b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRYthe magazine HAY Mike Barna THEREPublisher Y ou know the ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com saying hay is for horses? Of course, hay is not just for Erika Smith Royal horses. Hay is used for feeding a variety of different types of livestock. And there are Editor many types of hay to feed. When it comes erika963realcountry@gmail.com to looking for the best hay to feed your livestock, there can be advantages and disadvantages. Misty VoitovskiHay falls into several categories: grass, Creative Director legume, mixed (grass and legume), andtop layer is exposed to the elements, and the bottom cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Some of the moremay have sat on the ground, drawing moisture. Wet common grass hays include timothy, orchard grass,hay not only weighs more, adding to the cost but will Contributing Writers and bluegrass.likely be moldy.Lee AndersonJustin LeglerGrass hay has a long hollow stem that can grow upAlfalfaDakota LivesayDodge Marshallto 60 inches tall with leaves that can grow up to 17Alfalfa is a great source of good quality protein and inches long. Grass hay or pasture hay has 10.3 percenta testament to its popularity and functionality is that Randy MillerBetsy Nunncrude protein, which compares to legume hay likeit is produced and sold in all 50 states. Horses LOVE Jim & Bobbi Jeen Olsonearly bloom alfalfa with 17.3 percent of crude protein.to eat it and this is the hay often used to make cubes Alfalfa, which is very high in protein and minerals,and pellets.Alan RockmanBob Roloff becomes slightly more palatable for livestock compared to other grass hays. Alfalfa stems are woody, serving as structural support John SamsillRosellen Weaverfor the plant. The leaf-to-stem ratio is the most In addition to crude protein, hay markets factor inimportant criterion in judging nutrient quality in an Joyce WhiteMichele Wilson other characteristics such as acid detergent fiber,alfalfa plant. The digestibility, palatability, and nutrient neutral detergent fiber, relative feed value, and totalvalues are highest when the plant is youngwith 801 W. Wickenburg Way digestible nutrients. Hay can also fall into one ofmore leaves and fewer stems. Coarse, thick-stemmed several rating categoriessupreme, premium, good,hay (overly mature) has more fiber Wickenburg, AZ 85390 fair, or utilityand a big emphasis is put on whichand less nutrition than cutting the hay came from (expect three cuttings onimmature, leafy hay (602) 254-6644 most years). with finer stems.ArizonaRealCountry.com The best way to check hay is to open a few bales andIf buying alfalfa inspect it closely. Look at texture, maturity, color, andhay, youll want to leafiness. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discolorationknow if it is first, due to weathering, heat due to fermentation of wetsecond or third hay (if the cut hay was rained on before being baledcutting (or later), and stacked), and foreign material in the bales suchand at what stage of as rocks, sticks, baling twines, or wire. Hay that has togrowth it was harvested. be re-dried due to rain will be dull in coloryellowAlthough there are differences Follow Arizona Realor brown, rather than bright green but all hay tendsbetween cuttings, quality is most important. First-Country for news, events,to weather because the sun bleaches the outside of thecut alfalfa can be stemmy, but only if it is too mature bales. You often cannot tell the quality of the hay bywhen harvested. However, weeds tend to appear in giveaways and more! just looking at the outside of a bale. Even if the outerfirst-cut alfalfa hay. Second-cut alfalfa usually has a edge of a bale has faded from sun exposure and rain,higher stem-to-leaf ratio but is lower in crude protein the inside should still be green. at about 16 percent on average. Third-cut alfalfa Arizona Real Country is owned andtypically has a higher leaf-to-stem ratio because of published by Barna BroadcastingUse your nose as well as your eyes. The smell of hayslower growth during the cool part of the season. LLC. No person, organization or partywill give a clue to quality. It should smell good, not can copy or reproduce the contentmusty, sour, or moldy. The flakes should separateMany people feed a mix of alfalfa and grass hay. Be on our website and/or magazine oreasily from the bale and not be stuck together. Moldyaware that alfalfa is high in protein and calcium, so any part of this publication withouthay, or hay that heated excessively after being baled,its not suitable to be fed as the sole hay. Youll need to a written consent from the editorswill usually be heavy, stuck together and dusty. Goodadjust amounts to balance nutrients. Too much alfalfa panel and the author of the content, ashay will be uniformly green and sweet-smelling, withcan also lead to the formation of enteroliths (i.e. small no brown spots or moldy portions. Unless you arestone-like formations in the colon that can cause colic).applicable. The publisher, authors andbuying directly out of the field after baling, try to buy contributors reserve their rights withhay that has been protected from the weather by aBermudaregards to copyright of their work. tarp or hay shed. Rain can ruin baled hay by causingThis is a popular choice for those living in the mold. The top and bottom layers of unprotected baledsouthern United States. Bermuda grass grows well hay are particularly susceptible to mold since thein a variety of conditions so it is common hay for continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com January 2022 5'