If you’ve got livestock, you’ll need to buy some hay. But…knowing what to look for when buying hay can be confusing! What exactly are you looking for to tell the differences between first and second cutting hay and why does it matter to you or your animals? First cutting hay is the first hay crop…
Looking for hay can be confusing. You know you need third cutting, but what does that mean and how do you tell if what you found is good hay? Well made 3rd cutting hay is high in quality and palatability. 3rd cutting refers to the hay harvested off of a field that has been cut…
For the new livestock owner, shopping for hay can be confusing, there are a lot of options. One of the types of hay that comes up pretty frequently is second cutting. What is second cutting hay? Second cutting hay is the hay made from the second harvest of a hay field. Second cutting hay is…
When you have livestock, one of your biggest expenses is going to be feeding them. For most animals that means buying hay and a lot of it! How do you know what hay you should buy and what are the signs of high quality hay? High quality hay is green in color, smells great and…
Figuring out what hay to feed your animals can be challenging, especially for the beginner. What is first cutting hay and how can you tell if it’s good? First cutting hay is the initial crop of hay off of a hay field for the year. Chances are if you are buying hay and the cutting…
Hay and your lawn are both grass, right? Is hay really just baled up lawn grass or is something else going on here? Hay is not lawn grass. Hay is made from plants selected for yield, palatability and nutritional value, while lawn grasses are selected for looks and dense growth. While your lawn and hay…
Haylage is a great alternative to dry hay for both large and small livestock farmers. What exactly is haylage and will it work for you, your farm and your livestock? Haylage is a 40-60% moisture content hay that is preserved by fermentation. We have started making our own haylage and are glad we gave it…
If you’ve never tried using oatlage to feed your sheep or cattle, you are missing out! They love it and it’s pretty easy to make. Plus, in a wet year it is easier to get harvested than dry hay. Oatlage is a fermented hay that is made from the oat plant, not the grain. The…
Your animals need to have a nice bedded area everyday they are inside the barn, but sometimes you run out of straw. Or the locally available straw is really expensive, especially the shiny yellow bales, so you’re looking for an alternative. Is hay an option? Hay can be used as bedding material for your animals….
Is it hay or straw? Sometimes, at first glance, it can be hard to see the differences between the two! Both hay and straw are likely to be needed for your animals, so how can you be sure of which one you are buying? Hay is a nutritious forage that is harvested for livestock to…