When does the grass lose its goodness?

S

sms

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 September 2008
Messages
74
Visit site
As in title really! Have loads of the green stuff left on the fields but when does its nutritional value really drop? I'm in East Anglia so has not been too chilly as yet.

Thanking you x
 
I would say when it stops growing.... when the daytime temperatures drop consistently below 10deg. If it's growing, the shoots are young and sweet.
 
When they stop eating it and start hanging around the gate demanding to come in and be fed! Your horse will tell you the answer! Either by dropping weight or looking really pathetic and sorry for themselves. Charlie did this at the end of october last year, so now looking out for the signs for this year.
 
Grass grows constantly when the soil temperature is above 5 degrees, so for a lot of the year!! I have acres of the green stuff up to my knees............a pain up the bum when you have two good doers :(

I put mine on the winter field after we have had a few frosts, or when the summer paddock gets too wet whichever is first :) hopefully by the end of October;

I'm still strip grazing at the minute, its still fairly mild here in Leics, but forecast to get colder tomorrow
 
I am wary of it all year to be honest, having a good doer laminitic. I do believe it grows for most of the year and even when it is not growing it can still be full of sugars through being stressed or cold/frosty etc. So I guess it depands wheher you need to know because you have a laminitic or whether it is when to start feeding hay.
 
pottamus said:
I am wary of it all year to be honest, having a good doer laminitic. I do believe it grows for most of the year and even when it is not growing it can still be full of sugars through being stressed or cold/frosty etc. So I guess it depands wheher you need to know because you have a laminitic or whether it is when to start feeding hay.
Click to expand...

I need to know for hay feeding purposes. Obviously I'll see when she starts to drop weight but I don't want to leave it till then as she's a Shire and although only 2 she stands at 17hh plus already ! So if she drops its quite a alot of horse to feed to get it back on. However on the same token I don't want to feed hay until I really have to because she eats so darn much of it and it was hugely expensive around my way! Plus I have 6 other horses and 18 donkeys so thats quite alot of hay !!!!!!!!!
 
We have fed hay all year out in our fields :( we always have a big round of hay out in the middle of the field, some weeks it all goes in 7 days, then other times it lasts over a week.... but they always eat it.:rolleyes:
 
Dont know about goodness, but my horse got colic because he pigged on longish grass
last week. Feel that ! will have to mow my winter paddock somehow before he gets turned out on that ! Vet has said that lots of colic cases at moment because grass is doing weird things because of warm October weather
 
helencharlie said:
When they stop eating it and start hanging around the gate demanding to come in and be fed! Your horse will tell you the answer! Either by dropping weight or looking really pathetic and sorry for themselves. Charlie did this at the end of october last year, so now looking out for the signs for this year.
Click to expand...



Haha, brilliant answer - and so damn true, total insight:D
 
I think as soon as Sept finishes and temps drop the grass has no goodness and its not nutritious anymore or satisfying for them xx
 
sms said:
As in title really! Have loads of the green stuff left on the fields but when does its nutritional value really drop? I'm in East Anglia so has not been too chilly as yet.

Thanking you x
Click to expand...
Usually when the temperature drops below 5C in the day I believe, this is usually after the October flush around November time in the UK but sometimes it can be as late as December down South. The heat and light that grass needs in order to grow isn't present much after end of Oct/early Nov.
 
My grass always browns at the tips at this time of year.

I'm assuming the tips are therefore less nutritious but still fairly good lower down the stem..?

Temperature here has been 7 to 8 degrees day and night.
 
If you are feeding stock that needs the energy then grass growth at this time of year is often mainly water and you have to give supplementary feed.

If you are feeding fatties then it is too rich.
 
domane said:
I would say when it stops growing.... when the daytime temperatures drop consistently below 10deg. If it's growing, the shoots are young and sweet.
Click to expand...


This. I've always understood that when the temperature consistently fails to reach 10c the goodness will have gone.

But it's also unsafe after frost because the plant puts sugar in the leaf to protect from frost.

Some winters these days that means it's never really safe.
.
 
sms said:
As in title really! Have loads of the green stuff left on the fields but when does its nutritional value really drop? I'm in East Anglia so has not been too chilly as yet.

Thanking you
Click to expand...
I’m in East Anglia too and still have far too much grass for the ponies who are still out in the day wearing muzzles. That said, all are desperate to come back into their dirt paddock for hay in the evenings now as opposed to being at the furthest point of the field and pretending they don’t hear me call so it’s not filling them up as it once was.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top