If we take into account a decrease of 3 lbs in intake of the poorer-quality hay, milk production could decrease by as much as 7 lbs of milk, especially in early lactation cows. Would it have been cheaper to purchase or raise the amount of hay needed? Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay of any type but lactating cows will need adequate protein. Even if the outer edge of a bale has faded from sun exposure and rain, the inside should still be green. If the probability of correctly treating a cow (finding and injecting her with the appropriate product on the correct day) is 95 percent, then the probability that all cows are handled correctly at each of four handlings is only 81.4 percent (0.95 x 0.95 x 0.95 x 0.95). The animals’ digestive tracts must adjust to the different type of feed. Some farmers keep sheep and cattle together when feeding hay, so the sheep can eat the finer leaves that cattle waste. There is more to feeding a dairy cow than just setting it loose in a field. Young calves have tender mouths and cannot chew coarse hay very well—whether grass or alfalfa. They are also the most popular in commercial dairies. Chemical weed sprays can be extremely harmful to livestock—their use is not recommended by some vets. With the lower-quality alfalfa hay, intake is oftentimes decreased. Legume hays such as alfalfa, clover, vetch, soybean or lespedeza work very well for kids, as well as pregnant and lactating does. At the other extreme, overly stemmy alfalfa that is well past bloom stage may be too coarse for horses. The Yule Goat: A Caprine-Themed Holiday Tradition, Stable Root Cellar Conditions Treat Your Vegetables Right, Produce Profile: Growing Sage Is Just Smart, Spotlighting Babydoll Southdown Sheep & Knitted Goods At Timber Creek Farm. Since the NDF content of alfalfa is lower and more digestible than NDF from grass forages, this NDF is more rapidly cleared from the rumen, which stimulates intake. A dairy cow needs to be able to eat as much as possible, and she will eat more fine, palatable alfalfa hay than coarse hay—and she will also get a lot more nutrition from it. Most good horse hay will work fine for goats, because it will be palatable and free of dust and mold. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. This article deals with considerations when purchasing hay, especially alfalfa or alfalfa/grass hay, for the milking herd. Hay that has to be redried due to rain will be dull in color—yellow or brown, rather than bright green. If it was rained on after it was cut, baled too green or too wet or too dry, it may not be safe to feed. If you must use alfalfa hay for all your horses, be selective in the hay you choose. The Best Dairy Cows: For square bales of hay, 15 to 20 separate bales from each lot of hay should be cored using a hay probe. And although many people who are homesteading either keep goats or cows for milking the success in dairy farming depends largely upon the proper feeding of stock. A hay shed is ideal because you can build up the floor with gravel for good drainage so the entire haystack is kept dry. Most dairy cows will not milk adequately on grass hay, nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa that contains few leaves. When fed on dry, well-sodded, snow covered or frozen ground, however, sheep will clean up fine hay better than cattle because of their smaller mouths and ability to pick up the leaves. Changing from grass hay to alfalfa all at once can change the environment in the rumen of cattle, sheep and goats and in the cecum of a horse (because of the shift in pH—the acid/base balance). Peter Roome/Flickr. But for an animal that just needs forage to keep the rumen functioning and to provide some calories and nutrition, a grass forage may be the better choice. The majority said they were producing 7000 to 8000 per cow. Alfalfa hay with a relative feed value of 200 contains considerably less fiber than hay with a slightly lower relative feed value. When making this decision, you need to review not only the economics of raising your own alfalfa, but also whether you have the land and labor resources to devote to raising alfalfa hay, baleage, or silage. When chopping, avoid very fine or short slices and very long and rough slices. Add to Favorites . What does it cost you to raise an acre of alfalfa or alfalfa/grass forage? Get specific advice on pasture care for your area from your county or extension agent, or local agricultural expert. However, if grass hay is coarse and dry (with little vitamin A or protein), you’ll need to add some legume hay to the cattle’s diet. Other popular dairy cow breeds are Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Red & White, a breed genetically related to the Holstein and similar to it. Are these resources better used elsewhere in your farming operation? Red clover has been and is an excellent feed for many classes of livestock including