to are experiencing a short
> supply of hay also, due to last
> years dry conditions. I posted the
> same question on an earlier
> thread. See Dun's reply. Dun
> stated I may have a volunteer crop
> for late season grazing. We have
> been using it in a small pasture
> that I will use for the winter
> pasture next year. If the
> volunteer crop comes up, it may
> save me a week or so of haying.

> I payed, in March, what I would
> normally pay for the same size
> bail of 2nd cutting Alfalfa.
> Talking to the man's father that
> produced it, I got the impression
> that it was a hybred cross between
> wheat and rye.

> I have sample of the wheat and the
> hay we feeding out for analysis
> now. If the analysis comes back
> good and the out of the field
> price is less, we may purchase
> some more to alternate with our
> other hay next year. The cows seem
> to be eating it ok, but haven't
> been on it long enough to offer
> any opion.

> Is this wheat hay a new product?

 

[Anonymous]

i grow it in belgium. great crop. more per ha and less waste due to larger grains. only thing is cattle tend to fatten up very easy on it, and fat is not the thing i want in my beef, but for the cows and the youngest bulls it's an excellent feed.

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