What kind of hay is best for goats

Also, very high quality alfalfa hay can present a frothy bloat hazard. Another disadvantage of alfalfa hay is that the leaves where the nutritional value is can be easily lost if hay is too dry or improperly transported or stored. Since alfalfa is relatively high in calcium and low in phosphorus, one must be more mindful of the calcium to phosphorus ratio in the total diet.

In most cases, a mineral supplement is essential to make sure that proper balance is maintained in order to prevent urinary stones. Orchardgrass is a popular cool-season perennial bunchgrass that is grown mainly in the Midwest, Northeast and Northwest.

It is tolerant to shade, fairly drought resistant and has moderate winter hardiness; however will not tolerate wet-natured soils. Orchardgrass is well adapted to inter-seeding with legumes such as alfalfa, clovers and lespedeza. Another advantage of orchardgrass is its potential for high yields when well fertilized. The palatability of orchardgrass is good and goats readily consume it. A disadvantage of orchardgrass is that is has relatively poor disease resistance. Also, if it is overgrazed leaving less than inch stubble , root depletion is common and kill off can occur.

There are several different types of ryegrass. Annual Italian ryegrass is a popular variety in the Southeast. Even though it is called annual ryegrass it is not a true annual and may come back for two or more years depending on environmental conditions. Annual ryegrass is used primarily for winter grazing. It is easy to establish and works well when overseeded onto dormant Bermudagrass pastures. Ryegrass is high-quality forage with excellent palatability that works extremely well for goats in rotational grazing systems.

Due to its high protein and moisture content, it is common for goats to experience loose stools when grazing lush ryegrass. This causes no medical concern, just an esthetic nuisance. One disadvantage of ryegrass is that growth occurs quickly in the spring and it is easy for ryegrass to get over mature. Obviously, one disadvantage of this forage is that it must be reseeded often, which can become expensive.

Well, actually any one of them can be. It all depends on your individual circumstances. As I emphasized earlier in this article, the nutritional quality of the hay is more important that the actual type of hay. Excellent quality Bermudagrass hay is much better goat feed than poor quality alfalfa hay. And the only way to accurately determine nutritional quality is through a forage analysis test.

These tests can be performed by the state-run forage lab or through a privately owned lab. Contact your local Cooperative Extension agent or feed store representative for more information on your options. While the only truly accurate way to determine good hay quality is through a forage analysis, there are several visual indicators that can help identify bad hay.

First of all, presence of excessive stems and seed heads in the bales is often an indicator of lower nutritional quality. As are presence of foreign objects, and unpalatable or poisonous weeds. When choosing a forage species to plant, the first consideration needs to be that the forage type you choose is compatible with your soil type, local environmental conditions and management style. Different forages are better suited for different areas.

If you try to fight Mother Nature in this, you will lose the battle eventually. I suggest that you contact your local Cooperative Extension agent or National Resource Conservation Service NRCS representative for more information on the forage species that are best suited to your area.

Once you establish the forage species and variety that performs best in your situation, it is important to test each and every lot of hay cut a lot is defined as hay from the same field, that has been managed and harvested within 48 hours under the same conditions.

This will not only allow you to better match your hay to the nutritional needs of your goats or those of your hay customers , but it will also provide invaluable feedback as to the effectiveness of your forage management and harvesting practices.

If you purchase hay, it is usually more economical to buy locally grown hay when possible. Therefore if Bermudagrass is the prevalent hay type in your area, seek to find the best quality Berudagrass hay available locally instead of importing expensive hay from other regions. Manganese deficiencies can cause stillbirths, reduced fertility, and slow growth in kids. A zinc shortage causes stiff joints, low interest in breeding, skin problems, excessive salivating, and deformed hooves.

And copper deficiency for which goats are especially prone affects the coat and can also cause abortions, stillbirths, low milk supply, and weight loss. Fortunately, hays and forages provide a partial supply of the necessary minerals. Alfalfa, for example, contains an impressive list of nutrients.

Caprine owners may view their animals as severely deficient in many critical minerals , when in fact they may lack only a few core elements. When choosing a mineral supplement, be sure to choose something specifically formulated for goats not sheep, cattle, horses, etc.

