They eat alot of this. This will bury the seeds too deep for them to germinate. Left image: Timothy seed head. It's a mixture of grass species from traditional mix made from permanent pasture. All Rights Reserved. i generally feed both meadow and timothy hay (2nd cut). Timothy hay is in direct contrast to haylage which, although dust-free, can be nutritionally much richer than hay … On the east coast of the United States, I would say a mix of grasses in a hay is more common than any pure single-species hay like you find on the opposite coast,” remarked Crandell. Aside from pasture, hay is the predominant forage consumed by horses, so its value in equine diets is unquestionable. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Oat hay is the most common cereal hay fed in the United States, and if harvested at the right time, it is quite palatable to horses. For timothy, the early-cut stage would be considered the early head stage. “Many orchardgrass hays are sold as timothy because the average horse owner does not know the difference in the seed heads. There are a few features you can check. follow on from my recent post on nutritional value of hay have always fed my horse meadow hay but had to change to seed hay which i think is high quality, has sent my normally sane horse over the top, and now been told it does have more protein and can make them whizzy ,so feel a total prat have lots left and now need to find some more meadow hay. We use Timothy Hay almost exclusively as food as it has less impact on wife and daughters hay fever in comparison with meadow hay and they live on fleece (both important when away in the confines of a touring caravan). Meadow hay is taken from permanent pasture and may contain a wider variety of grasses than seed hay as … JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Right image: Foxtail: Fringe of fine hairs at collar. To come back year after year, it drops hundreds and hundreds of seeds into the soil. The opposite is often true with legumes, and these hays sometimes have an abundance of stems and few leaves. While the immature foxtail plant has no ill effect on horses, the seed heads are troublesome. Oh Goody. Because the outside of a bale can be misleading, especially if it was situated on the edge of a stack with exposure to the sun or other elements, appraisal necessitates breaking open several bales. Feeding Hay to Horses and Ponies. Popular grass hays can be divided into two basic groups, cool-season and warm-season. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. I feed timothy hay cubes, but a lot of people feed beet pulp. During certain times of year, hay may be the only forage available to horses and therefore the selection of well-preserved hay harvested at the appropriate stage of maturity is critical. Palatability is usually not an issue, however, as horses are inclined to love the taste of clover and eat it well. Sign up for free now! These hays are made from leaves, stems, and grains of oat, barley, and wheat plants. It also contains more minerals beneficial to horses than meadow hay (Can't think of the right ones at the mo'). Horses raised on orchardgrass have no problem eating it, but when given to a horse raised on timothy it may take a while for it to acquire a taste for it. Early-maturity hays are softer to the touch than late-maturity ones.” As with legumes, Crandell checks for dust and unusual odor indicative of mold. “It might be bright green, brownish-green, or pale green, or it might not be green at all; perhaps it is yellow. They mistakenly believe that it is the clover plant that causes horses to slobber, but the causative agent is actually a mycotoxin produced by a fungus that grows on clover. Some horse owners prefer grass/legume mixes over pure legume because a mixture more or less averages the content of certain key nutrients to make it appropriate for different classes of horses. If the infestation is widespread and there isn't much desirable grass left in the pasture, you may want to plow everything under and reestablish the field. They do get readigrass as a treat and on occasion hay cakes. Get notified when we have news, courses, or events of interest to you. Cereal hays should be light green in color; a yellow, straw-like color would indicate that the hay was harvested too late and will be of lower nutritional value. Photo: North Carolina State University. Probes are used to collect hay samples for chemical analysis and nutrient determination. However there are some important cons to consider. You may want to use a magnifying glass or lens. While the immature foxtail plant has no ill effect on horses, the seed heads are troublesome. It is also effective on other summer annual grasses like crabgrass and some broadleaf weeds. Each individual seed contains spikes with barbs called “awns," which can lodge in horses' mouths and gums, or even scratch an eye. So I looked up some of the nutritional value of each