Timothy hay in OH

[Libertyangora]

I think the guy I might get the hay from didn't get out early enough or something (in not very knowledgeable about hay.) so it's not very good quality and he hasn't planted alfalfa for a few years so there's not much alfalfa either.

 

[promiseacres]

I think the guy I might get the hay from didn't get out early enough or something (in not very knowledgeable about hay.) so it's not very good quality and he hasn't planted alfalfa for a few years so there's not much alfalfa either.

Timothy hay generally isn't mixed, just straight Timothy grass otherwise it's an alfalfa mix.

 

[Libertyangora]

Oh sorry! (Still pretty new to this.) I guess it makes sense that it would be called an alfalfa mix.

 

[norseofcourse]

Timothy hay generally isn't mixed, just straight Timothy grass otherwise it's an alfalfa mix.

Interesting - I think your climate is pretty similar to ours, so maybe it's the buyers there prefer straight timothy. In my area, timothy/orchardgrass mix is a very common hay.

 

[promiseacres]

Actually most producers prefer orchard grass over Timothy because it's so much hardier. You might find mixed grass hay with some Timothy but rarely can you find straight timothy. Mixed grass hay around here usually has orchardgrass, bluegrass, clover, ryegrass, ect. To many producers grass is grass.... my bil makes timothy but he's in the UP of Michigan and then he ships it here by semi.

I just think you should call it what it is, learning to identify grasses and legumes is a very good (&basic) skill as a livestock producer. Hay quality varies so much. Poorer quality hay is good for keeping critters warm in the winter but you need to know that it won't keep weight on them.

 

[Libertyangora]

@promiseacres yeah I guess when I said that it was really low quality hay I meant that it was low quality for most large livestock. especially horses which is what he makes it for.

 

[Libertyangora]

The hay I get now is Dumor all natural Timothy hay.

 

[promiseacres]

Depends, most horses truly do not need a super high quality hay... most a pasture ornaments and do best on decent grass hay. Alfalfa is best for milk producers or horses being used daily.

 

[norseofcourse]

I just think you should call it what it is, learning to identify grasses and legumes is a very good (&basic) skill as a livestock producer. Hay quality varies so much.

Excellent point! I'm lucky, in my area there isn't much variety in types of hay grown - the vast majority is timothy, orchardgrass and/or alfalfa. I'd never even heard of things like coastal, bermuda, peanut, teff and others till I read about them here.

However, the quality can really vary - due to how clean or weedy the pastures are, or whether the hay was harvested at a good stage, or way past prime. I've been buying hay for 5 or 6 years now, and I keep track each time I buy it - who it came from, price, type, and then when I start using it I make note of quality and how palatable it is to the critters. If I'm not sure, sometimes I get a 'test bale' first.