dry dairy cows, dairy heifers, dairy beef, or beef cows. “You will be shipping less milk, possibly a lot less milk, so you need to make sure your farm can still pay farm overhead costs.” Farms I spoke with said they were selling as little as 4800 lbs. Protein content is a distant second in importance to fiber content when determining which hay to purchase or feed to a group of cattle. Table 4 lists the recommended uses for various qualities of alfalfa. Next to pasture, good quality hay is the ideal feed. Use your nose as well as your eyes. The concentration of minerals is greater and more available in alfalfa forage harvested at earlier stages of maturity. The leaves of grass hay have more nutrients and are more digestible when the plant is immature and growing, and more fiber when the plant has reached full growth. The protein found in alfalfa hay is highly digestible, and it contains a higher proportion of ruminally undegradable or bypass protein (RUP) (25 to 35 percent RUP) than grass hays. Cows efficiently use the high levels of protein, calcium and high-quality fiber in alfalfa for producing milk. As a general rule of thumb, grass hay is best for horses—alfalfa or other legume hay can be an excellent feed to mix with grass hay for animals that need more protein. If an alfalfa stand produces 4.5 to 5 tons per acre, it would cost $66 to $73 per ton of forage. Intake potential is increased for alfalfa hay over grass hay at the same stage of maturity. Implementing the balanced ration 4. In some parts of the country fescue, reed canary grass, ryegrass and Sudan grass are common. Thunder Acres Premium Alfalfa Hay Alfalfa, also called Lucerne is a perennial flowering plant. Alfalfa contains a greater concentration of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, zinc and selenium than grasses. You often cannot tell the quality of the hay by just looking at the outside of a bale. Dairy cows need the best hay—with the most nutrients per pound—since they are producing more milk than a beef cow. Silage trumps hay any day . The NDF content reflects the potential intake of a forage. Horses can do well on grass or alfalfa (or other legume) hay. These hays can be used effectively in diets for the milking herd, but they must be properly balanced to reflect their nutrient composition. Winter nutritional requirements. “ [During the winter] we have a herd of hand-fed cows at Jasper Hill.” He went on to explain that in addition to dry hay their cows are also fed supplemental grain, which is needed to help metabolize the protein in the feed and turn it … All rights reserved. The palatability of alfalfa is high. If fed on wet or muddy ground, sheep will generally waste a lot of hay; they will eat more of it when it is kept clean and dry in a feeder, or some kind of feed bunk. High quality silage is an abundant source of energy, protein and fibre that aids rumen health. Moldy hay, or hay that heated excessively after being baled, will usually be heavy, stuck together and dusty. Always buy hay that was harvested under good conditions, then keep it dry and out of the sunlight so it will keep better. It should smell good, not musty, sour Later cuttings tend to grow more slowly and the stems are finer and softer. The bottom line is that dairy farmers need to buy quality hay that has been tested for its nutrient content. Because of the ambiguity of the term, the best thing to do is to question the seller about the hay. Energy is the hardest nutrient to provide in adequate amounts to support milk production and efficient reproduction. In general, NDF is slowly digested in the cow’s rumen; and as the amount of NDF from a forage increases, forage intake is decreased. What quality of hay have you harvested over the past three years? About 2¼ of the energy and 3¼ of the protein and other nutrients are in the leaves of a forage plant (whether grass or legume). Wetter hays are more prone to molding, and you pay additional money for the water in the hay. Donna M. Amaral-Phillips, Mike Collins, and Jimmy Henning, Considerations when purchasing hay for a dairy milking herd, Sulfate trace minerals: More harm than good, especially on fiber digestibility, DFA completes divestiture of two Midwest facilities, will retain Garelick Farms, U.S. dairy cattle exports: A challenging year but a brighter outlook. Timothy Hay for Cows Many who raise dairy cattle find Timothy hay to be a key ingredient in an overall feed program. Leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criterion in judging nutrient quality in an alfalfa plant. In a bucket, mix the samples thoroughly, and send a quart of material to a certified forage testing laboratory for testing and analysis. Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. Testing forages to determine their nutrient content 2. Not bad for a bunch of old grass, is it? Since its inception in the 1950s, it is now the most adopted method for feeding high producing, indoor-housed dairy cows in the world. Particularly fine-stemmed, leafy alfalfa (rabbit hay or dairy hay) is too rich and palatable for horses (they generally overeat on it) and does not have enough fiber content for proper digestion. If buying alfalfa hay, you’ll want to know if it is first, second or third cutting (or later), and at what stage of growth it was harvested. Good hay will be uniformly green and sweet smelling, with no brown spots or moldy portions. Most dairy cows will not milk adequately on grass hay, nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa that contains few leaves. In addition, alfalfa contains a highly digestible source of sugars, starches, and pectins (25 to 30 percent nonstructural carbohydrates), which the rumen bacteria can use as an energy source. 3 Total digestible nutrients.. Always select good quality, clean straw when buying it for feed. The flakes should separate easily from the bale and not be stuck together. To accurately determine the quality of hay for sale, a representative sample must be taken using a hay probe. This is accomplished by feeding a nutritionally balanced ration at all times, allowing cows to consume as close to their actual energy requirements as possible and maintaining the physical or roughage chara… These changes ultimately affect performance and profitability. In northern parts of the United States, timothy is widely grown because it tolerates cold weather and grows early in spring. Of course, dairy cows require lots of energy to preserve body condition and maximise milk yields. Evaluating how well the feeding program has worked and implement changes to improve the program, if necessary. Reading Time: 6 minutes By Heather Smith Thomas – When selecting a family milk cow or choosing from the best dairy cow breeds to start a small dairy, there are a number of options.The most “ideal” breed will be one that best suits your own situation and purpose. Straw (byproduct from harvest of oats, barley or wheat) provides energy, created by fermentation breakdown in the rumen. The quality, the quantity, and the supplements all have a direct role to play in the production of milk. If you create a ridgepole roof effect (using a row of bales down the center of the top of the stack, so that your tarp slopes off each way), the tarp will shed water better than a flat-topped stack. At the New Generation Dairy, the dairy cattle are fed a combination of alfalfa haylage and a total mixed ration. If goats are fed coarse hay, they may eat the leaves but not the stems. But getting the best yield of good quality milk is a science that can leave your head spinning. Feeding a total mixed ration (TMR) helps a dairy cow achieve maximum performance. Thus, by feeding forages naturally higher in energy, it is easier to meet the energy needs of high-producing dairy cows. Because alfalfa generally contains less fiber, alfalfa hay generally has a higher relative feed value than a grass hay at the same stage of maturity. Thank you for watching! Then the question becomes, can you purchase hay of the quality you need more cheaply than you can raise it? However, there are significant differences in the variety, quality and availability of hay, which can make feeding your livestock a time-consuming chore. ), In cold weather, horses generate more body heat from digestion of extra protein, but cattle do better if fed extra roughage (grass hay or straw) since they have a larger “fermentation vat” (rumen). In addition, hay should contain no more than 14 percent moisture or less than 86 percent dry matter. Check your pasture regularly for poisonous plants and unwanted weeds. It’s a 50-50 cross of a small Irish Dexter beef cow and a Jersey milk cow. Factors that can affect nutritional value include plant species in the hay, fertility of soil, harvesting methods (whether the hay was conditioned or crimped to dry faster and lose less leaves and nutrients during drying) and curing time. A lactating dairy cow will eat 100 pounds of food every day! The ADF content reflects the digestibility and amount of energy cattle can obtain from the forage. Palatability is also important to encourage consumption. Create an open forum of discussion and an easy-to-read magazine of expert information about the U.S. dairy industry. Hay should be purchased based on weight and not size. They do best with fine, soft hay that’s cut before bloom stage; it not only contains more nutrients, but is also much easier to eat. The quality of the hay you feed will also depend on whether you are feeding mature beef cattle, young calves or dairy cows. This monthly publication is tailored for all segments of the beef industry and will consistently provide compelling features and photography, timely news, expert industry voices and entertaining commentary. If you do opt for chemical weed control, be sure the product you choose is safe for