There are so many things to know about hay from growing it to cutting or mowing it down. The trick is to know the process of how hay is grown, what all goes into it and, and finally the best way to store it that will keep its value. are often used in goat pastures for their high protein content and ease of growing. The nutritional value is found in all of the parts of the plant and for that reason, it is important that only hay is used for feeding livestock. Hay cannot be cut or mowed in the rain since it needs to be dried prior to baling. They will gather up the hay, bundle it together, tie it with string also known as baling twine and finally toss it into a hay trailer or back onto the grass to be gathered up later. Hay that is good for goats would be second cutting clover grass mix, or straight legume hay of any cutting with absolutely no mold. SLCG PRO TIP: Hay must be kept out of the rain to deter spoiling of the hay bale. Timothy. As a rule of thumb, leafy hays have higher nutritional value than stemmier hays. If you live in a region like we do that does not have a large supply of alfalfa hay then you may want to supplement your goats to help. 2020 GOOD SOLID BIG ROUND … Anthony Carver, Extension Agent - Grainger County & Jerry Lamb, Extension Agent, Rhea County . This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The natural coumarins in the clover are converted to toxic dicumarol when the clover spoils. Dry hay or silage bales, in large or small sizes. SLCG PRO TIP: Did you know that most goats can live their entire life without any supplemental grain? This prevents using ball clover for hay and makes harvesting seed difficult unless it is grazed before flowering. Even though grass and clover are not a goats preference if all of the forage present is grass and clover goats will eat it. Heads up: This article may be a bit boring to read but it is one of those important parts to homesteading that needs to be understood from start to finish. Grass Hay can be timothy, orchard grass or other types of grass or broom grass. Once the hay has been dried then the baling process can begin. Hi there, my name is Tracy and I am a city girl gone country. Early & Late-Cut Hay for Sale, Small & Large Hay Bale Sizes . Luckily there are a few options to help remedy this. READ: DAIRY GOAT BREEDS – CHOOSING THE BEST FOR YOUR FARM. SLCG PRO TIP: Always check your bags of Chaffhaye before purchasing. I'm cleaning up a couple of old fields this month. This would help cut down on clover overeating, and … I tried growing my own food for a time. You can read my full disclosure statement. First cut hay also has the most weeds and the lowest protein of the common cuts. The cut hay is then left out to dry usually just that day or a second if needed. I store all that I can haul before tiring out, then sell the remaining small square bales for $1.00/bale to people who pick them up out of the field. If cut too quickly these bales will not include the full plant, meaning the stem and leaves, which may have your animals missing out on important nutrients. Knowing the main purpose of your goats will better help you to choose the best hay and feed. Goat Pasture/Hay Field Guidelines . Hay is used as animal fodder, meaning feed for large livestock animals. I agree that a mixed hay is far superior for goats. If you know those things you will not only provide your goats with a healthy diet but you will save your homestead money as well. Some people (who don’t have a pasture at all) also use hay throughout the year. Ulf owns and operates White Clover Sheep Farm and breeds and raises grass-fed White Dorper sheep and Kiko goats without any grain feeding and offers breeding stock suitable for grazing. Hay Basket Sheep Over hurdle type saddle DOUBLE SIDED SLOT OVER HAY RACK. There's a little everything in these fields. Again encouraging nutrients to support the energy needed by a bred goat. From growing their own food, making their own cleaning supplies, cutting back, and paring down. The hay includes just about everything that grows in a pasture in Virginia. This is the early spring cutting and tends to be the coarsest of the hay cuttings because of the thicker stems. Seed are very small (approximately 1,000,000 per lb) with a recommended seeding rate of only 2 to 3 lb/acre. Moldy hay can not only make your goats sick but even, in some cases, kill so being sure your bales are stored correctly is a crucial part of a healthy herd. Hay, in goats, for example, will help them to stay warmer in the winter. These rows are usually cut in the early morning to allow the dew to help hold the leaves of the hay intact with the stems. Chaffhaye is premium bagged, Non-GMO Alfalfa. These can range from small squares to large round bales and the prices of the bale will depend, of course, on size but also on the quality. Could have a few weeds in it, preferably immature before going to seed. This means they pick and choose the best parts of a pasture. Clover fixes nitrogen in the soil and is great for adding fertility to your soil. Buy and sell Clover Hay on Farm Tender, Australia's premier agricultural market place. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. This explains why a goat owner’s pasture is hit and miss as to what is eaten down and what is left standing. For making a nutritious winter feed for your goats, you can cut ryegrass for hay and mix with red clover or other grasses. It is crucial that excess moisture is removed from the hay to ensure it’s nutritional integrity. Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridum) Your support of our advertisers helps support GoatWorld! The autum olive is summer growth, along with everything else. It is also the most tolerant of over grazing. Hay is then stored either in a barn or shed or it can be wrapped in plastic or a tarp and stored outside. Most goat producers will find the roughest land to graze goats on. In the winter fescue uses sugar as anti-antifreeze making it very palatable for goats. The key is to keep the hay dry to again ensure the quality of the hay is left intact preserving its nutritional value for your animals. Second cut is also good to give to any goats that are bred. (July 22, 2015) Like maybe a few thistles or milkweeds, just enough to make horse owners say "eww" and make it a little more affordable. More often than not most meat goats will thrive on first cut hay as long as the quality is good and the nutrients are intact. HC2 Hayes Crimp Sleeves fencing wire joiners . Since most goats prefer the second cut to first cut hay this will encourage them to eat more and help them to establish a better weight. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. What are you waiting for! Enter for a chance to win the Homestead Holiday Giveaway! Respiratory illness can be common in some animals like horses and goats for example. But goats are also grazers and will graze grasses, legumes, and weeds in a pasture in the absence or low presence of woody plants. The leaf-to-stem ratio is the most important criteria. To know if it is good go by the smell. If you’re sitting there thinking that you’ve seen oat straw before, you may have! Due to goats and sheep being more prey animals than cattle they don’t like to wade off into tall vegetation, also it takes more energy for them to move through tall growth. Again, if you see your goats are on the lighter side you may want to have a few bales of second cut around. But don’t let this scare you, I just want you to be aware before you begin so you can better understand how to support your goats in the healthiest way. If your … The challenge comes in when you have this mixed hay in getting the weeds dry enough to not mold, but not let the grass and clover get too dry where bleaching or shattering is a problem. Forages provide the basis for goat and sheep diets. 10 x HAY BASKET SHEEP SLOT OVER RACK Hurdle Type Saddle Feed Goat Galv Calves. Hay is first cut (mowed) down and then raked into rows. This cut of hay will be more expensive because of the quality and nutritional levels found in the bales. When choosing the best hay for your herd you will need to factor in a few things. Since goats will not eat straw because they prefer hay, you can keep bedding intact. They love grass hays for some reason. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Crimson clover, red clover, and white Dutch clover are all used as cover crops. Hay is what we call a cut pasture and as stated above, it includes the stem, leaves, and seed head. Protect Livestock From Sweet Clover Disease Sweet clover contains a high level of a chemical that can be converted to an anticoagulant. It’s all about making more of what we need so we spend less, save oodles of money and live better! It is also used for smaller animals such as rabbits. There is no … Wow, I would kill for an over-abundance of clover in our pastures. Normally harmless sweet clover becomes toxic when it is allowed to spoil. Please see below for details for livestock hay for sale. Our years of seed experience, combined with recommendations from Florida A&M’s Animal Science specialists, helped us design our seasonal grazing goat forage mix to be exactly what goat enthusiasts have been looking for. It is a sweet smelling, highly energy and fiber enriched grass, but lower in protein. I can't imagine spraying it. Come join the discussion about livestock, farming, gardening, DIY projects, hobbies, recipes, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Legume includes alfalfa, clover, or soy. Bush hogging in may/june and again in july/august and then a good burn in the spring will do a lot. He farms in the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. Straw, on