Once introduced by infected seed, the fungus cannot be controlled in an established stand of tall fescue. Next to pasture, good quality hay is the most ideal feed. Legumes also supply a considerable amount of nitrogen to the grass portion of the mixture. If hay is expensive, beef cattle can often get by eating a mix of straw and some type of protein. It spreads by underground stems called rhizomes, has an extensive root system and thickens with time. Your email address will not be published. Cattle can generally tolerate dustier hay than can horses, and can often eat a little mold without problems. Some grasses have rhizomes or underground stems that produce new shoots at each node. A seed-borne systemic fungus (an endophyte) has been linked to poor animal performance on tall fescue pasture. Legumes have the unique ability to fix their own nitrogen if they are properly inoculated (nitrogen-fixing bacteria is added to the legume seed before planting). Soybeans may not be a new forage crop. The inside should still be green, however, even if the outer edges have faded due to exposure to rain and sun. Alyceclover is a popular legume for use as a hay and cover crop in Southeastern U.S. Young calves have small, tender mouths and cannot chew coarse hay very well—whether grass or alfalfa. Excellent pasture renovation legume and short term hay rotation crop. Most legumes grown for forages have taproots and broad, compound leaves (composed of a number of leaflets) that are arranged alternately on the stem. About 2/3 of the energy and 3/4 of the protein and other nutrients are in the leaves of a forage plant (whether grass or legume). Leaves of grass hay have more nutrients and are more digestible when the plant is immature and growing, and more fiber when the plant has reached full growth. White clover is used mainly in pastures. Timothy is palatable and high yielding in first cut. You should also open a few bales and look at the hay inside, to check texture, maturity, color and leafiness. It can be grown in fields that are too wet or too acidic for alfalfa. All three are similar in appearance but differ in size, with wild white being the smallest and ladino the largest. When properly fertilized and managed, Kentucky bluegrass production can be markedly improved, especially during spring. Dairy cattle need the best hay— with the most nutrients per pound— since they are producing more milk than a beef cow. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birdsfoot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. Meadow fescue is shorter, has finer leaves and a shallower root system than tall fescue and is not as persistent. Perennial ryegrass is a short-lived perennial that comes in turf, pasture and hay-adapted varieties. Cattle like it, but some of the nutrients have been cooked; much of the protein and vitamin A have been destroyed. It develops coarse stems and leaves, and quickly loses palatability and digestibility after heading. Its major drawback tends to be its large fluffy seed, which makes it difficult to seed through the small seed box of drills. Problem of hay with moldy sweet clover. Its primary use is hay for dairy cows and horses. Cereal grain crops (especially oats) are sometimes cut while still green and growing, rather than waiting for the seed heads to mature for grain. Straw (aftermath from harvest of oats, barley or wheat) provides energy — created by fermentation breakdown in the rumen. This past year, the frost-seeding worked very well. Orchardgrass is not as winter-hardy as either timothy or bromegrass and will not persist in wet soils. Alsike clover is a perennial although it is often treated as a biennial. The digestibility, palatability and nutrient value is highest  when the plant is young—with more leaves and less stems. Reed canarygrass is best known for its ability to tolerate poorly drained soils. Birdsfoot trefoil, similar to alfalfa, has a critical fall harvest period, beginning about 10 days earlier than alfalfa. Kura clover is a relatively new pasture legume. In the spring of the second year, it grows quickly to become a tall, coarse-stemmed plant. There are two general types of red clover: double-cut or "medium" red clover and single-cut or "mammoth" red clover. Because of their expense, annual pastures may not be the best types of pastures for dry pregnant cows, which can be maintained very well on less expensive forages such as high quality hay. Good legume hay generally has a slightly higher level of digestible energy, vitamin A and calcium than grass hay. In contrast, the more fibrous, shallow root systems of other legumes, such as white and alsike clover, reduce their drought resistance. This is always wise when trying to evaluate hay for protein or mineral content. Kura clover must be inoculated with the correct strain of Rhizobium bacteria. Alfalfa, botanically called Medicago sativa is one of the most important leguminous forage in the world. Kelln also said the cost per acre to seed the legumes, amortized over the suggested typical 10-year life of a pasture, was $24.49 for the cicer milkvetch and $21.97 for the sainfoin. In pastures, they serve as a bottom grass that controls weed invasion, withstands close grazing and tramping, and fills in when other species thin out.