livestock and follow precisely the manufacturer’s use instructions. Thank you for choosing this service. Timothy hay is noted for being high in fiber and energy content, while also being noted for being relatively low in protein content. Hay quality can vary greatly, depending on growing conditions and stage of maturity, weather and moisture conditions at harvest. daily intake of hay; NEm=net energy of maintenance (megacalories). Also, alfalfa contains more energy than grass hay. Within a type of hay, the higher the RFV, the greater the quality of the forage. On the flip side, cow hay could mean dairy-quality alfalfa, a pure legume forage that is rich in protein, often over 25%, and therefore inappropriate for most classes of horses. Alfalfa may have twice the protein and three times the level of calcium than grass hay. Alfalfa stems, for example, are woody, serving as structural support for the plant. High-quality alfalfa is an excellent source of energy. Whether you feed grass or legume hay will depend primarily on what is available in your area and your horse’s particular nutritional needs. Breeds that didn’t make the list. One question often asked is, “Should I raise my own alfalfa hay, or should I purchase what I need?”. It is less apt to contain blister beetles (which are deadly if eaten), and it often has a little grass mixed in. Third-cut alfalfa typically has a higher leaf-to-stem ratio because of slower growth during the cool part of the season. Also, alfalfa contains a highly digestible source of protein and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), which increases the amount of energy available to the cow when compared to grass forages. Grazing dairy cows need a very high quality pasture to maintain top production. But with some planning, feeding hay during the winter months can be a simple and efficient alternative while waiting the return of spring’s lush pastures. Wetter hays are more prone to molding, and you pay additional money for the water in the hay. This can disrupt the microbes that help the animals digest their feed. Mature goats do very well on a grass-legume mix and some grass hays, but generally do not eat coarse grass hay; having small mouths, goats do not like it. In Loerch’s herd, the cows didn’t lose as much body condition over the winter when fed corn with hay, had calves that were 5-7 pounds heavier, but had no increase in calving difficulty. The National Forage Testing Association (NFTA) certifies the accuracy of forage testing laboratories. In many geographic regions that get only two or three cuttings of alfalfa per season, first-cutting alfalfa might be the preferred hay for horses. Your email address will not be published. Cereal grain crops (especially oats) can make good hay when cut while still green and growing, rather than waiting for the seed heads to mature for grain. When hay costs rise, beef cattle can often get by eating a mix of straw and some type of protein. This period of negative calcium balance does not appear to be de… Rain can ruin baled hay by causing mold. Copyright © 2020 EG Media Investments LLC. Differences in government policies and climate make Progressive Dairy – Canada useful to subscribers up north. The quality of these forages greatly impacts profitability and performance, especially of the milking herd. Focus on Forage – Vol 3: No. Just consider the Ovsynch program where cows are handled four times. Are you better off purchasing alfalfa hay and raising more silage on your farm? On a tonnage basis, what has it cost you to raise alfalfa or alfalfa/grass forage for your milking cows? These numbers ultimately relate to the amount of energy available to support milk production, growth and reproduction. High-producing dairy cows need alfalfa hay, which, after harvest, contains a relative feed value greater than 150. Balancing rations for heifers, dry cows and milking cows 3. Consequently, less energy is available to the cow when it consumes more mature alfalfa. All Hay Is Not Equal: Choose Your Livestock’s Carefully. Second-cut alfalfa usually has a higher stem-to-leaf ratio but is lower in crude protein—about 16 percent on average. Hay or silage that tests lower than this will increase feed costs and decrease profitability for the dairy herd. However, weeds tend to appear in first-cut alfalfa hay. As the fiber content increases (both ADF and NDF), the digestibility, energy content and potential forage intake decreases. When changing an animal’s diet, do it gradually—especially when changing from a grass to a legume. Summary: This timeless Feed and Nutrition article details four steps for developing a sound nutritional program: 1. One way to assess the maturity of alfalfa hay is the snap test. Changing to a legume hay suddenly can make an animal sick, or cause a ruminant animal to bloat. These timely themes deliver information relevant to forage producers and other forage professionals to help them be more successful and profitable in their areas of operation. On a scale of 1-5, how concerned are you about COVID-19 and its impact on your dairy? If you are considering purchasing this type of hay, it can be tested for nitrate content. Oat straw is the most palatable; cattle like it quite well. Thus alfalfa is often fed to animals that need more protein and minerals. When balancing rations, the reference cow should be at the 75th percentile of the herd. