Hay
Posted: 18 Nov 2011, 6:51 pm
Hay
There are 2 types of hay; MEADOW hay and SEED hay.
Meadow hay is cut from permanent pastures. It contains a great variety of grasses. Seed hay is sown as a rotation crop. It is a 1, 2, 3 year lay and the best hay usually comes from a 1st year lay usually taken in June.
Properties of good hay are -
* Smell
* Sweet taste
* Colour
* Crisp to touch
* Bright and clean
* Not mouldy or dusty
Newly cut hay will prove indigestible to the horse so seed hay should be stored for 12 months and meadow hay 18 months before feeding to horses.
The quality of hay depends on -
* Grasses at which it is composed
* Soil from which it has been grown
* The time of year when it was first cut
* The way it has been made
* How it has been stored
Types of Hay
Best quality contains -
* Clover
* Timothy
* Rye
* Coxfoot
* Crested dog tail
* Kidney retch
* Fresque
2nd quality contains -
* Vernals (sweet)
* Vectures
* Yorkshire fog
* Moor grasses
* Reeds
* Rushes
3rd quality contains -
* Thistles
* Dock
* Weed
* Nettles
There are 2 types of hay; MEADOW hay and SEED hay.
Meadow hay is cut from permanent pastures. It contains a great variety of grasses. Seed hay is sown as a rotation crop. It is a 1, 2, 3 year lay and the best hay usually comes from a 1st year lay usually taken in June.
Properties of good hay are -
* Smell
* Sweet taste
* Colour
* Crisp to touch
* Bright and clean
* Not mouldy or dusty
Newly cut hay will prove indigestible to the horse so seed hay should be stored for 12 months and meadow hay 18 months before feeding to horses.
The quality of hay depends on -
* Grasses at which it is composed
* Soil from which it has been grown
* The time of year when it was first cut
* The way it has been made
* How it has been stored
Types of Hay
Best quality contains -
* Clover
* Timothy
* Rye
* Coxfoot
* Crested dog tail
* Kidney retch
* Fresque
2nd quality contains -
* Vernals (sweet)
* Vectures
* Yorkshire fog
* Moor grasses
* Reeds
* Rushes
3rd quality contains -
* Thistles
* Dock
* Weed
* Nettles