Best Grass For Hay For Cattle

Legume hay is known for its high protein and calcium levels as well being rich in vitamins and minerals.

Best grass for hay for cattle.

However when it becomes mature palatability rapidly declines. Orchardgrass this grass is good for pasture hay and silage. Brome grass does well in arid climates and marginal soil conditions. Orchardgrass is considered more palatable than brome grass and requires better soil and more active management.

Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Shutterstock hay for cattle. It is very productive bunch type grass that responds well to good management. For best quality hay should be cut just as.

Research has shown that stand of 2 3 alfalfa and 1 3 grass can out yield a pure stand of either grass or alfalfa by as much as 40 50. Double barrel brome grass and double barrel orchardgrass both are cool season grasses suitable for making hay. Alfalfa is also a good winter feed because heat is created by digestion of protein so a horse can keep warmer on a cold night. Legume hay is a popular choice for most livestock.

Bermuda grass is common in the south and university of florida foraging expert glen burton consider it an excellent crop for achieving high yields especially in dairy operations. It grows best in well drained soils has rapid regrowth and is palatable. Hay for sheep and cattle the best mixtures for hay are usually longer term ones such as early bite sheep and hay ley and milk meat cut or graze which contain perennial and hybrid ryegrasses. It can be made from a wide variety of legumes including clover vetch sainfoin birdsfoot trefoil and of course the queen of the forages alfalfa.

So base your choice primarily on how you plan to use it. Lucerne or alfalfa is another very good option for high quality horse hay. 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. It grows in usda zones 5 through 8.

As grain prices continue to be high the better our forage stands yield high quality forage the more we can reduce our need for expensive grain. Orchard grass dactylis spp is a perennial grass with fibrous roots that can be used for both pasture grass or hay.