# Best type of hay for goats???



## cherioneal (Jan 3, 2013)

I have someone who has different types of hay bales. (1) he refers to as 1st cut grass hay. (2) 2nd cut grass hay. (3) a clover, leaves & fescue grass mix & (4) a type he refers to as horse hay with clover.....not sure which is the best to get for my Nigerian Dwarf goats. Any Advise?

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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

To tell you the truth, right now for me it is any hay I can get that does not make me go broke. As long as it is not moldy, I am happy. I prefeer NOT to have alfalfa, but that is me. I will take it if that is all I can get.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Preferably second cut hay.

What exactly is in his horse hay? Hay with clover in it is fine. My personal choice is to stay away from fescue but if it is endophyte free fescue that would be ok.


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## cherioneal (Jan 3, 2013)

I'm kinda in the same spot, hay is so hard to come by. He is asking 5 dollars a bale, not bad I suppose with the high demand. He did day the horse hay was very clean, dry, green with a good smell.

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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

cherioneal said:


> He is asking 5 dollars a bale, not bad I suppose with the high demand. He did day the horse hay was very clean, dry, green with a good smell.


$5 per bale?  That is so cheap! Around here they are asking around $10 per bale.

Clean, dry and green means nothing to me. I would want to know what is in that hay. What some people consider quality hay I wouldn't use as bedding. It will take some time but once you know how to pick out good hay, you won't be fooled by any type of general descriptions.

Good hay should have a smell like tea. It should be nice and green. No mold. You want to have as few stems as possible. Alfalfa will tend to be stemy and you can't get away from that.


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## honeymeadows (Nov 20, 2012)

First cutting has less protein and vitamins because with the cutting you are getting some of the old growth from last year. Second cutting is coming off only new growth and is overall better quality and has higher protein (unless it got rained on). The best way to judge is to see before you buy - does it smell sweet and look green? That's the hay you want. 
Around here locally baled hay goes for $5 in the summer. Anything trucked in starts at $6.50 and goes up from there. At the end of last winter I paid $7.50 but it was the nicest hay I've gotten. I have also sent hay samples to Cornell for an analysis - it is cheap to do and very informative. (This was on my own hay, not purchased hay).


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

2nd cutting is usually very great, as long as no weeds or mold.


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## cherioneal (Jan 3, 2013)

Thank you,.., on my way to inspect the hay. Thanks for the tips.

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## kristinatucker (Jan 3, 2012)

We used mixed grass hay here. We are in middle TN and it sells for 3.50-4.00 a bale. We are supplementing with alfalfa pellets. Thats good to know about the second cutting being best. Have to remember that.


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## cherioneal (Jan 3, 2013)

Want to really thank you for the tips. I got the second cut clover grass mix & it has a wonderful robust tea scent!!! Yay!









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## elkvalleyboers (Jan 9, 2013)

sweetgoats said:


> To tell you the truth, right now for me it is any hay I can get that does not make me go broke. As long as it is not moldy, I am happy. I prefeer NOT to have alfalfa, but that is me. I will take it if that is all I can get.


Why not alfalfa? I have fed alfalfa to all my cattle and goats for years. Something new I need to know about? You have me curious...


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## geonjenn (Oct 3, 2012)

We recently bought a few bales of Sudan hay and our goats LOVED it. I think they were in a hay coma and didn't have much interest in their food (goat chow, sunflower seeds and alfalfa pellets). Then we gave some of it to Clyde, the llama in jail (stall in the barn). Even he was more interested in the Sudan than his grain. That must be some good stuff. We're going to get 40 more bales in the morning.


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow! Anything less than $13 a bale gets bought and barned here! I almost moved back to Ohio when I saw prices here!


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

ksalvagno said:


> Preferably second cut hay.
> 
> What exactly is in his horse hay? Hay with clover in it is fine. My personal choice is to stay away from fescue but if it is endophyte free fescue that would be ok.


Horses hay is cleaner and horses can not bay any means have cows hay its horrible for them. They can't digest it.
Cows hay tends to be moldy and dusty and blegh.


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

We get horse hay- coastal for our goats and horse.
I like it way better as I know its safe.


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## IrishRoots (Jan 7, 2013)

I have horses that are VERY pickey. They like clean, soft, green, sweet smelling hay. Saddly in my area this is hard to find right now. As long as my horses like it my goats love it! Usually an orchard, bermuda, or alfalfa!


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## LittleGoatGal (Jan 9, 2013)

Get all you can! Grass hay around here is up to $16 per bale!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

goatgirl132 said:


> Horses hay is cleaner and horses can not bay any means have cows hay its horrible for them. They can't digest it.
> Cows hay tends to be moldy and dusty and blegh.


That is the problem. Not everyone sees "clean" as the same thing. I have gone and looked at "horse" hay that I wouldn't feed to cattle. So I would never trust the description of "horse" hay without going and looking at it.

Of course you should never buy hay without looking at it first.


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## IrishRoots (Jan 7, 2013)

I agree!! Some of the 'horse' hay I have seen is awful! I wouldn't use it as bedding!!


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## goatgirlzCA (Mar 9, 2011)

Just a question - does anyone feed forage? I bought a stack in the spring and stockpiled it for winter. My goats LOVE it. Out here in California, hay is so darn expensive in the winter its ridiculous. Last year I was driving almost an hour each way and paying $16 a bale for grass hay and oat hay. There was no other options other than alfalfa.


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

goatgirlzCA said:


> Last year I was driving almost an hour each way and paying $16 a bale for grass hay and oat hay. There was no other options other than alfalfa.


Well gosh!!! That's expensive!!!
when prices went up to 13$ a bale my mom to my animals to deal with it!! But we just had my horse at the time haha.
Now that iv got goats and my neighbors know I need and use hay out the butt they give it to me $3 a bale bc they know ill buy so much!
Haha


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## lazykranch (Dec 18, 2012)

I'm in Ohio and all I could get was alfalfa hay this year. It was $9 a bale. I have cut back on grain with the goats and horses because they are so hog fat. I can't wait for hay to go back down.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I can't get any hay here that is good quality. I feed bagged hay from TSC.. I know its not that great but its all I can get. Everything else is moldy or over $15 a bale, just can't afford it.


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## cherioneal (Jan 3, 2013)

Wow!!..I am shocked at some of the prices for a bale of hay. I'm in Missouri & about flipped my wig when feed stores were charging $8 a bale. I feel fortunate to have found really good quality hay for $5 a bale even though I have to drive 20 miles for it. Same person was selling Straw for $2.50 a bale. Guess I'd better stock up on a few if those for bedding.

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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

cherioneal said:


> Same person was selling Straw for $2.50 a bale. Guess I'd better stock up on a few if those for bedding.


I would!!! Supprised you didn't at first hear at that price!


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