Forage plus hay analysis, would you recommend?

[Melandmary]

Just wondered if anyone had any experience of using this service. I'm getting ready for winter and found a supplier of timothy/meadow hay in big round bales. I have 3 (too) good doers. 1 is laminitic and has been fed high fibre haylage over summer but I can't afford to feed all 3 of them that. I was thinking of getting my hay tested to see if I could also feed it to the lami one. Would be grateful for any experience.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I use ForagePlus analysis for both hay nutritional and mineral content. I get a recipe for minerals from them to balance my rubbish grass too. I've found them very good and my hay last year was very low sugar and very high fibre so I was able to stop soaking it which was brilliant massive bonus. Will be using them again this year!

It's information.

 

[Melandmary]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear, I was surprised how cheap it is really considering the huge saving possible if you can find a supply with low enough sugar/starch to feed instead of bagged haylage. I had never heard of it till joining this forum ?

 

[PapaverFollis]

There's also the possibility of finding out that your hay is dripping in sugar too of course!! Unless you can test before purchase.

They recommend taking a sample from at least 6 bales, with a corer. I have to admit I just cut the wrap a bit on 6, peeled a few layers back and grabbed a couple of handfuls from a few of the layers. I'm considering using a coat hanger to delve into this years bales to get a sample from a wider range of places within each bale. I think they hire a corer though.

 

[Melandmary]

That's true ? but the farmer said this was the most suitable for good doers and with it being mainly Timothy I am keeping my fingers crossed it will be suitable for the lami one, worst case scenario it will be fine for the other 2. I will use your coat hanger tip

 

[vikkic]

I bought some Timothy hay thinking it would be low sugar. I got it tested by Sciantec and it was 104 which is on the high side. Still have to soak unfortunatelY.