Yet another hay question

ejb · Sep 6, 2004

Hi guys...

I am looking to get all my hay purchased for the winter...usually I just go to a local farm, and buy "hay". I never ask what kind it is, and always just assumed it was "grass".

I was checking out http://www.hayexchange.com to see if there are any cheaper ways to buy it...and most of the hay for sale is Alphalpha or timothy (and one is brome)....I am feeding sheep and goats...could I use any of these hay types? does it really matter that much?

I should know this by now..... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Phred · Sep 6, 2004

ejb,

Some of the experts will probably weigh in, but untill they do:

You will find lots of variability in the hay you can buy. Are you buying large round bales or small squares?
Large round will be cheaper per pound but will require a good size tractor to move about.
The quality of round bales tends to be lower. Make sure it does not smell moldy and has a light brown or tan color after it has been in the barn a while. If its dark brown or smells bad then its probably baled with too much moisture and your animals may not eat it well.
Also if round bales have been stored outside then the outer skin may look bad, but the rest should be much lighter in color and not smell moldy.

I do not know about sheep, but goats are not picky. Just about any grass will do IMHO.
They will eat fescue, timothy, etc... Alfalfa would be a waste for a goat, since it will be expensive.

Some people may be able to give you a hay analysis for the product they are porposing to sell to you. This will tell you the quality in detail.

Fred

ejb · Sep 6, 2004

Small square bales is all I have used so far...because that is what is available. Haven't found anyone locally the makes and sells big round bales, except for silage (i.e. wrapped in plastic while still wet).

I'd like to try some round bales and see if it isimplifies my feeding chores...just put out a big round bale every week or two, but my guess is that pound for pound it is a lot cheaper, by the time I factored in the waste, I might be better of with the square.

You are right about goats, they aren't picky; my sheep are a rugged/primitive breed and they aren't to picky either, but I do like to give them the good stuff during breeding/lambing season.

-EJB

cowboydoc · Sep 7, 2004

I'm not sure about sheep and goats but it matters alot with horses and cattle. You won't gain weight on cattle or horses if you are feeding poor quality hay. If you really want to know what you are feeding get the hay tested. This will tell you the protein content, most important, and other nutrients in the hay. Alot of hay sold, especially grass hay, is nothing more than filler. Your alfalfa is going to pound for pound be the best nutritional hay out there you can buy. But do you need it? All depends on what you are trying to do. If you're raising momma's and babies then it's a definite yes you need it. If you're just trying to maintain an animal you need a lower protein good quality hay, which timothy would be a very good choice. The problem is most people just cut grass when it suits them. As soon as grass is headed out it goes downhill fast in nutrient value. Once it's completely headed out you might as well just leave it because there isn't much left of nutritional value.

Boondox · Sep 7, 2004

We use second cut alfalfa for our Icelandic sheep, and were lucky enough to luck into a local farmer with exceptional quality stuff. Better yet, he loves our coffee so is susceptible to bribes of massive quantities of arabica bribes! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Some folks claim alfalfa is overkill for sheep, but pregnancy in our harsh winters is pretty tough on the animals so we go for the good stuff. A couple of our ewes were so enormously pregnant last year they could barely get enough food to keep going, so high quality feed helps a lot!

Last year we waited too long and were forced to buy from the local Agway. The hay was very stemmy and their was a LOT of waste since the sheep would spread it all over looking for the good content. This new stuff is great! More expensive, but they eat virtually all of it. We'll reserve the bales left last year for bedding...and I might use a few of them to sculpt the curves for this winter's bobsled course! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Oh, another trick we use. Often if you are willing to drive behind the baler and take your load from the field the farmer will give you a price break. Less handling for him.

Pete

cowboydoc · Sep 7, 2004

Often if you are willing to drive behind the baler and take your load from the field the farmer will give you a price break. 

A HUGE price break!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif If I have to bale, stack, and restack in the barn I charge $2.50-$3.00/bale. If someone comes out and picks it up in the field I charge $1.50.

ejb · Sep 7, 2004

>>A HUGE price break!!! If I have to bale, stack, and restack in the barn I charge $2.50-$3.00/bale. If someone comes out and picks it up in the field I charge $1.50.

Wish I could find some of that here....I just bought 150 bales out of the field for $3 per bale(it was $5 last year in february, out of the barn)....its real good stuff, second cut, and the sheep farmer I buy it from calls it the "sheep candy"...there is almost no waste, unlike the first cut stuff he sells where 50% of it ends up on the floor as bedding. I use this stuff (the good stuff) for exactly what Boondox is suggesting; during the breeding/lambing season.

I was hoping to get "regular" hay cheaper for the fall into early winter period where the nutrional needs are less...

$1.50 a bale...I would have a lot more animals if I could get my hay costs down to something more reasonable...

Egon · Sep 7, 2004

When you pick up right behind the baler you also know the bales haven't been rained on.

Egon

Boondox · Sep 7, 2004

Sadly, around here at least, more and more prime farmland is giving way to trophy homes of the worried well. So the tillable acreage vanishes while the need of those with livestock remains. Throw a wet, cold summer into the mix and you have out of control hay prices!

I wish all that beautiful soil could be salvaged before neighborhoods were installed on top of it all. Ahem.

SteveH_CT · Sep 8, 2004

Not just around there, we have one neighborhood after another popping up in Salem CT. Everyone apparently has gotten much larger in the past 20 years too, since they require a minumum 3000 sq. ft. to live. Very little land goes with these "Estates" though. We have a monster house going up right next door to us, the septic runs the entire width of their back yard. In a rural town like ours it seem ridiculous to be putting up such a large house on such a small lot. I moved out of the burbs a year ago, and darned if it isn't following me.

( As soon as grass is headed out it goes downhill fast in nutrient value. Once it's completely headed out you might as well just leave it because there isn't much left of nutritional value. ) Doc, does this mean when it's at the end of it's growth cycle?