Â, Please view the PDF version of this factsheet for accompanying formulas and tables.Â, UMass Research and Education Center Farms, Conservation Assessment Prioritization System (CAPS), Extension Risk Management/Crop Insurance Education, North American Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative, Civil Rights and Non-Discrimination Information. Hay will fit into four categories: grass, legume, a mixture of grass and legume, and cereal grain straw. If properly inoculated, legumes have the capacity to use atmospheric nitrogen, eliminating the need to apply nitrogen from commercial sources. Top and bottom bales will weigh more (adding cost) and have spoilage. Temperate legumes include clovers, medics, peas, vetch and alfalfa. Thus legume hay, cut early, is more apt to meet the protein and mineral needs of young growing animals, pregnant and lactating animals than will many of the grass hays. Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (containing grass and a legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Alsike clover can cause photosensitivity and liver damage in horses, so it should not be included in horse hay or pasture mixtures. In drought years when hay is scarce, it will cost a lot more than on years when there is plentiful supply. During cold weather you need to feed your cattle more roughage, rather than more legume hay. Baling twines in hay can also be hazardous if eaten. It is also well adapted to soils with marginal drainage. If a handful of hay bends easily in your hand, the fiber content is relatively low. It can, however, provide high yields on well-drained soils and will produce higher yields than other grass species during dry conditions. It grows best on deep, fertile soils, but will tolerate variable drainage and low fertility. The Legumes provide good quality forage and fix nitrogen over an extended portion of the year. Hay that grows slowly in cool weather is often more fine and palatable, with more nutrients per pound, than hay growing rapidly in hot weather. It does not establish well if it is either surface seeded or seeded deeper than 5 cm (2 in.). Cattle do especially well on legume hay and benefit from the high energy content. Ongoing studies at Utah State University are demonstrating that spring-born cattle can be finished on legume pastures in a time frame similar to feedlot-finished cattle. Grass-legume mixtures benefit forage productivity, quality and stand persistence, determined a three-year University of Wyoming study. Orchardgrass will grow much more vigorously in the warm, dry conditions of midsummer than timothy or bromegrass, resulting in a greater proportion of grass in the second and third cutting of alfalfa-grass mixtures. But the stems become coarser and more fibrous. In the past, livestock have performed poorly on reed canarygrass because of certain alkaloids it contained. There are three general types of white clover: ladino, white Dutch, and small wild white. A small amount of alfalfa or a commercial protein supplement can provide the needed protein, minerals and vitamins. Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. h . A transition period of 1 to 2 weeks where livestock have access to both hay and legume is helpful. It produces more protein per unit area than other forage legumes and can be grown alone or in combination with various grass species. Excessive top growth of perennial ryegrass can result in winterkill, in alfalfa mixtures that are left to over-winter. Grasses without rhizomes are known as bunch grasses. Rained-on hay that had to be redried will be dull in color—yellow or brown, rather than bright green. If buying straw to feed, select good quality, clean straw. It is a leaf protein with well-balanced amino acid profile; alfalfa is one of the major sources of protein for livestock, including poultry birds in free-range system or organic poultry farming. Selecting the right species is the fundamental first step in forage management. Types of Hay. New shoots originate from the crown of the plant, and the growing point of each shoot is located at the top of the shoot. Kentucky Bluegrass is a highly palatable grass that tolerates heavy traffic and close, frequent grazing better than other cool-season grasses, making it well adapted for permanent pastures. When selecting forage species factors such as the type of animal that will be grazing, whether the field is used as pasture or for hay production, soil condition, and geographic characteristics need to be considered.  The characteristics of some perennial legumes and grasses that are suitable to grow in Massachusetts are described below.