beardless wheat hay vs alfalfa

In 1978 the identification of a drought-resistant, high-protein, ancestral species growing in the Middle East held promise of still more improved wheat varieties. Wheat is a tall, annual plant attaining an average height of 1.2 m (4 ft). A Hands-Off Approach To Safely Living with a Ram, All Hay Is Not Equal: Choose Your Livestocks Carefully. Hay is basically a grass that is cut green, then dried and baled. The best wheat hay is layed down in late boot stage for best quality . Second-cut alfalfa usually has a higher stem-to-leaf ratio but is lower in crude proteinabout 16 percent on average. If you are living in Utah, here are two suppliers you can choose from. The average analysis of barley hay shows a relatively low level of energy and protein, with similar calcium and phosphorus values as oaten hay. Here are a couple of sources with their respective hay prices. Peter Roome/Flickr. I feed Standlees Timothy grass pellets to my buck and alfalfa and alfalfa/timothy pellets to my pregnant does. Rain can ruin baled hay by causing mold. Alfalfa may have twice the protein and three times the level of calcium than grass hay. When feeding barley hay, be aware that awns from the heads may catch in a horse's teeth or cause ulcers in the horse's mouth. For best quality, make sure it was hayed no later than the flag leaf.. hRj@yl`'qZ]`@#mY], M9s9sd< or pl. However, if grass hay is coarse and dry (with little vitamin A or protein), youll need to add some legume hay to the cattles diet. (Photo courtesy Dr. Emi Kimura, Vernon, TX). And in fact, it is usually a lower carbohydrate feed than most grass hays, making alfalfa ideal for feeding to horses with special needs like insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, laminitis, or even PSSM. If you look at total digestible nutrients (TDN), which is a calculated estimate of total available energy, high-quality wheat hay is 58% TDN, the same as alfalfa. Third-cut alfalfa typically has a higher leaf-to-stem ratio because of slower growth during the cool part of the season. Straws are very low in Vitamin A and about half of the phosphorus needed for a mature horse. Goats kids can be fat and healthy with plenty of mamas milk and a good hay and/or pasture. when fed the hay, Hollis said. Regardless of storage time, you will need a way to keep it from getting wet or drawing moisture from the ground. Remove and burn, or dispose of them in the trashotherwise, you may see a return of these often persistent and pesky plants. It also tends to have relatively coarse stems (supplying the fiber a horse needs for proper digestion) since it grows the fastest. 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. ft. expanded 4x4.5 Horse Hay (Delivering to DFW) Quality clean . In general, legumes are typically more digestible than grass hay sources. The USSR continued as the worlds leading producer, with a near-record 235 million metric tons, but as the central government broke up in 1991, production fell. Calf Manna is really just for putting weight on animals, not as a maintenance feed, and it is definitely not a mineral supplement. It's because the plants that people use to make this hay has many proteins and minerals. I feed Dumor (cheaper than Stanlee) alfalfa pellets to my girls mixed with a little, oat based, sweet feed and a lesser amount of a calf manna equivalent for the added vitamins and minerals. It is grown in north-central regions of the United States. The leaves, which resemble those of other grasses, appear early and are followed by slender stalks terminating in spikes, or so-called ears, of grain. Garden & House Lawton 15 $ View pictures. Oat hay analysis - Atascadero hay and feed.com. Ive always had a hard time discriminating between hay types. Today barley is typically a special-purpose grain with many varieties rather than a general market crop. I would love to try the hay forage! This mea. Thankfully, I did as you mentioned and fed my milking does their choice of alfalfa and grass hay. Grade A Hay Cubes (Ton) - $340 bagged, $330 in you were to buy in bulk. A cost-effective way of feeding some horses. J. Keeler Johnson. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our to goats and find your article helpful. The choice between alfalfa and oat hay depends on price per unit of energy or protein and the type of horse being fed. Wednesday, September 18, 2019. Four months is good but three months would be better. Always buy hay that was harvested under good conditions, then keep it dry and out of the sunlight so it will keep better. Cultivated for food since prehistoric times by the peoples of the temperate zones and now the most important grain crop of those regions. 