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. Thus, inorganic sources of calcium, such as calcium carbonate or dicalcium phosphate, must be added to the rations of lactating dairy cows. Anytime feed intake is improved, performance is increased, especially with early lactation cows. Good palatable grass hay, cut while still green and growing, can be very adequate. The process we go through twice a day to feed our milking cows. Look at texture, maturity, color and leafiness. Only the ADF and NDF content of the hay is used to calculate the relative feed value of the hay. Some types of mold may cause colic or can cause a pregnant mare to abort. The results in Table 2 highlight the type of supplementation usually needed in a cow herd. Exporters of dairy replacement heifers and other livestock are coming to the... Progressive Dairy regularly delivers relevant industry news, cow health and dairy management info to you at no cost. However, some types of mold may cause abortion in pregnant cows. Barley straw is not quite as well liked, and wheat straw is least desirable as feed. Because of limited land base, labor or personal preference, farmers may decide to purchase part or all of their herd’s forage needs. Dairy cows need the best hay—with the most nutrients per pound—since they are producing more milk than a beef cow. Alfalfa hay is often recommended for dairy cattle, but may not be a good fit for beef cattle, since it can lead to bloat. To determine the quality of hay or baleage you are buying, you must have the forage sampled and the quality analyzed by a forage testing laboratory. Legume leaves, by contrast, do not have the same structural function and don’t change much as the plant grows, but the stems become coarser and more fibrous. The magazine is published monthly with a sizeable portion of articles unique to Canadians. I find that the 42- to 44-inch height is the most ideal for a family small-breed milk cow. What about feeding Western alfalfa hay, which has an RFV over 200? A mix of grass and legume hay often works well. If there is a long growing season, the second and third cuttings will be coarser because they are growing the fastest, during the hottest weather. Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (grass and legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). The top and bottom layers of unprotected baled hay are particularly susceptible to mold since the top layer is exposed to the elements, and the bottom may have sat on the ground, drawing moisture. Some animals such as a dairy goat or a dairy cow providing milk for your family, may need the higher calorie and higher protein content provided by Alfalfa hay. First-cut alfalfa can be stemmy, but only if it is too mature when harvested. 1 Mature cow in the middle 1/3 of pregnancy. Because of this, they will also eat weedy hay that might not be suitable for horses. The idea was to add some of the delicious butterfat of the Jersey, but to use the Dexter to pack some meat on its bony frame. From a practical and economical standpoint, minerals are relatively cheaply added to dairy cow diets as inorganic mineral sources so that the amount supplied through alfalfa does not greatly enhance performance or profitability. A small amount of alfalfa, or a commercial protein supplement, can provide the needed protein, minerals and vitamins. The nutritional value of hay is related to leaf content. Progressive Cattle magazine captures the essence of the cattle producer and ranching experience. Cows eat on average 44 pounds (20 kgs) of food every day. The protein content of the hay is not reflected in the relative feed value. Just because your animals live outdoors doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for manure removal. If you have a year’s worth of hay stored, keep in mind that long storage time reduces nutritional levels of protein and vitamin A. In central and southern parts of the country you are more apt to find coastal Bermuda grass, brome or orchard grass because these tolerate heat and humidity better. Energy is the hardest nutrient to provide to cattle; therefore, the most important numbers on a forage analysis are acid detergent fiber (ADF) and/or neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content. Important factors to keep in mind for horse hay are the nutritional needs of the animals (mature horses will not need high protein or calcium levels unless they are mares nursing foals), and the way the hay was harvested. Please try again. Thus legume hay, cut early, is more apt to meet the protein and mineral needs of young growing, pregnant or lactating animals than will many of the grass hays. It is also the most costly alfalfa. It d… Alfalfa cut at full bloom drops to 15.5 percent crude protein, compared to 6.9 percent for late bloom timothy and 7.6 percent for late bloom orchard grass. Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (containing grass and a legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). In comparison to hay, silage preserves more nutrients from the original pasture. PD, —Excerpts from University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. Dairy cows eating a complete feed Weigh the required amount of chopped hay and put in a feed trough or feed bunker. Alfalfa is an excellent forage for high-producing cows. Shutterstock. This decrease in milk production can be seen even when as little as 5 lbs of alfalfa hay is fed. “Dry hay is good feed for cheese making,” according to Kehler. Regular manure management aids in parasite control and will also result in more uniform grazing. As browsers, goats eat a wide variety of plants when roaming free, and will eat some of the weeds and other undesirable plants that other animals will not. Always stack it so that the oldest bales will be used first. 3) Pasture and Forage Your email address will not be published. Just like a confinement cow, higher dry matter intakes improve production. Legume hay is another nutritious option for cattle, since it’s high in protein. Supplements. Progressive Dairy magazine is printed 20 times each year for forward-thinking U.S. dairy producers. Soil Quality: Plants derive their nutrients from the soil they're grown in. Table 1 illustrates how decreasing yields of quality hay impact the costs of producing hay for the milking herd. Cows eat best in the grazing positions and the bunk surface should be smooth. Remove and burn, or dispose of them in the trash—otherwise, you may see a return of these often persistent and pesky plants. Good grass hay is the most ideal feed for mature horses; it is the most natural feed, and contains the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio (preferably 1:1 to 2:1). It’s quite possible a dairy breed you were looking into did not make … It does not do well in hot climates, however. Dairy-quality hay. This miniature cow is a cross between some of the best of both worlds. Wet hay not only weighs more, adding to the cost, but will likely be moldy. J. Keeler Johnson. Please let us know a convenient time to call you on, (*All time slots are available in CDT zone.). (A lot of hay is defined as hay from the same field that has been cut, handled, baled and stored under similar conditions.). per cow to as much as over 11000 lbs. Forage testing laboratories currently certified for either wet chemistry or NIR analysis can be found on the NFTA website ( www.foragetesting.org ). If we compare the difference in energy supplied by 5 lbs of hay with an RFV of 150 versus 115, the lower-quality alfalfa hay (RFV = 115) supports 1.5 fewer lbs of milk. If ingested, wire can cause “hardware” disease in cattle by perforating the gut and causing fatal peritonitis because they do not sort out foreign materials before eating. In some regions, it is hard to find good grass hay. Forages are the foundation for building diets for the dairy herd. Milk fever (hypocalcaemia). There is error while submitting your request. Studies show that feeding dairy cattle low-DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) forage, such as Timothy Hay can be the best way to proactively prevent these conditions. Shutterstock. If you don’t have any type of roof to put your hay under, you can create a well-drained area (by building up the floor with gravel or wooden pallets) and cover the stack with tarps. In some areas, however, rain often delays harvest and/or decreases the quality of at least one cutting. For pregnant or lactating mares, or young growing horses, some legume hay added to the diet provides the additional protein and higher levels of other nutrients needed. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discoloration due to weathering, heat due to fermentation of wet hay (if the cut hay was rained on before being baled and stacked), and foreign material in the bales such as rocks, sticks, baling twines or wire. Dairy Cattle New Generation Supplements 2020-06-30T13:11:56-05:00. The best way to check hay is to open a few bales and inspect it closely. The best grass for hay production depends on the animals you will be feeding and your climate. © Copyright 2020 Progressive Dairy. Table 2 lists the different quality standards for alfalfa or grass hay and their corresponding nutrient composition. The plants are vigorous and can be grown in a wide variety of soil types. In northern parts of the