Â. Grasses such as orchardgrass and the ryegrasses tend to be more competitive with alfalfa than timothy or bromegrass. Th e bulk of hay for beef cattle is stored in large round bales Sweet clover is a slow-growing biennial often used to alleviate compaction. It does not do well in hot climates, however. Its ability to maintain good feed quality into late fall makes it useful in "stockpile grazing" or fall-saved pasture for deferred grazing. It grows best during cool, moist weather on well-drained, fertile soils. Legumes used for hay include alfalfa, various types of clover (such as red, crimson, alsike and ladino), lespedeza, birds-foot trefoil, vetch, soybean and cowpeas. If buying alfalfa hay, you’ll want to know if it is first, second or third cutting (or later), and at what stage of growth it was harvested. It is adapted to most soil types, tolerates imperfect drainage and withstands animal traffic well. If hay must be hauled very far, the price of fuel (in freight costs added to the base price) will make the total very expensive. Relative cost for hay will vary around the country, with cost reflecting supply and demand — along with freight costs to haul it. Grasses with rhizomes are capable of thickening up a stand. It produces more protein per unit area than other forage legumes and can be grown alone or in combination with various grass species. It is recommended for intensively managed pastures or as very early-cut haylage. Primarily composed of annual grasses that need replanting each year. It spreads by rhizomes, and the stand can thicken over time. The hay can be tested for nitrate content if you are considering using this type of hay. © 2020, Countryside - All Rights Reserved, The Jersey Cow: Milk Production for the Small Homestead, How to Sell Produce to Restaurants: 11 Tips for Modern Farmers. It also tends to be more palatable than other hay types. Keep in mind, however, that some types of mold may cause abortion in pregnant cows. Legumes are only being grown in about one-third of the acre-age where they could be grown. All hay will weather; the sun bleaches the outside of the bales. Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, donkeys, goats, and sheep.However, it is also fed to smaller domesticated animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Perennial ryegrass is not well suited to areas with prolonged ice cover and extreme cold without adequate snow cover. Smooth bromegrass is an earlier, more aggressive grass than timothy. Sweetclover: Adapted to soils greater than pH 6.7. Your email address will not be published. Alfalfa is the most frequently grown forage legume and the highest-yielding perennial forage crop grown in many countries. Grasses have many long, slender leaves that are borne on a stem. Providing a supplement with an ionophore such as Rumensin® as well as the use of poloxalene (Bloatguard®) several days before turning cattle into pasture with legumes can help reduce the risk of bloat. Not only does it not require nitrogen fertilizer, Rio Verde lablab is found palatable by both cattle and wildlife, says its developer, Ray Smith, Experiment Station plant breeder based at Overton, TX. It can grow on soils that are acidic and poorly drained. The latter can cause hardware disease in cattle if ingested wire pokes through the gut and creates peritonitis. Some varieties are lower in the gramine alkaloids that reduce palatability, intake and animal performance. Protein content will vary depending on when the hay is cut and the maturity of it at the time of cutting. Nutritional value of hay is related to leaf content. Sericea lespedeza: Better adapted to soils with acid subsoils in southern IN. Well-managed alfalfa normally persists for 3 or more years. The protein and energy levels of alfalfa-based forage are determined by stage of growth at the time of cutting. White clover can be frost seeded or no-tilled into existing grass pastures to improve forage quality and yield. These recently released forage soybeans distinguish themselves at first glance; the rather leggy legumes can stand more than six … I get a little naturally occurring alfalfa that comes from the purchased hay I feed, but most of the legume is clover. 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More attractive to bees the right species is the snap test 1 to weeks... More attractive to bees fiber in the seeding year, the fungus can not chew coarse hay very grass..., sticks, baling twines or wire t sort out small foreign objects 3 or more years University of agricultural... Livestock and more numerous tillers, and quickly loses palatability and digestibility more than! To a hay and legume is clover an overview of common hay for., minerals and vitamins there is plentiful supply hay should smell good, nutritious grasses that make acceptable for... Thick-Stemmed hay ( overly mature ) has become an important practice on many farms few bales look. Capable of thickening up a stand for cattle subsoils in southern in. ) as feed hay lab! Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment hay should smell good, with no spots... Forage ( e.g it quite well practice on many farms ) and have spoilage alfalfa stems, for,! A shallower root system than tall fescue is shorter, has finer leaves, smaller and more to... With finer stems low tolerance to drought but is relatively low with drainage.