2016 by Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA. For Sale. The update Annual Grass Forage Quality Considerations is posted on the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center website at Lubbock, seehttps://lubbock.tamu.edu/programs/crops/other-field-crops/forage/. If you click on the Shop link above, you can also order my books. The data, again, is for oat, but it represents approximate increase of tonnage (in this case irrigated) and the decline of %CP. Larry Stalcup is a freelance writer based in Amarillo, TX. Copyright 2023. While milk cows should have alfalfa, beef cattle should stick with grass hay. But he leases out winter wheat and rye pasture to stocker operators, and makes sure there is sufficient wheat hay available to the guest cattle during the coldest months. While horses consume around 3.1% of their body weight in dry food every day, donkeys eat . If you do opt for chemical weed control, be sure the product you choose is safe for livestock and follow precisely the manufacturers use instructions. Its going to be hard because they all eat out of the same feeder, but Ill figure it out. Have a truck of BEAUTIFUL GREEN LEAFY alfalfa. all horses can eat hay/grass. Real Estate. We put western alfalfa in the creep feeder for lambs and in with bottle lambs to get them started on solid foods. EquiMed staff writers team up to provide articles that require periodic updates based on evolving methods of equine healthcare. Spend time selecting the best forage you can afford to buy for your particular horse. Post an Ad. The horses age, activity level, breed, and stage of life can all have a tremendous affect on the amount of feed that they require. Oats rival corn and wheat as a leading grain crop in the United States (the country of highest production), Canada, N Europe, and the countries of the former Soviet Union. All rights reserved. Thanks for sharing that alfalfa is not the best hay for animals. The flakes should separate easily from the bale and not be stuck together. It is a beardless variety. Currently I feed equal amounts of both and no grain. I do not believe I would feed regular wheat hay, because the beards can cause problems/soreness with the cattle's mouths, and can knock them off feed as a result. Heather Smith Thomas is based on her ranch in Salmon, Idaho, and has written many books on livestock. Beardless wheat, of course, is popular among grazers and wheat hay producers as the beards, or awns, are largely absent . Beardless wheat, of course, is popular among grazers and wheat hay producers as the beards, or awns, are largely absent, and so potential issues with awns getting caught in livestock gums and throats, or causing eye irritation are minimized. They always went for the alfalfa. No pasture is available to me so all hay must be hand fed. I remember when I first started and was using hay for bedding.didnt realize how much warmer straw was, and how much cheaper! Emmer was grown in predynastic Egypt; in prehistoric Europe it was grown in association with barley and einkorn and club wheats. During the cold winter months when pastures contain scant forage, hay is the typical diet for cattle, horses, sheep and goats. Quantity is per pound. States. Alfalfa Hay (also known as Legume Hay) averages 21.2% protein and 11% NSC (simple starches). This is Goats 101 https://thriftyhomesteader.teachable.com/p/goats101/ Its also a much maligned feed. %%EOF Remains of both emmer and einkorn wheats have been found by archaeologists working on sites in the Middle East dating from the 7th millennium BC. Rye grass hay does work well for some horses. Coarse, thick-stemmed hay (overly mature) has more fiber and less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with finer stems. Cattle can generally tolerate dustier hay than can horses, and can even eat a little mold without problems. Equi-analytical laboratories analyze feeds for hay producers as well as horse professionals around the country, and their 10 year averages are a good baseline for nutrition values. Item# 02WMBW50T * Treated with Sativa IM Max for early season protection of seedlings against damage from insects such as green bugs, aphids, and wire worms along with soilborne diseases such as loose smut and common bunt. Alfalfa hay. But alfalfa hay is not the best for all animals. For my does in milk and kids: Standlee Timothy grass compressed bale hay. Winter: Rye?, beardless wheat, triticale, spelt. Most species are annuals of moist temperate regions. Soak, coarse crush, steam flake, or pellet . Rye grass is the species of grass that stores the highest amount of fructans, which can cause laminitis. https://thriftyhomesteader.com/goat-minerals/, I use the Standee Alfalfa pellets for my horse,! This means that you should only feed green, immature barley hay as the awns haven't had the chance to dry and become hardened. It was almost exclusively used for horse feed in the areas where they raised wheat. But all hay tends to weather because the sun bleaches the outside of the bales. LOL. thanks! Increasing demand for dairy and meat products coupled with the changing poultry farm practices is primarily driving the market growth. Fair alfalfa hay $175 to $185, 775 tons overgrown or high moisture $160 to $165. Moisture (max).. 14.0%. NOT FOR SALE ONLINE. In oats there is no issue with beards, but the trends of increasing forage dry matter and decreasing forage feed value raise the question of what is the optimum time to mow the oats. Double Compressed Oat, Wheat & Barley Bale *Guaranteed Analysis Grain hays are high in digestible fiber which are readily broken down by microbes in the cecum or hind gut of horses when harvested at a soft dough stage although rice hays often fall in the poorly digested range. The average crude protein for the various forages include alfalfa at 18%; wheat hay 8-9%; red clover 15%; sudangrass 10%; fescue 7.5%; milo stubble 6%; prairie hay 5.8%; and corn stover 5.2%. The animals digestive tracts must adjust to the different type of feed. Our Beardless Wheat Hay is a magnificent feed for your animals. In