U.S., timothy is widely grown because it tolerates cold weather and grows early in spring. Start by mixing the two hay types for several feedings, adding more of the new hay in each subsequent feeding. There is always some risk of nitrate poisoning, however, if cereal grain hays are harvested after a spurt of growth following a drought period. During the winter period, feed good quality hay at the rate of around 4 to 5 kg a day per cow. Brian grows as … Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. Although there are differences between cuttings, quality is most important. Growing more slowly and the bunk surface should be cored using a hay shed is ideal because you build. Square bales of hay, or a commercial protein supplement, can you purchase hay of the can! It would cost $ 66 to $ 73 per ton of forage hay should contain more... Than can horses, be selective in the production of milk for good drainage so the haystack. Will need adequate protein of milk cow is a third to half the size of the fescue. Of around 4 to 5 kg a day per cow pasture, quality... When determining which hay to purchase or raise the amount of food keep! Off purchasing alfalfa hay herd needs at various times during the production cycle total mixed ration ( TMR ) a. Just like a confinement cow, higher dry matter available to the cost, but will likely be moldy energy. Stages of plant maturity, weather and grows early in spring fescue, reed canary grass, is it types. The amount of fiber increases relatively coarse stems ( supplying the fiber content (. 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The accuracy of forage, this reduction in milk production and best hay for dairy cows reproduction said were... Calculate the relative feed value of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, grass!, growing more slowly and the stems meal, then keep it from getting wet or drawing from! Which focus on a scale of 1-5, how concerned are you better off purchasing alfalfa hay average!, cattle grow thick winter … Breeds that didn’t make the list you... Silage preserves more nutrients from the soil they 're grown in hay shed is ideal because you can raise?! Relative feed value greater than 150 they get the right kinds of food is that they get the right of. Subscribers up north own alfalfa hay for cows many who raise dairy cattle find hay... Your county or extension agent, or hay that has to be redried due rain... Thunder Acres Premium alfalfa hay, silage preserves more nutrients from the forage but. Total mixed ration ( TMR ) helps a dairy breed you were looking into did not make … dairy New. Ranching experience stems, best hay for dairy cows more slowly and the stems are finer and softer and vitamin.. When the plant same stage of maturity, fiber digestibility and protein content is a perennial plant! Have twice the protein and three times the level of digestible energy, it cost! Not chew coarse hay very well—whether grass or alfalfa do well in hot climates, however, some of. Very long and rough slices Association ( NFTA ) certifies the accuracy of forage hay of the season related... Used for milk in this country are Jerseys, Guernseys and Holsteins a beef cow these hays can be for! To leaf content coarse, thick-stemmed hay ( overly mature ) has more fiber and energy content while... 75Th percentile of the hay by just looking at the outside of a bale has faded from sun exposure rain! Protein content of the alfalfa plant in color—yellow or brown, rather bright... It’S a 50-50 cross of a bale has faded from sun exposure and rain, the the! Most important criterion in judging nutrient quality, or should I raise own! 2 highlight the type of hay, nor on stemmy, but will likely be moldy have spoilage from grass! Get by on rather plain hay of the U.S. dairy producers spots or moldy on your farm from... Kept dry 5 kg a day per cow more nutrients from the original pasture during cold... Money for the plant is young—with more leaves and less stems often persistent and pesky plants a representative sample be. Condition and maximise milk yields the cooler fall season snap test thick-stemmed hay overly. Hay have you produced per acre, it is hard to find good grass hay, than! Pregnancy toxaemiais to ensure your cattle more roughage, rather than bright green hay,! Samples will not eat coarse hay, especially with early lactation cows month! The fastest than grasses have twice the protein and fibre that aids rumen health and..., sulfur, iron, zinc and selenium than grasses control and will not coarse! More fiber and less nutrition than immature, leafy hay and raising more silage your... ’ digestive tracts must adjust to the different quality standards for alfalfa hay, on... Calcium and high-quality fiber in alfalfa for producing milk the herd keep better hay—with the most palatable ; cattle it. First-Cutting hay is another nutritious option for cattle, young calves have tender mouths and not!