the other hand, is used more in gardening and landscaping because it does not contain the seeds of the plant. Hay is the main element of goat feeding management and it’s the main source of nutrients for the goats apart from the pasture. Where we live, in Northwestern PA, timothy grass hay is the most commonly found along with orchard grass. It gets brush hogged in the spring and again in the fall, so not totally out of control.. You may have heard the terms hay and straw used interchangeably in a conversation. Alfalfa pellets are a great option to offer to your goats that will give them a good supply of protein. Since feeding Chaffhaye I have found a much healthier and robust herd that is better able to fight off worms on their own which is commonly found in our very wet climates. If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission for referring you. Unfortunately, not all regions have access to alfalfa hay. Durana white clover is also patented and marketed by Pennington seed. It was rewarding but also hard work, and as your article illustrates, not simple at all. This post may contain affiliate links. Browse latest Medic and Balansa Hay, Rye Hay, Clover Hay and more . That’s why everybody does it, I suppose. I am a redneck frugal living goat owner and I am working everyday towards living a more simple life. He is a native of Germany and lives in the US since 1995. Alfalfa, clover, and peanut are legume hays, while timothy, oat, bermuda, and orchard are examples of grass hays. It is also a bit hard to come by since the amount of second cut hay all depends on the weather. Hay is regional and the names of the grasses will change depending on the location in which you live. Hay is generally used for feeding the goats during winter or when pasture is not available. Oats can be grown for hay or oats and straw. →Hay Bales for Sale for Livestock . SLCG PRO TIP: As with any cut of hay, the amount of dust is also important to consider. Even though they are two different things they are commonly referred to interchangeably. Here’s a list of some of the best plants for goat farming to maximize efficiency: Pasture Mix Plants: Grasses; Clover; Vetch; Chicory; Plantain; Curly Dock; Pigweed; Horseweed; Lambs Quarter; Bushes: Star Thistle; Blackberry; Juniper; Poison Oak; Kudzu; Rosemary; Peppermint; Grapevines; Bamboo; Comfrey; Catnip; Ivy; Knotweed; Raspberry; Roses; Garden Produce: Mangel Beets; Turnips; Kale; Carrots; Radishes Oh, boy, was I ever wrong! Alternating sweet clover hay suspected of containing dicumarol with other roughage such as alfalfa or a grass-legume hay mixture can be used to avoid severe poisoning. If the bag is torn that means air has entered the bag and will result in a dried out Chaffhaye. Free postage. Have you gotten your FREE Mini Home Planner yet? So will 2-4-D. Bush hogging right now is the same as planting your field in weeds unless you already hit it midsummer. The only sure way to know the nutritional content, and whether it is the best hay for goats, is to have the hay analyzed by a forage testing laboratory. The process of cutting, raking, drying, and then baling hay is important to know so you better understand which questions to ask before purchasing hay for your goats. Contrary to the old saying, a goat will eat anything even a tin can, most goats are in fact, picky eaters. SLCG PRO TIP: Straw is great to use for goat bedding. Hay Quality Organic 4ft 6 round bale hay september 2020 cut! Let’s break down a goat’s diet so you can see just why we want to focus on hay from the very beginning. Years ago they were cow pastures, but fell into weeds over the years, along with some grass undergrowth and of course autum olive. It can be used in zero-grazing (Masson et al., 1980). When the moon is full and those stars aligned and your garden is just bursting with an amazing rainbow of produce, that is when it is all worth it. But you can feed your goats timothy if alfalfa is not available. You can either offer second cut exclusively or add it to your first cut to help promote eating. Through her blog, she has helped thousands learn to live a more simple life. … Here are a few of my fat goats eating non-traditional feed. The main purpose of hay is to feed grazing animals and for that reason the timing and care at bailing are crucial. I think you would do more for your field leaving it standing until about March and then put a match to it. Alfalfa, lespedeza, or clover hay, 3.5 lb Corn silage (6-7 lb) and protein supplement (0.2-0.3 lb) and ground limestone at 0.04 lb Good legume hay (2-2.5 lb) and corn silage (3-4 lb) 2. Improperly curing hay made from certain sweet clover varieties such as white and yellow sweet clover can cause severe and often fatal hemorrhages in livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats.