How long hay good for

As forages mature, the fiber and lignin content increases and protein and digestibility decrease. Ideally hay should be harvested at an early growth stage with a high ratio of leaves to stems: Limited blooms in legume hays and seed heads grasses should be present and stems should be soft, pliable and flexible. First cutting hay is generally high in nutritional value if harvested at the proper time and does not contain excessive amounts of weeds.

Putting the hay up at the proper time without getting rained on after cutting is more of a concern. Hay analysis has shown that early-cut hay results in high-quality feed and superior performance. Testing hay. Therefore, hay may be fed as soon following harvesting as needed.

The more important factors are to be assured the hay was put up at the correct stage of maturity with no or minimal weathering, thus providing superior quality hay for your horse. Feeding Newly Baled Hay to Horses. Online Courses. Right: Oat hay. Alfalfa Hay.

Alfalfa hay is one of the best legume hays fed to horses. Legumes are higher in protein, energy, calcium, and vitamin A than grass hay. Most horses will readily consume alfalfa hay. However, because of its high palatability, intake must be restricted to keep horses from overeating and becoming colicky.

Alfalfa hay has percent more energy per unit in weight than oat hay. Therefore, it takes less hay to meet a horse's nutrient needs when feeding alfalfa hay. However, the high-energy content may lead to overfeeding and to a fat horse. If cured correctly, vitamin C content will be high. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is about and must be considered when feeding young, growing horses. A mixture of legume and grass plants is the best type of hay to use for some horses or geographical areas.

Left: Alfalfa hay. Clover and Grass Hay. Clover hays are similar to alfalfa hays because they are legumes. Clover hay is usually mixed with grass hays. There are five kinds of clover hay: red, common white, crimson, alsike, and landino. White and landino clovers are usually grown for pasture. The other three contain 14 to 16 percent crude protein.

Red clover causes "slobbers" in horses. Slobbers is excessive salivation that does not hurt the horse. Right: Red clover. Any of the common hays discussed above can be fed to horses, but what's most important is nutrient value in relation to the cost of the hay.

To evaluate the quality of hay, the following questions should be considered:. At what stage was the hay harvested? Nutrient value largely depends on the age at which the hay was harvested.

Early maturity hay is very leafy and has a high nutrient density and palatability. Late maturity hay contains coarse, thick stems and fewer leaves than early maturity hay. As plants mature and reach the reproductive stage of development, their protein content, digestibility, and palatability decline. The ratio of stem to leaf increases with maturity, so the plant has a higher fiber content. Maximum nutrient content can be obtained by harvesting legumes when a few flowers start to appear.

Grasses are harvested when the seed heads begin to appear, and grain hays when the grain is in the soft-dough stage. Hay type should be matched to the horse type. Early maturity hay would be perfect for growing horses and lactating mares, but it may not be the best choice for horses with low nutrient requirements. Mid- to late-maturity hays are best for horses with low nutrient requirements, because the horses can eat more to satisfy their appetites without overeating and becoming fat.

Horse owners also ask whether first or second-cut hay is better. There is more variation within a cutting than between cuttings. First-cut hay is often discriminated against for several reasons -- rain damage or rain delays make hay harvest occur at advanced maturity, and there may be more weeds present.

One problem with late first-cut mixed hays is course steminess of both alfalfa and grasses, resulting in reduced intake of the grass. Second-cutting hay can generally be put up without rain delays.

However, overly-mature second-cut hay can still be less palatable and nutritious. The best bet is to view the hay, see its condition and ask for a hay analysis. Visually inspecting hay for texture, cleanliness and odor will help determine overall quality and suitability. Image right. How many leaves and stems are present?

Harvesting procedures can affect the leaf content. Excessive movement of the hay during the drying process can shatter the leaves. Overdried hay will lose its leaves when baled. Stem content is related to the age at which the plant was harvested.

The ratio of stem to leaf increases as age increases so that the hay has a higher fiber content. In addition, rainfall at the proper time during the growing season will affect hay quality. Drought conditions result in stunted growth and fewer leaves. Excessive moisture often leads to diseases that decrease leaf production.

Alfalfa leaves are on the left and grass leaves are shown on the right. Image left. Is the hay free of dust, mold, and weeds? Clean hay is the best hay for horses. Mold and dust can inflame the respiratory tract and impair breathing. Many horses can develop permanent lung damage after consuming moldy or dusty hay. Heaves is a common respiratory problem that occurs when a horse consumes moldy or dusty hay.

Mold can also cause digestive upsets in the horse. Weeds are undesirable in hays because they are low in digestibility and acceptability by the horse. In some cases they may also be poisonous. Many times, hay will not be consumed by the horse if weeds are present. Hoary alyssum is a weed that is toxic to horses and is most common in Midwestern fields.

Is the hay free of insects? Alfalfa hay may be infected with blister beetles. When a horse eats a blister beetle, a chemical in the beetle causes colic, fever, and eventually death. Historically, blister beetles have been most abundant in arid regions of the U.

Unfortunately, there is no sampling method that can detect toxic levels of blister beetles in cured hay. For more information on blister beetles and how to prevent blister-beetle toxicity, go to the University of Kentucky Entomology web site. There are many varieties of blister beetles. The toxicity level of this beetle is dependent on the species and sex, with striped male beetles being the most toxic. Is the hay weathered? No, I do not plan to blanket my horse.

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