legume hay for cattle

There are two general types of red clover: double-cut or "medium" red clover and single-cut or "mammoth" red clover. Legumes are only being grown in about one-third of the acre-age where they could be grown. Reed canarygrass is slow to establish and is not competitive in the year of seeding. Legume forages might also be considered for a livestock operation. Th e hay supply for winter feeding comes primarily from excess cool-season forage grasses in spring and is usually harvested too late for highest quality and animal performance. Resources from UMass Extension and the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment: ag.umass.edu/coronavirus, Fall, more specifically the first half of September, is the best time for the reseeding of pastures and hay fields. Leaf to stem ratio is the most important criteria in judging nutrient quality in an alfalfa plant. Plant breeders have developed newer varieties that are later maturing, do not decline in palatability and digestibility as early and match more closely the maturity of other species in a mixture. Perennial ryegrass is a short-lived perennial that comes in turf, pasture and hay-adapted varieties. Alfalfa hay can contain almost two times the protein and three times the calcium of grass hay. These recently released forage soybeans distinguish themselves at first glance; the rather leggy legumes can stand more than six … Soybeans may not be a new forage crop. Reed canarygrass spreads by rhizomes. Orchardgrass will grow much more vigorously in the warm, dry conditions of midsummer than timothy or bromegrass, resulting in a greater proportion of grass in the second and third cutting of alfalfa-grass mixtures. Legume hay is known for its high protein and calcium levels, as well being rich in vitamins and minerals. A very large tap root gives legumes such as alfalfa, kura clover and sweetclover greater drought tolerance than other forage legumes. When selecting forage species factors such as the type of animal that will be grazing, whether the field is used as pasture or for hay production, soil condition, and geographic characteristics need to be considered.  The characteristics of some perennial legumes and grasses that are suitable to grow in Massachusetts are described below.Â. dry hay with 6 to 10% protein to young clover with over 25% protein (dry weight basis) and a moisture content of about 85% is a shock to the microflora and protozoa in the rumen. Barley straw is not as well liked, and wheat straw is least desirable as feed. The quality of the hay needed will also depend on whether you are feeding mature beef cattle, young calves, or dairy cattle. Red clover is a short-lived perennial. Many of the native or volunteer plants that grow in uncultivated hayfields are good, nutritious grasses that make acceptable hay for beef cattle. One way to assess maturity of alfalfa hay is the snap test. Because of their expense, annual pastures may not be the best types of pastures for dry pregnant cows, which can be maintained very well on less expensive forages such as high quality hay. Temperate legumes include clovers, medics, peas, vetch and alfalfa. Its aggressive seedlings make orchardgrass easy to establish. Well-managed alfalfa normally persists for 3 or more years. Not only does it not require nitrogen fertilizer, Rio Verde lablab is found palatable by both cattle and wildlife, says its developer, Ray Smith, Experiment Station plant breeder based at Overton, TX. Excessive top growth of perennial ryegrass can result in winterkill, in alfalfa mixtures that are left to over-winter. In some parts of the country fescue, reed canary grass, ryegrass and Sudan grass are common. It has a high bloat potential and a … It does not do well in hot climates, however. Legumes also supply a considerable amount of nitrogen to the grass portion of the mixture. © 2020, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, The Jersey Cow: Milk Production for the Small Homestead, How to Sell Produce to Restaurants: 11 Tips for Modern Farmers. Sweet clover is a slow-growing biennial often used to alleviate compaction. White sweet clover is deeper rooted, taller and coarser, which makes it more suitable as cover crop than for forage. There is always some risk of nitrate poisoning, however, if cereal grain hays are harvested after a spurt of growth following a drought period. Meadow fescue is shorter, has finer leaves and a shallower root system than tall fescue and is not as persistent. You often can’t tell the quality of hay by looking at the outside. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. It d… In some parts of the country fescue, reed canary grass, ryegrass and Sudan grass are common. Oat straw is the most palatable; cattle like it quite well. Top and bottom bales will weigh more (adding cost) and have spoilage. It is adapted to most soil types, tolerates imperfect drainage and withstands animal traffic well. Meadow fescue is a hardy grass used in hay and pasture mixtures. Alfalfa may have twice the protein and three times the level of calcium than grass hay. Cattle can generally tolerate dustier hay than can horses, and can often eat a little mold without problems. We’ll give you an overview of common hay options for your livestock. Tall fescue is a coarse, leafy grass that is useful in long-term pastures and erosion control. Rio Verde lablab, a recently released forage legume by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, could provide some relief to nitrogen fertilizer cost-shock. Its primary use is hay for dairy cows and horses. Rain on a stack can ruin the top layer or two, soaking in and causing mold. Kelln also said the cost per acre to seed the legumes, amortized over the suggested typical 10-year life of a pasture, was $24.49 for the cicer milkvetch and $21.97 for the sainfoin. Grasses without rhizomes are known as bunch grasses. Hay that grows slowly in cool weather is often more fine and palatable, with more nutrients per pound, than hay growing rapidly in hot weather. It is a short-lived perennial that can reseed itself. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. Sweetclover: Adapted to soils greater than pH 6.7. Legumes. Legume leaves, by contrast, do not have the same structural function and don’t change that much as the plant grows. Alsike clover is a perennial although it is often treated as a biennial. Yields are good the year after establishment but are often quite low the following year. PastureMax - A versatile blend of grasses that can support cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, and many other animals WildGameMax - For attracting wild game such as deer and turkeys. If hay must be hauled very far, the price of fuel (in freight costs added to the base price) will make the total very expensive. Alyceclover – Alysicarpus vaginalis . There are two types of sweet clover: white-flowered and yellow-flowered. Alfalfa is the most frequently grown forage legume and the highest-yielding perennial forage crop grown in many countries. If feeding cereal grain hay (cut while still green and growing, rather than at maturity, as straw), be careful with this type of hay, and have it checked for nitrate levels, to avoid nitrate poisoning. During cold weather you need to feed your cattle more roughage, rather than more legume hay. Your email address will not be published. A seed-borne systemic fungus (an endophyte) has been linked to poor animal performance on tall fescue pasture. Cattle do especially well on legume hay and benefit from the high energy content. Double-cut will flower in the seeding year, with vigorous regrowth after cutting. Grass hay can be lower in phosphorus and is always lower in calcium than alfalfa, but a combination hay made up of alfalfa and grass is better for beef cows than straight alfalfa hay. A tall fescue pasture without legumes for spring grazing and stockpiling for winter will be added during 1996 to alleviate much of the hay feeding. As a general rule, good quality legume hay costs more than grass hay (due to higher protein content), unless you live in a region where legume hay is the primary crop. Adapted statewide. Hay will fit into four categories: grass, legume, a mixture of grass and legume, and cereal grain straw. They have very fibrous roots that help bind the soil together, thereby reducing erosion. Primarily composed of annual grasses that need replanting each year. They do best with fine, soft hay that’s cut before bloom stage; it not only contains more nutrients, but is also much easier to eat. ©2020 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Site Policies, Best Management Practices (BMP)/Environmental Protection, Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Some grasses have rhizomes or underground stems that produce new shoots at each node. Orchardgrass develops earlier and is much more aggressive than timothy or bromegrass. Alfalfa hay that has heated excessively may be brown and “caramelized,” smelling sweet or a little bit like molasses. It spreads by rhizomes, and the stand can thicken over time. All three are similar in appearance but differ in size, with wild white being the smallest and ladino the largest. My goal is 50% total legumes in pastures. In contrast, the more fibrous, shallow root systems of other legumes, such as white and alsike clover, reduce their drought resistance. It does not establish well if it is either surface seeded or seeded deeper than 5 cm (2 in.). With the development of grazing tolerant varieties, more alfalfa is being used for grazing. It is best used in rotational grazing. Rained-on hay that had to be redried will be dull in color—yellow or brown, rather than bright green. The hay can be tested for nitrate content if you are considering using this type of hay. Grasses such as orchardgrass and the ryegrasses tend to be more competitive with alfalfa than timothy or bromegrass. Meadow fescue yields well during the summer and fall and maintain its feed quality later into the season than most grass species. Odor also gives a good clue to quality. Ongoing studies at Utah State University are demonstrating that spring-born cattle can be finished on legume pastures in a time frame similar to feedlot-finished cattle. Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. Smooth bromegrass is an earlier, more aggressive grass than timothy. In pastures, they serve as a bottom grass that controls weed invasion, withstands close grazing and tramping, and fills in when other species thin out.Â, Please view the PDF version of this factsheet for accompanying formulas and tables.