Animalscaretips
Grass: Hay can be made from many types of grass, with timothy, bermudagrass and orchardgrass being common choices. Legume: Alfalfa is the dominant member of the legume family when it comes to making hay, with clover another to consider and bird's-foot trefoil a popular choice for hayfields containing more moisture.
- What can I plant for hay?
- What cutting is best for hay?
- Can we get hay from plant stems?
- What do farmers plant for hay?
- What can I plant for cow hay?
- How do you prepare ground for planting hay?
- Which cutting of hay is best for cows?
- Which is better 1st or 2nd cut hay?
- Is second or third cut hay better?
- What does stemmy hay look like?
- Is hay farming worth it?
- What is the difference between hay and alfalfa?
- What can you plant in spring for hay?
- How many times can you cut hay a year?
What can I plant for hay?
Alfalfa, clover and fescue grasses are popular hay types, as well as brome and timothy grasses. Oats and millet can also be useful for hay crops. The best hay to raise will depend not only on growing conditions, but also on the livestock that will eventually eat the hay and what their feed preferences may be.
What cutting is best for hay?
The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but first cutting is also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.
Can we get hay from plant stems?
It is cut and baled when it has the most nutritional value, and is fed to livestock. Straw is also made from the stems and leaves of plants, but is cut after of the plants have been allowed to mature and the seed heads have been harvested for something else.
What do farmers plant for hay?
Hay is basically dried vegetation: usually a legume such as alfalfa or clover, or a grass such as timothy or brome. It's one crop that can be raised with proper care in any part of the country where weeds will grow, and it's a must for any self-sufficient farmer who keeps livestock.
What can I plant for cow hay?
Think carefully about the seeds you plant.
Most cattle pastures are a mix of legumes and grasses, but what mix and seeds are best for your cattle? If hay is a concern, Ladino clover (white) or red clover are good choices. Alfalfa is also a good choice if hay is your key concern.
How do you prepare ground for planting hay?
For hay, mow the field with a rotary mower to remove problem plants by cutting them before they set viable seed. Till to control tenacious, perennial weeds, such as bedstraw, and then seed. The best time to seed is in May or in the first three weeks of August, when seed will survive and compete with weeds better.
Which cutting of hay is best for cows?
Producers should strive to harvest 1st cutting hay in the early heading stage. Hay harvested at this stage should meet the nutrient requirements for late pregnant cows. Second cutting hay should be used to feed lactating cows. The date of 1st cutting will be highly dependant on the type of spring weather.
Which is better 1st or 2nd cut hay?
They are generally given grain as well. First cut hay is grass heavy and doesn't have a lot of legumes, such as alfalfa or cover. ... Second cut hay has a finer texture and usually, a greener color and heavier leaves. It is more dense, the leaves are more tender and healthier, especially in protein.
Is second or third cut hay better?
To begin with, 1st cutting is the first hay cut from that field for the year. It tends to be more coarse and have more grasses in it. 2nd cutting is usually greener in color and has a sweeter smell. And lastly, 3rd cutting is very thick and rich.
What does stemmy hay look like?
It should have a high leaf content (“stemmy” hay is too mature) and few weeds; it should also smell pleasant and slightly sweet. There should be no visible mold (white or dark, matted patches in the hay) or other foreign material.
Is hay farming worth it?
Brown says using 2019 numbers, it costs about $400 an acre to plant corn on ground that may yield 150 bushels per acre. ... “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre. “The potential is there to make some pretty good money on hay.”
What is the difference between hay and alfalfa?
One of the biggest differences between alfalfa hay and grass hay is the protein content. On average, alfalfa hay has much higher levels of protein, ranging from 15% to 21% depending on when the alfalfa was cut. This is much higher than the protein levels of grass hay, which typically contains 10% or less protein.
What can you plant in spring for hay?
Oats, spring triticale and barley are annual cereals that can be planted from late March to early April to produce forage that can be grazed beginning in mid to late May or harvested for hay or silage in late June or early July.
How many times can you cut hay a year?
In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield. Some animals, like sheep, prefer the tender stems of second or third cutting hay.
