You may think that supplementing your pet’s diet with hay means that you are taking care of them better than sending them off foraging for grass, but if you don’t know what you are giving them, you could actually be making them significantly sick.
Good hay is a great second choice for feed for cattle, horses, and other livestock. It’s second only to pasture feeding, but during the winter this is not always an option. With proper planning and educating yourself on the differences between good hay and bad hay, you can efficiently and safely take care of your pets during the harsh winter months.
All hay is not created equally. There are multiple categories of this grain, including grass, legume, cereal, and mixed. Each category contains unique types of hay that are used for differing reasons and they are not all found everywhere. Legume and grass hay are most often used for livestock feeding. Some of the most common types are timothy, bluegrass, and brome, but that doesn’t mean they grow well where you are, so be sure to do your research.
You tend to find timothy hay for sale more in the northern United States because it can handle the cold weather fairly well and it begins to grow early in spring, making it more easily accessible. On the other hand, Bermuda grass is a more popular coastal, central, and southern choice of hay because, while it does not fare well in the cold, it tolerates heat better than just about any other type of grass.
Each form of hay has a different nutritional value. This is crucial to know about because feeding your livestock hay with deficient nutrients can create dangerous results.
You may hear commonly used hay terms thrown around in conversations by people who have livestock. Alfalfa is one of the most popular legumes fed to animals because it has good digestible energy, a lot of protein, and an abundance of calcium. Animals requiring extra protein and minerals may need alfalfa, but it can run on the pricier side, so it’s not commonly used for regular feedings.
Instead, many people turn to other forms of hay to sustain their animals during the long winter months. If you need to feed your livestock and are not sure which type of hay to choose, there’s a basic rule to look for. The hay’s leaf content contributes predominantly to the overall nutritional value of the hay.
For instance, if you are looking at grass hay, the leaves have the most nutrients while the plant is still growing. These leaves are easily digestible, but when it is at full growth it contains the most fibre. Legume leaves stay mostly consistent throughout their growth, full of fibre but not as easy to digest. However, alfalfa stems have the most nutrition and ease of digestion when they are young.
The general rule of thumb is that, if you are looking into grass or legume plants, the more mature the hay, the more fibre and less nutrition. Leafy hay with fine stems carries more nutrition and causes fewer health problems.
Your choice of legume or grass hay for your pet’s use may not be solely up to you, though. You need to see what is available where you live and analyze the nutritional needs of each individual pet that you have.
Avoiding Bad Hay and Feeding Problems
Regardless of your pet’s diet, you absolutely must not switch it overnight. Maybe you have realized that you are feeding them bad hay and you are horrified at the thought of causing intestinal damage. You want to rush right out and replace their feed with the top of the line, highest quality hay around. Wait!
No matter what kind of animal you have and how good or bad you are feeding them, you should never change their diet drastically overnight. This has to be a gradual process, or you can insight even more problems than you had to begin with.
Changing hay is easy, but a gradual, process. You can simply mix the old hay with the new hay at greater and greater concentrations. Start with very little of the new hay and the majority of the old, then begin adding the newer hay in higher amounts during each feeding. This allows your pet time for their digestive tract to adjust and get used to the new feed.
Be Sure to Watch for These Factors No Matter What Hay You Choose
There’s no substitute for quality hay. Even the most expensive, highly recommend the type of hay can be poor in quality if it has been run through the mill enough times. If it looks and feels bad to you, it is probably going to taste bad to your pet and be unhealthy for their body.
Avoid hay with mold on it at all costs. Mold is commonly created when hay is stored in an enclosed space and moisture is allowed to seep in. When you feed mold to your animals, it perpetuates more problems because they breathe in spores. These spores create health issues with the animal’s lungs and can cause chronic lung diseases. To avoid mold, stay away from hay that has been rained on or been exposed to moisture long-term.
Pests can also release toxins that are harmful to livestock, such as botulism. If an animal dies in the hay and is not removed quickly, it would decompose. During that process, it creates toxins that can cause problems running the gamut from reproductive problems to death.
Educate Yourself: There is Good Hay and Bad Hay
Just because you are incorporating hay into your pet’s diet does not mean you are doing the right thing for them. Feeding them bad hay can be more dangerous than letting them forage on their own. Educate yourself on the difference between good and bad hay and ask questions before you buy your next bale. Your pet’s life may depend on it!
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