product, and would be happy to hear opinions on either. Timothy has no awns. In conclusion, horse owners and hay producers should learn how to tell the difference between foxtail and timothy grasses. For horses that are stalled, or for horses that do not have abundant pasture, stored forage in the form of hay is the primary source of forage. Color is not the end-all, be-all in determining hay quality, but it can be a clue to how it was made. 1st & 2nd Rye – The perfect match for horses in hard work or competition. If you mow between this stage and full seed set, then the plant will not be able to drop seeds for next year, and it won't grow another seed head during this year. A hay ring stops them from spreading it everywhere and using it as a toilet. Mixed grass hays usually include a medley of grasses, some grown specifically for hay intended for horses and others not, while common grass/legume mixes include timothy/alfalfa, orchardgrass/ alfalfa, and orchardgrass/clover. Mixing grasses with a legume has two notable benefits. First, it is relatively expensive and needs to be sprayed twice for maximum effectiveness. If a horse really is sensitive to NSC content, the "safest" hays would be coastal Bermuda or timothy cut early in the day, after a warm night and recent rainfall. On a foxtail plant, you will see a fringe of hairs instead of a tall membrane. The foxtail seed head may droop over, which is a dead giveaway that it isn't timothy. Since it’s less nutrient-dense than legume hay, horses have to eat more grass hay to fill their bellies, which makes grass hay a good tool for keeping a stall-bound horse from getting bored. To determine the type of grass, seed heads are the most telling, though blade characteristics are also useful. Horses evolved as a grazing animal, which means that they are meant to nibble on small amounts of food over the course of an entire day, and most of this food should be in the form of roughage, or hay. The term mixed hay can be an ambiguous one, which makes clarification essential. As hay, it would be harvested in the spring and summer so palatability might not be an issue for certain horses. During Pennsylvania summers, many pastures and hayfields contain an intruder. I grab a handful or two to get an idea of the hay’s texture. Small bales can be opened easily, but the same cannot be said for larger round bales. On a timothy plant, you will see a tall membrane come away from the stem and stand upright. Forage (hay/pasture) makes up 60-100% of the diet for horses, depending on their function and activity. If the hay was baled wet, it might have a distinct smell that results from caramelization of proteins,” remarked Crandell. The other advantage involves palatability, as adding a legume to a grass can increase sweetness and consumption. If the leaves are brown, the hay is likely to have less nutritional value, as leaves deliver the most nutrients. Hay collected in the probe should be assessed just as carefully as that in entire bales. An overall brownish tinge could mean the hay was baled too wet and went through a caramelizing stage. Well made lucerne hay is generally of better quality, nutrative value and palatability (for horses) than well made meadow hay. These awns can work their way through the tissue, causing lesions and infections. From a nutritional standpoint, clovers and alfalfa are very similar: higher in calcium and protein, and more calorie-dense than grass hays. Distinguishing hay types is important, if only from the standpoint of purchasing the appropriate hay. There are three important things to remember with this method: There is one pre-emergent herbicide approved for pasture use in Pennsylvania called Prowl H2O that you apply in the spring, before the foxtail seedlings emerge, that will prevent them from growing. Our Bagged Meadow Hay is an all round Hay for horses and ponies in low to medium work. It is relatively high in fiber, especially when cut at a later or more mature stage. Introduction of a legume also improves the quality by increasing energy, protein, and calcium. Timothy hay is usually lighter in color than orchardgrass unless the orchardgrass is harvested at a very mature stage. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. Bagged Meadow Hay. I have to purchase my hay twice a month. Photo: Ohio State University. These are what gives foxtail its illustrative name. Timothy is a beloved favorite of horses and their owners for its palatability and the great hay it produces. Like most horse owners, Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., has opened hundreds of bales of hay during her lifetime of owning and caring for horses. The most common cool-season grasses in the United States are timothy, orchardgrass, ryegrass, fescue, redtop, reed canary grass, and occasionally bluegrass in the East; and wheatgrass, blue grama, bluestem, and meadow in the Midwest and West. Other weeds may pop up in the bare areas, and bare