# Best kind of hay?



## Tayet (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm looking into buying hay on Craigslist and I've never bought hay before! When we moved to our house 7 ish years ago, it had a fully stocked barn which we didn't use for a few years. The whole time I've had goats I've always just used hay out of the barn, but it's pretty close to gone. I've no idea what I've been giving them this whole time ( I know that sounds bad!) but it wasn't moldy and it smelled fresh, and was green. 

What is the best kind of hay for goats after Alfalfa (because it's very expensive) I was thinking grass hay or marsh grass hay?


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

we give costal so we can give it to the horse and not worry about if she gets into it


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## dan354 (Dec 20, 2012)

there is no such thing as the best hay. ask the farmer what kind of hay he has. let him know you are intersted in buying XXX amount of hay but you need just a few bales so you can see if your goats will eat it. it is getting close to the time when the farmer wants to get rid of what he has so he can make room for this years hay plus he knows he can get a good price for it right now. if this is a good year and if everything goes good hay prices will decrease in 2013 so only buy enough to get you by. good hay will be green on the inside and should be leafy and not too many coarse stems and will not have any white powder when you open it up and it should smell good.
Also if whoever you buy hay from is close ask him if you can get hay out of the field when he bales to save you money this summer. most farm animals will eat good hay, but people want alfalfa hay when they can get it.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

I know I go against most here on hay, but I only use alfalfa for my preggos. Everyone else gets orchardgrass, wheat hay, or crabgrass. Whatever is available and inexpensive at the time. I found my goats hate bermuda and rye, with their favorite being crabgrass and Wheat hay not the straw.


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## olfart (Mar 7, 2013)

I like Coastal because it doesn't include viable seeds. Many years ago I discovered that Bahia hay has seeds that come out in the poop, and now I have an unwanted Bahia yard. Seeds enclosed in a fertilizer pellet sprout really well.


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## black-smith (Jan 20, 2011)

I like a nice 2nd cut grass alfalfa mix... we don't have all those other fancy grasses out here but they do sound interesting!


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## hearthnsoul (Jul 5, 2009)

I get second cut, the goats turn their nose up to first and just pick through it. What kind? Whatever I can find! This time of year we are In begging mode and at the feed and grains mercy on size and cost. This year I am going to figure out a storage potential and order 120 bales.


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## black-smith (Jan 20, 2011)

What's the price of hay like there? My curiousity got the best of me!


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## hearthnsoul (Jul 5, 2009)

I am in Massachusetts, on the cape. If I Head over the bridge, big beautiful bales, but last two weeks we paid almost 14 a bale,..unheard of! But they were all out on cape. And on cape usually between 8 and 10 a bale and luck of the drawer whether they are worth it or not. I think the guy i usually get it from is spending around 6.50 a bale ..so this year coming I want to get enough myself to last til next high season and take out the middle man, it is an issue of storage i have to figure out. This way in late fall til end of winter we are not begging for whatever we can get!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I'd stay away from fescue hay, especially feeding to pregnant does. I've heard it's not good for them.

We feed clover/grass hay and they seem to do fine on it. We just recently got a roll bale and I think it has fescue in it, but we don't feed it to our pregnant doe. She eats some during the day, but we buy square bales of clover/grass hay for her, and she gets some alfalfa hay.
A lot of livestock people in this area seem to feed this kind of hay to their animals.

Orchard grass, and Timothy are very popular here.

If you want to keep it on the good side & safe side, I'd look for horse quality hay.


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## black-smith (Jan 20, 2011)

hearthnsoul said:


> I am in Massachusetts, on the cape. If I Head over the bridge, big beautiful bales, but last two weeks we paid almost 14 a bale,..unheard of! But they were all out on cape. And on cape usually between 8 and 10 a bale and luck of the drawer whether they are worth it or not. I think the guy i usually get it from is spending around 6.50 a bale ..so this year coming I want to get enough myself to last til next high season and take out the middle man, it is an issue of storage i have to figure out. This way in late fall til end of winter we are not begging for whatever we can get!


Wow! I can't even imagine 14 a bale! If we pay half of that it's pricey.
I guess it's different in every area, because at the coast it's quite a bit higher than it is here. I pay about 6 for the second cut and 4 or 5 for first. I wish I had storage for the whole year too, because now I'm getting down towards the end of it and having a hard time finding anything decent for sale!


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## SLFdairy (Mar 12, 2013)

I don't really know what grasses are available in other parts of the country, but in Ok most of what's available is Bermuda or native prairie hay. My hay field is a mix of both, plus some vetch and clover. Clover is "poor mans alfalfa". Protein is almost the same. My does do great on it.