As with all things, balance is key when it comes to caprine nutrition. Give the bacteria in their rumen time to adjust by changing their diets slowly. Alfalfa should not be fed free-choice. Instead, portion it out in flakes. A combination of alfalfa and grass hays, as well as a proper grain mix, will provide caprines with the necessary protein and roughage to stimulate the digestive action of the rumen. In late pregnancy, make sure a doe has ample hay or forage along with her higher grain levels, to prevent such issues as pregnancy toxemia or acidosis carbohydrate fermentation disorder of the rumen.

Pellets are convenient if you have a limited space for hay storage or if you want to mix it with grain. Pellets have about the same protein as hay, but less fiber. Repeating the obvious, goats need constant access to fresh not dirty water at all times for proper digestion to take place. Hay can come in concentrate form, i. Alfalfa pellets are commonly available, as are timothy pellets, orchard grass pellets, etc.

Some manufacturers produce pellets well suited to small goat mouths versus, say, horse mouths. Pellets are convenient if you have limited space for hay storage or if you want to mix it with grain. If fed dry, pellets will add volume in the rumen as soon as they get in contact with the stomach fluids.

Caprines still need enough fiber for their rumens to operate smoothly, and large amounts of pellets that sit in the rumen without being brought up as cud may cause long-term health issues. Again, balance is key. A diet of nothing but hay pellets is no healthier than a diet of pure alfalfa. Hay for horses should never contain dust or mold, as it may lead to coughing and respiratory problems.

Some types of mold may cause colic or can cause a pregnant mare to abort. 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. A mix of grass and legume hay often works well.

In some regions, it is hard to find good grass hay. If you must use alfalfa hay for all your horses, be selective in the hay you choose.

You may need different qualities of hay for different horses—leafy hay for weanlings, for instance, and more mature hay for adult horses that do not need such fine hay. 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.

It is also the most costly alfalfa. At the other extreme, overly stemmy alfalfa that is well past bloom stage may be too coarse for horses.

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. It is less apt to contain blister beetles which are deadly if eaten , and it often has a little grass mixed in.

It also tends to have relatively coarse stems supplying the fiber a horse needs for proper digestion since it grows the fastest. Later cuttings tend to grow more slowly and the stems are finer and softer. These cuttings are too rich too many nutrients per pound, with very little fiber for most horses, unless you are just adding a little bit of it to the diet of a young orphan foal or an older horse that has poor teeth and cannot chew stemmy hay.

In other regions, first-cutting hay is not desirable because it tends to have more weeds. 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.

The later cuttings will have the finest stems, growing more slowly during the cooler fall season. 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.

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.

Shutterstock Hay for Cattle Cattle can generally tolerate dustier hay than can horses, and can even eat a little mold without problems. However, some types of mold may cause abortion in pregnant cows.

The quality of the hay you feed will also depend on whether you are feeding mature beef cattle, young calves or dairy cows. Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay of any type but lactating cows will need adequate protein. Good palatable grass hay, cut while still green and growing, can be very adequate. Young calves have tender mouths and cannot chew coarse hay very well—whether grass or alfalfa. Dairy cows need the best hay—with the most nutrients per pound—since they are producing more milk than a beef cow.

Most dairy cows will not milk adequately on grass hay, nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa that contains few leaves. 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. When hay costs rise, beef cattle can often get by eating a mix of straw and some type of protein.

Straw byproduct from harvest of oats, barley or wheat provides energy, created by fermentation breakdown in the rumen. A small amount of alfalfa, or a commercial protein supplement, can provide the needed protein, minerals and vitamins. Always select good quality, clean straw when buying it for feed. Oat straw is the most palatable; cattle like it quite well. Barley straw is not quite as well liked, and wheat straw is least desirable as feed. If feeding cereal grain hay cut while still green and growing, rather than at maturity, as straw , have it checked for nitrate levels to avoid nitrate poisoning.

Contact your local extension agent about testing. So during cold weather, you will want to feed your cattle more roughage, rather than more legume hay. 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. Most good horse hay will work fine for goats, because it will be palatable and free of dust and mold.

If goats are fed coarse hay, they may eat the leaves but not the stems. 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.