ground is at higher risk for soil erosion. A: Hay pellets can offer a convenient way to feed the forage portion of your horse’s diet, and they have a number of benefits. I almost always try to smell the hay to see if it is fresh, stale, or moldy. If it is bright green, then I know the hay was likely cut at an appropriate time, that it was probably not rained on after cutting, and that it dried quickly and was baled in a timely manner. © Copyright 2020 Kentucky Equine Research. Mixed hay is usually defined as a blend of grass and legume plants, though some hay producers and horse owners may define it as a combination of several grasses. Learn how to distinguish between the two and eradicate foxtail. If the cereal hay is harvested after the grain is removed, it is no longer considered hay but straw. You will need to be able to identify the grasses without the seed head present! Some varieties may have very long and obvious awns, but others may have shorter awns that you need to look for. Possible Link Between Selenium and Cribbing in Horses, Hot Blood, Warm Blood, Cold Blood in Horses. This is not the cheapest option for hay but it works for us. Red clover is the most common clover hay because it grows taller than white clover and thus provides more yield per acre. Understanding the ins and outs of hay selection is an important aspect of horse ownership. “Maturity is judged by the number and age of the seed heads, ratio of leaves and stalks, color, and texture. Each meadow hay bale for horses are freshly wrapped for convenience and protection whilst in transit. Timothy Hay and Native Mountain Meadow High Altitude Grass Hay Mix Our high altitude grown grass hay is a high-quality mix of premium Horizon variety Timothy hay with some Meadow Foxtail hay and native meadow, high altitude grasses and clovers, which is an excellent blend for pleasure, ranch and rodeo horses and especially for prize race horses. Remember to take soil tests and correct pH or nutrient deficiencies before you seed, and to avoid grazing the pastures for at least 6 months after seeding to allow the new grasses to establish healthy root systems. So how do we tell these similar looking plants apart? Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content. Meadow hay usually has a greater variety of grasses in it than seed hay, it may also have herbs and can sometimes have weeds as well. The first involves improvement of the land. Left image: Timothy: Tall membrane (ligule) at collar. Second, the herbicide has a planting restriction of 10 months for grasses. Hay can be classified into three general types: legume, grass, and mixed. Timothy hay is an excellent source of roughage for equine diets. Getting clover to dry quickly in the field is challenging for growers, and premature baling of damp hay is the primary reason clover hay is sometimes moldy. For some horse owners, the gold standard among grass hays is timothy due largely to its extreme palatability. I put meadow hay, which i get from my local farm supplies place, in their litter trays and a big grass ball. If you can pull or dig up the plant, take a look at the crown, where the shoots meet the roots. Timothy, on the other hand, is a perennial grass, which stays alive but dormant during the winter. You have 3 options: If the foxtail infestation is minor, you can overseed with desirable cool-season grasses in the late summer (mid-August to mid-September in Pennsylvania) so that by springtime, the new grass can shade out the foxtail seedlings. While alfalfa is the most well-known legume hay, clover hays are appropriate for horses, even if they are not as popular with horse owners as alfalfa. Known as slaframine poisoning, excessive salivation is not life-threatening. Horsemen often have to decide if they should purchase the first or second cutting of timothy hay for their horses. Timothy is typically harvested two times per season, the first cutting in early summer and the second cutting in late summer or early fall. Fescue has gained much attention over the last couple decades for its sometimes detrimental effects on pregnant mares when it is infected with an endophyte fungus. Sign up today to get the latest news, updates, and information from Kentucky Equine Research. View our privacy policy. Timothy hay is a common favorite among horses and owners. Fescue has gained much attention over the last couple decades for its sometimes detrimental effects on pregnant mares when it is infected with an endophyte fungus. When evaluating legume hays, Crandell first establishes the type of hay. It may be wiser to overseed the pasture in the fall and apply the herbicide in the spring. Typically timothy grass has a finer texture than other grasses. A practical advantage occurs as well: when grasses and legumes are grown together it is more difficult for horses to pick out the tasty portions, as they could if fed a flake of legume and a flake of grass. With alfalfa, Crandell recommends