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## imthegrt1 (Jan 13, 2013)

Wow... I pay 3 bucks a square bale here in ky that's Timothy and orchard mix and I complain at 4-5 bucks lol


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

My girls get alfalfa (yes, it's expensive... but I want my milk!) and orchard grass. Alfalfa is $18+/bale in our feed stores - I found someone who has a truckload brought over and sells for $16/bale. Orchard grass was around $11/bale at the feed store - I've seen it for $8 & up, but most people will only sell a min of 10 bales and I can only fit about 6 in my garage, since I keep alfalfa too. 

I think this summer I'll be getting some local grass hay, as out of the field I can get it for $4/bale, sometimes less. Then the orchard grass will just be a treat once in awhile. They do seem to eat the orchard grass very well though - almost no waste with that. Wish I could say that for the alfalfa.


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## GoatsLive (Jul 1, 2012)

For what it's worth: I feed my two girls rhizome peanut hay most of the year When that becomes unavailable, I feed T&A. They tend to lose a little weight in the winter on the T&A though. The T&A also tends to give one of my girls a bit of a bloating problem, but a tummy rub always takes care if it. Of course I supplement with a tiny bit of Purina Goat Chow in the morning and free choice minerals.

I use coastal hay for bedding, which they'll nibble on but don't really eat much of.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

hearthnsoul said:


> I am in Massachusetts, on the cape. If I Head over the bridge, big beautiful bales, but last two weeks we paid almost 14 a bale,..unheard of! But they were all out on cape. And on cape usually between 8 and 10 a bale and luck of the drawer whether they are worth it or not. I think the guy i usually get it from is spending around 6.50 a bale ..so this year coming I want to get enough myself to last til next high season and take out the middle man, it is an issue of storage i have to figure out. This way in late fall til end of winter we are not begging for whatever we can get!


Wow!! That is crazy!! We pay no more then $5 a bale in off seasons and pay between 3-4.50 a bale when we go and get it out of the field before they have to store it.. And we are in nh!


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## redmuttranch (Dec 28, 2012)

#1 alfalfa is 18+ here in Phoenix as well!!!! It's crazy! But we found a feed store that has recently gone from wholesale to selling to the public and we can get #2 for 14.50 and cow hay which might as well be #2 alfalfa for 12.50. They offer it to their customers even if it is from the same stack as the #2 to continue return business from the cow and goat customers. It helps out big time. Sometimes it even richer and better quality than the #1 and sometimes it is horrible. Just all depends on what they have at the time. You just have to be careful and adjust according to the bales quality 

Redmuttranch.weebly.com


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I am surprised the feed store is cheaper!
Here I can go to my feed store and buy a bale for 12+$ (they own the hay field too!) or I can go directly to their field and get it for 3$ !! It's crazy!!
Alfalfa is really pricey here! I have heard it doesn't cure well here.. Idk.. But I can get a bale at TSC for $19.99.. I just feed the pellets! Lasts longer and it's cheaper!


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## caprine crazy (Jun 12, 2012)

We get hay free from my uncle, but when we have to buy it, it's about $5 for high quality hay. I think ours is a grass mix. I have fed alfalfa and my goat did not like that. I have found my goat does really really like timothy. I wish the farmer we got that off of was still making hay so we good get more! That was a hit with my Boer doe!


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## ms_sl_lee (Feb 8, 2013)

We are using T&A for our goats and we are paying $14 a bale for it. My buck eats his well, but my two does don't seem to like it as much. I don't know what hay is the best for them. We get hay from the farmers here in round bales for $30 a bale for our cows. I'm not sure what it is, maybe I can feed my goats with it. I'm giving them Noble Goat twice a day. Should I be giving them grain? And how much for Nigerian Dwarfs?


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

black-smith said:


> Wow! I can't even imagine 14 a bale! If we pay half of that it's pricey.
> I guess it's different in every area, because at the coast it's quite a bit higher than it is here. I pay about 6 for the second cut and 4 or 5 for first. I wish I had storage for the whole year too, because now I'm getting down towards the end of it and having a hard time finding anything decent for sale!


That's kinda funny! Around here some people buy Canadian hay and it is real pricey! (I mean I understand the $$ to get it here from there and such but can't that be charged into the delivery fee?? BUT I will say that it is some REALLY nice hay! My girls LOVED it when I was buying(working for it) form a horse farm I was working at..


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## LaZyAcres (Aug 25, 2010)

Even with all the demand and news about skyrocketing hay prices, I found a local cattle farmer and paid $4.50 for some excellent grass hay my goats just love.


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## GTAllen (Jul 22, 2012)

Rhizome peanut hay is as good or better than alfalfa. Sudan grass or tall sweet sorghum go a long ways and the goats tear it up. My goats turn their nose up at bermuda and native grass hay.


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