Most at times people keeping a lot of cattle get desperate when they need hay. As a result, they forget to consider the qualities of good hay before making purchase. So, the unlucky buyers end up even killing their livestock unknowingly. Just like humans, if you eat bad food you suffer a lot of different illnesses. Animals too suffer when they consume bad food. Thus, if you want to buy hay, you should not just go online and after searching hay for sale you just pick one vendor and pay. If you can’t meet in person, then you should take some time to ask about the quality of the hay. It is just normal to see some suppliers with good grass hay but very bad legumes hay and vice versa.
Buying Hay Tips For Good Quality Hay
Consider the following tips if you have to buy hay from other farmers.
- Know Where Hay Is Coming From: Geographically, we already know the soil is not same in every region in a country or continent in the world. So if your horse for example feeds on hay from may be China then it’s best practice to continue that way. However we understand you might need to buy hay at times. Then it is important to also know that hay in some regions carry a lot of insects. For example Blister beetles are most commonly found in the east, south, and Midwest regions of the US. This includes Oklahoma, central Kansas, and southern Nebraska. Avoid these regions when purchasing alfalfa, as blister beetles are extremely toxic to horses and as few as five beetles can kill a horse. But in Oklahoma these insects who tend to be there because of grasshoppers only appear in the second, third and fourth cut. So first cut is super save.
- Hay Color: Understanding the different colors of hay is an important factor. You will usually see hay in 3 major colors. This can be green, yellow or dark brown. Green is generally the best as it is very fresh with high levels of protein and vitamins. Yellow is not really bad. It signifies hay has been left under the sun for some time. The yellow color is usually on the sides facing to the sun. Brown signifies hay that has been left under rain and sun and is molding. It should not be fed to horses as it might cause problems. It is common for people to judge with their eyes when you talk about the qualities of good hay.
- Hay Moisture Content: If you are buying hay from a region with high humidity then you should expect high moisture too. Farmers in these areas usually take a longer time to harvest. Also, do not store hay from these regions for long as it will easily mold due to high humidity.
- Hay Cutting Number : Cutting number is an important factor among the qualities of good hay. IF you are looking for hay bales with leaves then the third and fourth cutting will do. But, if you need some good stems the first and second are good for you. You should also consider number cutting in consideration to insects as mentioned above.
If you can put just these four tips in mind when making hay purchase, then you are save. Your livestock will always be healthy with good hay.