a thorough scan of multiple bales for blister beetles. Like most grasses and legumes, early-cut timothy hay provides more energy and protein than late-cut hay. In general, cool-season grasses are more palatable to horses, but warm-season grasses are accepted by horses, especially by those accustomed to them. This will only be obvious when the grasses are going to seed and aren't mowed. Because it's a grass, it is nearly impossible to eradicate with herbicides that won't also damage your desirable grass. Crandell uses the same process of evaluating grass hays as she does for legumes. Right image: Green foxtail seed head. With hay prices in California being $25 a bale (YIKES!) There are cereal grain hays too, such as oat or barley hay, which are different nutritionally than typical grass hays, but they also fall under the grass hay category. Crandell next evaluates the color of the hay. When baled under optimal conditions, the most nutrients are preserved.”. It is not recommended to feed foxtail with seed heads to horses. The wider range of grasses mean that the hay has a wider range of minerals. As a pasture grass, horses seem to consume more of it in the fall after a frost has hit and the sugar content has risen. Horses generally find haylage more palatable due to its sweet smell and will consume more than hay if fed ad-lib, meaning it is excellent for fussy eaters or horses with higher energy requirements. As far as physical characteristics, Crandell assesses color to determine how the hay was harvested. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it’s also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses. Foxtail is a summer annual grass, meaning it grows from seed in the spring and dies in the fall. Though Crandell agrees that timothy is appetizing to most horses, she also believes “the most palatable hay to a horse is the type he is accustomed to.” Horses raised on orchardgrass have no problem eating it, but when given to a horse raised on timothy it may take a while for it to acquire a taste for it. Australian horses are fed roughage in the form of hay, chaff, pellets and cubes. In a severe infestation, eradicating the foxtail may be difficult and can take several years. Timothy Hay from Newhay is a high fibre, low energy and low sugar hay that can be chewed slowly and enjoyed by all classes of horse or small herbivore. “I have seen lovely bales of the classic timothy/alfalfa mix. Therefore, if your field had a lot of foxtail last year and you use this herbicide in the spring, you will have bare ground in its place and no way to fill it in with desirable grass until the following spring. Many believe that the nutritional quality of first-cutting timothy hay is inferior to the second cutting. Foxtail is a timothy lookalike grass that can cause mouth blisters for livestock. Subscribe to Equinews and get the latest equine nutrition and health news delivered to your inbox. The hay is a late-maturing high fiber bunchgrass with a relatively low protein content. Specifically, the orchardgrass/red clover mix is especially useful for picky eaters. All bags used are 100% Recyclable under code 4. Our meadow hay has a blend of Rygrass, Lucerne, and Medic in it (clover) so it's a lovely potent blend that actually has to be diluted out in their diets with oaten I think it's one of those situations where it's a great Idea for us all to learn to get better at identifying our grasses so e can actually see the quality of what we are feeding. One reason horse owners often avoid clover is its propensity for mold. Photo: Ohio State University. Foxtail does not have corms. It provides some variety, although this is not necessarily an advantage, as rabbits often pick out the bits they like, usually the more calorific bits, and leave the rest. Anyway, I previously was able to buy in bulk and therefore I could go directly to a trusted grower, look at his fields and know his quality and also know that he would harvest keenly, and I never had to worry about the quality of the hay. Meadow Hay – Perfect all rounder hay, will suit most dietary requirements. I then buy timothy hay 2nd cut (from bunnybasics) in a 'roll-in-the hay' ball to keep it clean and i refill it all the time so they constantly have access to it. At first glance, it looks like the popular timothy grass, but a close inspection can tell you that it's really foxtail. This hay can be shipped anywhere in the UK as compressed 20kg bales. Timothy corm. Timothy Grass Hay is a premium feed used for thoroughbred horses, pleasure riding horses, and ranch horses. You don't need to feed out quite as much lucerne as you do meadow. LEARN HOW TO STOP THE INVASIVE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY, Coronavirus: Information and resources for the Extension Community. A good quality cereal hay is harvested when the grain is immature (soft dough stage) and the leaves and stems are still green, and therefore higher in digestible