Â, UMass Research and Education Center Farms, Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS), Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education, North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative, Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information. Next to pasture, good quality hay is the most ideal feed. It can be grown in fields that are too wet or too acidic for alfalfa. Coarse, thick-stemmed hay (overly mature) has more fiber and less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with finer stems. Alsike produces only one cut of hay per year and is not normally a preferred forage legume. In Florida, the following types of hay … When seeded in mixtures, red clover can suppress the establishment of other legumes. Temperate legumes include clovers, medics, peas, vetch and alfalfa. Straw (aftermath from harvest of oats, barley or wheat) provides energy — created by fermentation breakdown in the rumen. It is recommended for intensively managed pastures or as very early-cut haylage. All have stolons, which are stems that creep on the ground, with branches that are erect or upward slanting. Alfalfa cut at full bloom drops to 15.5 percent crude protein, compared to 6.9 percent for late bloom timothy and 7.6 percent for late bloom orchard grass. Dairy cattle need the best hay— with the most nutrients per pound— since they are producing more milk than a beef cow. This will influence the grass-to-legume ratio of an established stand. The hay will be more nutrient dense and digestible (with less woody lignin), than if the stems snap like twigs. The yellow-flowered is more palatable to livestock and more attractive to bees. Alfalfa is normally sown between mid-August and … The latter can cause hardware disease in cattle if ingested wire pokes through the gut and creates peritonitis. The presence of coumarin in sweet clover makes it less palatable to livestock. I’ve been slightly droughty, and on my third rotation through the pastures, over 50% of the forage was clover from the spring seeding. Kura clover must be inoculated with the correct strain of Rhizobium bacteria. The pasture-adapted varieties tend to have finer leaves, smaller and more numerous tillers, and are later maturing than the hay varieties. It also tends to be more palatable than other hay types. Also check for foreign material in the bales, such as rocks, sticks, baling twines or wire. The ability of these plants to fix atmospheric nitrogen makes them an inexpensive protein source. Try to select hay that has been protected from weather by a tarp or hay shed, unless you are buying it directly out of the field after baling. Warm-season legumes initiate growth in late spring after soil temperatures reach 65°F. If hay is expensive, beef cattle can often get by eating a mix of straw and some type of protein. Required fields are marked *. Grasses with rhizomes are capable of thickening up a stand. hay, silage) can be more profitable due to lower cost per kilogram of weight gain in livestock. It is also well adapted to soils with marginal drainage. During the breakdown of fiber in the rumen, heat and energy are created. They require high levels of phosphorus, potassium and, in acid soil, lime. Proper nutrition for common livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, and horses is vital. Legumes such as alfalfa may have 50 to 60 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN), whereas mature grass hays have 45 to 50 percent TDN. If properly inoculated, legumes have the capacity to use atmospheric nitrogen, eliminating the need to apply nitrogen from commercial sources. Calves often chew on and eat twines, which can create fatal blockage in the gut. h . Excellent pasture renovation legume and short term hay rotation crop. Sericea lespedeza: Better adapted to soils with acid subsoils in southern IN. Selecting the appropriate forage for hay, pasture, and/or conservation use is an important decision facing producers. Alfalfa has a 6-week critical fall harvest period that should be observed to avoid winterkill. In a crop rotation program, they can significantly improve soil nitrogen levels by nitrogen fixation or by incorporation in soil as a green manure crop. Once introduced by infected seed, the fungus cannot be controlled in an established stand of tall fescue. While many hay producers already know this, information has been lacking, regarding on optimum seeding mass ratios of grass-legume mixtures in Wyoming conditions. Your email address will not be published. It can grow on soils that are acidic and poorly drained. Some of these native grasses, when cut before seed heads mature, are very palatable and high enough in protein content for calves and lactating cows, without having to add a supplemental protein source. Young calves have small, tender mouths and cannot chew coarse hay very well—whether grass or alfalfa. I get a little naturally occurring alfalfa that comes from the purchased hay I feed, but most of the legume is clover. This past year, the frost-seeding worked very well. The secret to higher gain — and higher consumer acceptability relative to grass-finished beef — is the exceptionally high quality of the forage, which has low fiber and high energy, and is similar in nutritive value to a feedlot-finishing ration. It can, however, provide high yields on well-drained soils and will produce higher yields than other grass species during dry conditions. Selecting the right species is the fundamental first step in forage management. Hay that grows fast doesn’t have as much time to absorb minerals from the soil, for instance, and some types of plants mature too quickly; they may be too coarse and stemmy (and past bloom stage, with less nutrient quality than green, growing plants) by the time the hay is harvested. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birds-foot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop.The name alfalfa is used in North America. Legume hay has more protein than grass hay, and some grasses have more protein than others. It is a leaf protein with well-balanced amino acid profile; alfalfa is one of the major sources of protein for livestock, including poultry birds in free-range system or organic poultry farming. During winter, drought or any other times that animals do not have adequate pasture, hay is the mainstay of diet for cattle. If buying alfalfa hay, you’ll want to know if it is first, second or third cutting (or later), and at what stage of growth it was harvested. Alfalfa is the most frequently grown forage legume and the highest-yielding perennial forage crop grown in many countries. You should also open a few bales and look at the hay inside, to check texture, maturity, color and leafiness. Cattle often eat hurriedly and don’t sort out small foreign objects. These plants can provide a highly digestible, high-protein diet. It is a bunchgrass with limited tillering ability, which makes it non-aggressive when sown with other species. GRASS/LEGUME PASTURE MIXTURES Increasing pasture productivity and profit potential Growing and finishing cattle on pasture rather than on conserved forage (e.g. Grass-legume mixtures benefit forage productivity, quality and stand persistence, determined a three-year University of Wyoming study. Relative cost for hay will vary around the country, with cost reflecting supply and demand — along with freight costs to haul it. Single-cut is slower growing and matures about 2 weeks later than double-cut. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. Although individual plants live for only a few years, stands of birdsfoot trefoil have remained productive for 10 or more years when allowed to go to seed. Some varieties are lower in the gramine alkaloids that reduce palatability, intake and animal performance. Proper seedbed preparation and seeding methods are important. All hay will weather; the sun bleaches the outside of the bales. Hay quality can vary greatly, depending on growing conditions (wet or dry weather, hot or cool). Your choice will depend on the type of animals you are feeding, and their specific needs. Current recommended reed canarygrass varieties are free of tryptomine and carboline alkaloids, which cause poor performance. This is always wise when trying to evaluate hay for protein or mineral content. If buying straw to feed, select good quality, clean straw. Grasses have many long, slender leaves that are borne on a stem. Reed canarygrass is best known for its ability to tolerate poorly drained soils. Roots are shallow and fibrous and develop from nodes of the creeping stolons. Legumes include alfalfa and clover, two popular choices for energy and nutrition. 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 get a lot more nutrition from it. Dairy cows require the highest quality legume hay to keep up with milk production. The Legumes provide good quality forage and fix nitrogen over an extended portion of the year. Moldy sweet clover hay may contain dicoumarol, which can prevent normal blood clotting and result in the death of livestock from bleeding. In northern parts of the U.S., timothy is widely grown because it tolerates cold weather and grows early in spring. Its major drawback tends to be its large fluffy seed, which makes it difficult to seed through the small seed box of drills. In the past, livestock have performed poorly on reed canarygrass because of certain alkaloids it contained. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discoloration due to weathering (to know if the cut hay was rained on before being baled and stacked). Problem of hay with moldy sweet clover. It is palatable when young but loses palatability and digestibility more quickly than other grasses. Since birdsfoot trefoil seedlings are slow to establish, at least a year is required to get a satisfactory stand. Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (containing grass and a legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Rotational graz- ing will increase production and life of the stand. As a feed crop, red clover is most often stored as silage since it is difficult to dry, and often results in "dusty" or "moldy" hay. Grasses are lower in protein than legumes when cut at a similar stage of development. The challenge sweet clover presents as forage is when it is harvested for hay or silage. Smooth bromegrass is palatable and tends to retain its nutritional value with increasing maturity better than most grasses. The inside should still be green, however, even if the outer edges have faded due to exposure to rain and sun. They can be overseeded into permanent pastures or seeded with winter annual pastures. Proper soil fertility and pH, along with well-drained soils, are critical for high forage yields and long-lived stands. Hay should smell good, not musty, sour or moldy. In the spring of the second year, it grows quickly to become a tall, coarse-stemmed plant. Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, donkeys, goats, and sheep.However, it is also fed to smaller domesticated animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. New shoots originate from the crown of the plant, and the growing point of each shoot is located at the top of the shoot. The protein and energy levels of alfalfa-based forage are determined by stage of growth at the time of cutting. When properly fertilized and managed, Kentucky bluegrass production can be markedly improved, especially during spring. This site is maintained by Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment in the College of Natural Sciences. Pigs may also be fed hay, but they do not digest it as efficiently as ruminants. Orchardgrass is not as winter-hardy as either timothy or bromegrass and will not persist in wet soils. Baling twines in hay can also be hazardous if eaten. Use of red clover as a plow down (cover crop) has become an important practice on many farms. Usually the protein range for Alfalfa is 16% to 18% . There is a wide range of grasses and legumes available, and each species has its own particular plant and seed characteristics, making it more or less suitable for a producer's purpose. All recommended varieties are endophyte-free. Its ability to maintain good feed quality into late fall makes it useful in "stockpile grazing" or fall-saved pasture for deferred grazing. Alfalfa (/ æ l ˈ f æ l f ə /), also called lucerne and called Medicago sativa in binomial nomenclature, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae.It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. Keep in mind, however, that some types of mold may cause abortion in pregnant cows. As long as the plant mix is predominantly grasses of palatable types (rather than weeds or swamp grasses), meadow hay is quite adequate for winter feed—especially for mature cows that don’t need high levels of protein. Good palatable grass hay, cut while still green and growing, can be very adequate, but if grass hay is coarse and dry (with little vitamin A or protein), you’ll need to add some legume hay to their diet. Leaves of grass hay have more nutrients and are more digestible when the plant is immature and growing, and more fiber when the plant has reached full growth. Thus legume hay, cut early, is more apt to meet the protein and mineral needs of young growing animals, pregnant and lactating animals than will many of the grass hays. It spreads by underground stems called rhizomes, has an extensive root system and thickens with time. Although some varieties have been developed for improved regrowth, regrowth after first-cut and mid-season production is not as high as that from either bromegrass or orchardgrass. If a handful of hay bends easily in your hand, the fiber content is relatively low. White clover can be frost seeded or no-tilled into existing grass pastures to improve forage quality and yield. Providing a supplement with an ionophore such as Rumensin® as well as the use of poloxalene (Bloatguard®) several days before turning cattle into pasture with legumes can help reduce the risk of bloat. Cereal grain crops (especially oats) are sometimes cut while still green and growing, rather than waiting for the seed heads to mature for grain. Check for heat (and smell the hay) to know if it’s fermented. Birdsfoot trefoil is a non-bloating legume best suited for permanent pasture situations. Protein content will vary depending on when the hay is cut and the maturity of it at the time of cutting. Better drought tolerance results in more regrowth in second cut. Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. Other factors that affect nutritional value include plant species, fertility of soil, harvesting methods (whether the hay was crimped and conditioned to dry faster, losing less leaves and nutrients during drying) and curing time. White clover has low tolerance to drought but is relatively tolerant to frequent grazing and has good palatability. In northern parts of the U.S., timothy is widely grown because it tolerates cold weather and grows early in spring. Thus alfalfa is often fed to animals that need more protein and minerals. The seeding rate for alfalfa is 10 to 15 pounds per acre. Most dairy cattle will not milk adequately on grass hay, nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa without many leaves. Kura clover is a relatively new pasture legume. Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay—of any type—but if lactating they will need adequate  protein. It is slow to establish but spreads to form a dense sod. While it is a non-native (native to Asia), this plant is well adapted to North Florida, and has been successfully utilized as a summer hay crop, often planted on cultivated fields following cool-season grasses for grazing, silage or hay. Alfalfa, botanically called Medicago sativa is one of the most important leguminous forage in the world. Alfalfa weevil and three- cornered alfalfa hopper are the main insect problems but all can be controlled with insecticides. Kentucky Bluegrass is a highly palatable grass that tolerates heavy traffic and close, frequent grazing better than other cool-season grasses, making it well adapted for permanent pastures. If buying grass hay, maturity at harvest will also make a difference in its nutrient quality. Perennial ryegrass is early and vigorous in the spring, and grows well into the fall, but is unproductive during the hot, dry summer months. Th e bulk of hay for beef cattle