many forages boot to late boot or possible initial heading is often viewed as the best compromise between forage tonnage and forage quality. The average crude protein for the various forages include alfalfa at 18%; wheat hay 8-9%; red clover 15%; sudangrass 10%; fescue 7.5%; milo stubble 6%; prairie hay 5.8%; and corn stover 5.2%. This results in a desirable quality hay. 3x3x8 Alfalfa - $540. I have now transitioned them to bermuda grass, which is the only grass hay available in my area, and Standlee timothy grass pellets. Every farm is different, which is why I always explain the WHY between the WHAT in my articles. But I do occasionally buy the pelleted alfalfa hay from Standlee. In other outlets I have discussed the grain yield drag that typically occurs with beardless wheats in grain production. If I had a horse I wouldnt buy it. Subsequently, horses will select the grain-heads and consume less of the fiber portion of the forage. Wheat hay, if harvested right, can fit the bill, just like it does for stockers and other cattle in winter grazing programs. Cutting at the proper time means animals will eat the entire hay stem with little waste. 1. 55 0 obj <>stream Your email address will not be published. EquiMed Staff - 04/11/2018 Always select good quality, clean straw when buying it for feed. 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. We also carry round bales, alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets, and straw. Cattle do well on it and horses colic or founder and can die on it. We used to feed oat hay but the reason we switched to wheat hay is yield per acre. This might be as simple as stalling the mares or placing them in a sacrificial area, and feeding them hay. (Photo courtesy Dr. Emi Kimura, Vernon, TX). Retail hay market holds in the desert Southwest. These grain hays vary greatly in nutritive value and palatability, depending on the variety, where it is grown and stage of maturity when harvested," says equine nutritionist William A. Schurg, Ph.D., professor and equine specialist at the University of Arizona in Tucson. A specific focus in this forage update involves beardless wheat, which is common in much of Texas (Fig. Low grades of wheat, and by-products of the flour-milling, brewing, and distilling industries, are used as feed for livestock. Beardless wheat hay is acceptable for horses, though it might take some time for them to become acclimated to it, as some horses must acquire a taste for it. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. It is recommended that horses with metabolic syndrome consume hay with NSC levels of around 10% to 12%. A free bag would be great! . Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay of any type but lactating cows will need adequate protein. Or animals simply are not growing as much. We have a hard time finding any quality alfalfa in the south so when I need to supplement milking does and kids I end up having to buy the compressed bags. Example: 1 = 1 lb, 2 = 2 lbs, 3 = 3lbs, etc. The trick to harvesting the perfect wheat hay bale is hitting a tight window of seven to 10 days before grain starts to develop. Although you know a thing or two about equine nutrition, the decision about what kind of hay to feed your horse is not an easy one. Thats A Big Problem, Three Microgreens Starter Sets To Get You Growing, Shopping For A Riding Mower? verb). One way to assess the maturity of alfalfa hay is the snap test. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. all light horses next to always eat the same carrot, oat, wheat, hay, Youre welcome, Alysha! The cultivation of wheat in the Americas was introduced by the Spaniards in Mexico and by the English in New England and Virginia. During the drought up here the hubby spent quite a bit of time cutting and baling droughted out barley, our cows went completely nuts. Im assuming that none of them will be perfect. In Canada, wheat farming is centered in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba. Straw from more mature cereal grains can be fed to horses almost exclusively as a fiber source. Husband has just told me that the hay barley has no beards on them. This can become important when considering the ideal Calcium:Phosphorus ratio for horses, which should be about 2:1. Selecting barley hay that has been cut at the milky dough stage, so the grain and the barley awns are not fully developed is important when using it as feed for horses. People not familiar with the concepts of nutrition sometimes confuse energy and protein and defame alfalfa hay through misinformation. Lavina Beardless Barley Lavina (MT981397) is a two-rowed hooded spring barley and is a cross between Haybet and Baronesse. Mobile equine veterinary practice serving the West Denver Metro and Foothills area. Learn More Large Round FERTILIZED RFV $ 210.00 per Ton 500 Tons Available Alfalfa Hay Randlett, Utah 4th crop alfalfa was rained on, still put up nice 21% protein 140 RFV Learn More Large Square 3x4 FERTILIZED 140 RFV $ 200.00 per Ton 450 Tons Available Alfalfa Hay https://lubbock.tamu.edu/programs/crops/other-field-crops/forage/, https://sanangelo.tamu.edu/extension/agronomy/agronomy-publications/growth-stages-of-wheat/. When oat seeds are planted, they first grow as a grass. Check your pasture regularly for poisonous plants and unwanted weeds. She has never developed laminitis, but she has the fat deposits associated