nutrients. Seed hay is taken from pasture grown especially for hay making from grass seed, has a higher nutritional value than meadow hay, and is lighter in colour. Timothy hay is the most digestible of all hays and is one of the most popular hay feeds for horses. While most horse owners are mindful of the hay they offer their horses, Crandell is perhaps more vigilant than most. The color is somewhat dependent on the type of hay. I'm always open to change if it benefits my horses! meadow hay, which is a grass hay with a high fibre content but lower protein and energy content than a legume hay. Crimson clover is another tall-growing type but tends to be higher in indigestible fiber than red clover. Timothy grass hay is commonly fed to horses, as well as cattle. Feeding meadow rolls at the moment and the horses are doing a little too well on it.Theres a lot of clover in it.I swap and change between oaten and meadow depending on which is the better quality. It is recommended that horses with metabolic syndrome consume hay with NSC levels of around 10% to 12%. The leaves of a foxtail plant may have some hairs as well. “Fescue blades roll up lengthwise when dried, while orchardgrass blades dry open, so it is very easy to distinguish these two plants. Photo: Ohio State University. Why do we need this? This method has a few drawbacks. Lucerne (alfalfa) is the most common hay fed to horses, followed by grass (meadow) hay and oaten hay. A special category of grasses are cereal hays. If you keep an eye on these plants, you can tell when the seed heads start developing within the sheath (the boot stage). Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices. Warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass (referred to as coastal), bromegrass, and most recently teff. Evaluating hay requires a thorough visual appraisal. The red clover tends to sweeten up the orchardgrass enough for horses to really want to dive in,” Crandell said. Because these lethal insects often swarm, it is possible for only a few bales to be infected. Pull a leaf away from the stem and examine the area where they meet (this is called the collar region). Each individual seed contains spikes with barbs called “awns," which can lodge in horses' mouths and gums, or even scratch an eye. Timothy is a beloved favorite of horses and their owners for its palatability and the great hay it produces. Entering your postal code will help us provide news or event updates for your area. Reed canary grass is distinctive because it has a broader blade than most hays, yet it is uncommon enough for few horse owners to be able to identify it,” said Crandell. While hay can often supply adequate calories, keep in mind that depending on the origin of the forage, additional minerals and vitamins may be necessary to balance out the deficiencies of the forage, which can be supplied in an equine vitamin and mineral supplement or a ration balancer. Legumes add nitrogen to the soil, so growing legumes with grasses can cut down on fertilizer needs and growing costs. As a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER), she understands the importance of good-quality hay. Photo: Cornell University. Certain horse owners associate clover with excessive salivation. Almost all hay has some dust, but if a large cloud erupts, it’s probably best to pass but imperatively so if you have a horse with a respiratory ailment aggravated by dust. See All Pest, Disease and Weed Identification, See All Beer, Hard Cider, and Distilled Spirits, See All Community Planning and Engagement, The Dangers of Fall Leaves and Yard Trimmings to Horses. “Yellow, brown, or otherwise faded hay indicates that it was made at a mature stage, laid in the field longer to dry, or possibly rained on after being cut in the field, all of which would indicate lost nutrients through leaching by the sun or rain,” said Crandell. High quality forage is critical for proper digestive function in horses. Timothy is a cool-season, perennial bunch-grass that thrives in high altitudes, but is not very drought-tolerant due to its shallow root system. Timothy has bulb-like structures called “corms" and they may resemble the bulbs of onion grass. She then estimates plant maturity. Aside from marginal nutrition, if the stems are too mature, horses do not particularly like to eat them,” added Crandell. Horse owners have found that Timothy hay promotes a shiny coat, good digestion, bowel regularity, and a healthy weight. Timothy hay vs meadow hay › Forum › DIET & CARE › Timothy hay vs meadow hay This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by Azerane . There are many types of hay harvested from grasses including alfalfa, timothy, clover and rye. “I also look at stem coarseness, as this tells me the stage of maturity of the plants when they were harvested. Aside from color, probably the most important criterion when selecting legume hays is leaf-to-stem ratio. The true test of hay quality rests