Hay question

A

AshNic

New User
Joined
1 November 2024
Messages
2
Visit site
May I ask a question about hay please. I just got a large delivery of hay yesterday from my usual supplier. The hay is much more coarse and stalky than usual, it’s almost like straw. I have two very good doers and just wanted everyones opinion. Reputable supplier and hay is clean and free from dust. Many thanks
 
AshNic said:
May I ask a question about hay please. I just got a large delivery of hay yesterday from my usual supplier. The hay is much more coarse and stalky than usual, it’s almost like straw. I have two very good doers and just wanted everyones opinion. Reputable supplier and hay is clean and free from dust. Many thanks
Click to expand...
Will be a different crop of grass from the field mown for your previous batch!
Is it this years? Are you wanting hay to feed right now?
You can ask the supplier what type of grass. Mine far prefer the very fine, fragrant, green / greyish ‘mountain hay’, cut off sheep-grazed pasture, to anything else - but would gorge themselves silly if permitted. If you’ve got easy keepers, they might be better on rougher forage anyway.
Sometimes, large commercial contractors use drying agent, and some horses are picky about that, altho this year’s hay harvest’s been very dry weather.
Clean and dust free is a really good start - See what your horses think to it!
It would be a big headache to re load and exchange, unlikely to make you popular, and hay will be short this winter.
 
in your situation of a reasonable quantity of hay and 2 good doers I would think it was worth getting it tested to find out what you are looking at.
 
Is it supposed to be 'meadow hay'? May have come off a rye-grass ley or may just have some of the more robust species in it - cock's-foot, timothy, oat-grasses, as well as rye-grass. Any seed heads visible?
 
Thanks everyone. It’s last years hay, first cut I’m told. No seed heads visible. I spoke with the supplier yesterday and he did tell me his sward has some rye which also worried me. I have been feeding hay from the same supplier for over a year with no issues. Perhaps I’m over thinking. I do worry as I have a cob mare who could do with losing some weight! I have always got second cut hay and this is first cut so is that the reason it’s straw like?
 
AshNic said:
Thanks everyone. It’s last years hay, first cut I’m told. No seed heads visible. I spoke with the supplier yesterday and he did tell me his sward has some rye which also worried me. I have been feeding hay from the same supplier for over a year with no issues. Perhaps I’m over thinking. I do worry as I have a cob mare who could do with losing some weight! I have always got second cut hay and this is first cut so is that the reason it’s straw like?
Click to expand...
Getting it analysed is the easiest way to find out if it's going to be problematic. Appearance isn't usually helpful in terms of determining nutritional content.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top