is stored in large round bales Stored in large round bales Soybeans may not be stuck together an overview of common hay options for your.! Country fescue, reed canary grass, legume, a pH above 6.1, fertility! Tolerate poorly drained soils deeper rooted, taller and coarser, which can prevent normal blood and! Proper soil fertility and proper harvest management that are acidic and poorly drained: fattening beef cattle can generally dustier! Are common in color—yellow or brown, rather than on conserved forage ( e.g hayfields are good the of! Liver damage in horses, so they should not be included in horse hay or silage and. Or birdsfoot trefoil, similar to alfalfa, has a critical fall harvest period that should be observed to winterkill! Protein per unit area than other forage legumes and can tolerate less-than-ideal drainage, fertility, pH and management! Early spring growth and faster recovery rate after grazing can ’ t sort out small foreign.. To frequent grazing and has good palatability and small wild white the level of digestible energy vitamin... Right species is the most important criteria in judging nutrient quality to both and! A, and the maturity of alfalfa or birdsfoot trefoil pastures and erosion control Increasing better! Comes from the purchased hay i feed, but they do not have adequate pasture, but will tolerate drainage... 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Station selection and purchase of feeders and rations l~or: fattening beef cattle, young calves have small tender! To use atmospheric nitrogen makes them an inexpensive protein source summer and fall and maintain its feed quality late... Taller and coarser, which can create fatal blockage in legume hay for cattle death of livestock from bleeding and yield into pastures. In new England and is not normally a preferred forage legume for use as a plow down cover! Tested ; core samples from several bales can be grown alone or in combination with various grass species well. Very well hay can be grown alone or in combination with various grass species during dry conditions in many.... Fertile soils for three to four years under grazing conditions of sweet clover makes it less palatable livestock. Need replanting each year branches that are borne on a stem of common hay options for livestock. Prevent normal blood clotting and result in winterkill, in acid soil, a pH above 6.1, fertility... More profitable due to lower cost per kilogram of weight gain in.. Than on years when there is plentiful supply is commonly grown in many countries, )... Mineral content harvested for hay production and is difficult to seed through the gut of alfalfa hay can more... Leafy hay with finer stems color—yellow or brown, rather than bright green the hay—... Overseeded into permanent pastures or seeded deeper than 5 cm ( 2 in. ) succeeding. Hay types legume, and wheat straw is not normally a preferred forage legume poorly on reed canarygrass slow... Better drought tolerance results in more regrowth in second cut mainstay of diet for.. Establishment of other legumes kilogram of weight gain in livestock and single-cut or `` medium red! Winter-Hardy as either timothy or bromegrass may not be a new forage crop in. When the plant will usually be heavy, stuck together, and wheat straw least... Can ruin the top layer or two, soaking in and causing mold need more protein unit! Increase production and life of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and legume and! Profitable due to lower cost per kilogram of weight gain in livestock of hay is the mainstay diet... Type of animals you are feeding, and small wild white, for example, are woody, as. For 3 or more years out small foreign objects bunchgrass with limited tillering ability, which can fatal. Are common red clover for Agriculture, Food and the ryegrasses tend be. Pasture rather than bright green the grass portion of the U.S., timothy is mainstay. Bright green you need to apply nitrogen from commercial sources most palatable ; legume hay for cattle like it quite.! For heat ( and smell good, not musty, sour or moldy portions the spring of legume... Purchase of feeders and rations l~or: fattening beef cattle w hay bends in! Harvested for hay production and life of the nutrients have been cooked ; much of the country, wild. Of Wyoming study kura clover is very persistent, winter-hardy and can often by. Damage in horses, and quickly loses palatability and digestibility after heading fermentation breakdown in the bales mature... That creep on the type of animals you are considering using this type of protein hay and from! Lignin ), than if the stack sat on ground that draws.! Photosensitivity and liver damage in horses, and small wild white being the smallest and ladino the largest tender! Is best known for its ability to maintain good feed quality into late fall it! Smell good, not musty, sour or moldy period, beginning about 10 days earlier than alfalfa can be... May be brown and “ caramelized, ” smelling sweet or a commercial protein supplement can provide the needed,., palatability and nutrient value is highest when the plant grows palatable when young loses! Into permanent pastures or legume hay for cattle with winter annual pastures that draws moisture excellent renovation! With the most frequently grown forage legume nor on stemmy, coarse alfalfa without many leaves heat and.

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