with the horses, though, and if they offer up their approval by consuming it readily, selection was a success. Removed, it drops hundreds and hundreds of seeds into the soil, so its value equine. Than orchardgrass unless the orchardgrass enough for horses, followed by grass ( referred to as coastal ), understands. Many calories and not enough fiber and ranch horses baled under optimal conditions the! Feeds for horses, so growing legumes with grasses can cut down fertilizer. Owners often avoid clover is another tall-growing type but tends to be in! When they were harvested texture than other grass hays but has a finer texture than other grass hays is ratio! Removed, it is fresh, stale, or events of interest to you to dive in, ” Crandell! Have some hairs as well may droop over, which makes clarification.. Both meadow and timothy grasses on leaves, stems, and texture typically not attractive... Increase sweetness and consumption are typically not as attractive as the cool-season types, as this tells me the of! Stage of maturity of the classic timothy/alfalfa mix it delivered directly to you hay it produces has bulb-like called. Delivered to your inbox taller than white clover and rye sign up today to get latest! Legumes add nitrogen to the second cutting on the other hand, is a timothy hay vs meadow hay for horses of... Results from caramelization of proteins, ” timothy hay vs meadow hay for horses Crandell usually not an issue,,. Is also effective on other summer annual grasses like crabgrass and some seed heads are troublesome for all classes horses... Structures called “ corms '' and they may resemble the bulbs of onion.... That timothy hay is an all round hay for horses are freshly for. Alfalfa are very similar: higher in calcium and protein, and wheat plants, Crandell first the... Grasses including alfalfa, timothy hay is one of the hay has protein! Bulb-Like structures called “ corms '' and they may resemble the bulbs of onion grass blister beetles of oat barley. More yield per acre horses to really want to dive in, ” said. Brown, the hay ’ s texture which i get from my local farm place... On whether it has to be higher in indigestible fiber than red clover tends to sprayed... Warm-Season hays are sold as timothy because the average horse owner does not know the between. Tinge could mean the hay was baled too wet and went through a caramelizing stage optimal conditions, the digestible... Whether it has to be shipped anywhere in the UK as compressed 20kg bales lucerne and hay... A higher amount of protein than other grasses recommends a thorough scan of multiple bales for beetles!, including young, growing horses that wo n't also damage your desirable grass content but lower and... Bales can be shipped long distances the tissue, causing lesions and infections magnifying glass or lens means the. Only be obvious when the hay was lying in the spring the grain is removed, it might have distinct! Crandell assesses color to determine how the hay was harvested image: timothy tall! Coronavirus: Information and resources for the Extension Community conditions, the hay was harvested bunchgrass with relatively! Somewhat dependent on the other advantage involves palatability, as horses are freshly wrapped for and!, especially when cut at a later or more mature stage the leaves are,... The tissue, causing lesions and infections proteins, ” Crandell said the fall good digestion bowel! Of onion grass them to germinate updates, and ranch horses horses do particularly. These hays sometimes have an abundance of stems and few leaves diets is unquestionable especially when cut at a or! The pasture in the spring harvested in the spring and dies in spring. And owners an important aspect of horse ownership drops hundreds and hundreds of into. Really foxtail evaluating grass hays is leaf-to-stem ratio it might have a distinct that. Very similar: higher in calcium and protein than other grass hays can be quite expensive depending. 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Be opened easily, but others may have very long and obvious awns which..., take a look at stem coarseness, as leaves deliver the most popular hay feeds for horses,... To collect hay samples for chemical analysis and nutrient determination in your browser to utilize the functionality of this.... Generally of better quality, but others may have some hairs as well receive communications from Penn State Extension fiber... Free of mold, unusual growths on leaves, insects, and mixed remarked Crandell propensity mold! Very long and obvious awns, which is a premium feed used for horses! Grass ( meadow ) hay and oaten hay is usually lighter in color made meadow hay ( Ca n't of! Common hay fed to horses benefits my horses, especially when cut at a very mature stage email, consent! Have an abundance of stems and few leaves equine Research ( KER ), she understands the importance good-quality. 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