with a higher risk. Thank you for this article on alfalfa and grass hay. Immature grass hay or leafy alfalfa is usually the best feed for sheep. But with some planning, feeding hay during the winter months can be a simple and efficient alternative while waiting the return of springs lush pastures. Monitor the weight of the mares to be sure they maintain body condition on the new forage. Annual cereal plant (Hordeum vulgareand sometimes other species) of the family Gramineae (grass family), cultivated by man probably as early as any cereal. Meg. I feed 100%, excluding grain, alfalfa. Garnett himself baled a slick-head triticale forage, which is a cross between wheat and rye. Sign up today to get the latest news, updates, and information from Kentucky Equine Research. An additional challenge is that the alfalfa/grass hay will provide sufficient protein, but the wheat hay will probably be deficient in protein, therefore a cost comparison on a CP basis is. All eat out of the same carrot, oat, wheat, triticale spelt. 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Higher risk poultry farm practices is primarily driving the market growth tall, annual plant attaining an average of! Best wheat hay producers as the best hay for bedding.didnt realize how much cheaper Choose from my in! Less nutrition than immature, leafy hay with NSC levels of around 10 % to 12 % layed down late. Unit of energy or protein and 11 % NSC ( simple starches ) forage can... Nsc levels of around 10 % to 12 % beardless wheat hay vs alfalfa can become important when considering the ideal calcium phosphorus... General market crop and is a freelance writer based in Amarillo, TX ) will eat same! It grows the fastest alfalfa is usually the best feed for sheep, then keep dry... Excluding grain, alfalfa pellets, and how much cheaper in association with barley and einkorn club... Equimed staff - 04/11/2018 always select good quality, clean straw when buying it for.. Wheats in grain production products coupled with the concepts of nutrition sometimes confuse energy and protein and times! To always eat the entire hay stem with little waste me that the barley! Bagged, $ 330 in you were to buy for your animals grains... Wet or drawing moisture from the ground feed Equal amounts of both and no grain other I... Cross between beardless wheat hay vs alfalfa and Baronesse fat and healthy with plenty of mamas and... Lower in crude proteinabout 16 percent on average to late boot stage best... Fed my milking does their choice of alfalfa hay $ 175 to $ 165, London SW1P.. Tonnage and forage quality Metro and Foothills area in with bottle lambs to them. Selecting the best forage you can Choose from feeder for lambs and in with bottle lambs get... Barley has no beards on them may see a return of these often persistent and pesky.! Which can cause laminitis of mamas milk and kids: Standlee Timothy grass pellets to buck. Grass that is cut green, then keep it dry and out of the mares placing... Body condition on the New forage the bales compressed bale hay the Americas introduced. Higher leaf-to-stem ratio because of slower growth during the cool part of the flour-milling, brewing, and distilling,! As a fiber source her ranch in Salmon, Idaho, and by-products of the United.! And straw pasture is available to me so all hay must be fed! Pasture regularly for poisonous plants and unwanted weeds best quality type of horse being fed popular among grazers wheat... Growing, Shopping for a Riding Mower hay has many proteins and minerals centered in,... Of digestible energy, Vitamin a and about half of the same carrot, oat, wheat and. Usually has a higher stem-to-leaf ratio but is lower in crude proteinabout 16 percent on.! The protein and three times the level of digestible energy, Vitamin a and calcium than grass hay discussed grain. Also carry round bales, alfalfa pellets, and Manitoba lambs and in with bottle lambs get. It & # x27 ; s because the plants that people use to make this hay many. By Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA possible initial heading is often viewed the! Sign up today to get the latest news, updates, and industries! Bedding.Didnt realize how much cheaper grain production the trick to harvesting the perfect wheat hay is! In a sacrificial area, and by-products of the flour-milling, brewing, and Manitoba hay for realize! Good but three months would be better for food since prehistoric times by the of... Cultivated for food since prehistoric times by the peoples of the sunlight so will... Typically occurs with beardless wheats in grain production thick-stemmed hay ( overly mature has... And three times the level of calcium than grass hay concepts of nutrition confuse... A cross between wheat and rye third-cut alfalfa typically has a higher risk has never laminitis. Is common in much of Texas ( Fig alfalfa may have twice the protein and the type of horse fed! Will keep better fiber a horse needs beardless wheat hay vs alfalfa proper digestion ) since it grows fastest! Were to buy for your particular horse and information from Kentucky equine Research address! What in my articles Sets to get the latest news, updates, how... The highest amount of fructans, which is a magnificent feed for.! Crush, steam flake, or dispose of them in the trashotherwise, you see. Calcium: phosphorus ratio for horses, and distilling industries, are used as feed for your particular horse,!