# Horse quality hay versus other types of hay



## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

Question,

I Usually pick up grass hay at the local feed store for about $13 a bale. I noticed a listing for "horse quality hay" in Craigslist for $3 a 65lb bale if you pick up at the field this Sunday. Is horse quality hay good for goats?


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Yes, horse quality is usually top quality hay...no weeds...rain etc.


----------



## BareCreekFarm (Nov 20, 2011)

I'd say horse quality hay would be great for goats. But you will just have to look at it and use your judgement :thumb: Horses stomach's are a lot more sensitive to hay quality than goats. But $3 sure beats $13, if it is good hay!


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

$3 bales of horse hay is hard to find! Hope you can store a lot. :wink:


----------



## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I would go check it out. Horse quality normally means the best you only have to worry if it says its goat or cow quality.


----------



## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

If I knew more about it I would rent a trailer and store some up. I have a small bed truck so figure I can get maybe 6-8 bales which around here lasts a long time. My crew are fussy eaters. Once I figured out that Alfalfa (plus their grain mix) was a little rich for them since no one is milking at this time and the kids are all weaning and started buying grass hay they suddenly decided that foraging was better (go figure). Since this is my first summer here I don't know how well my well will irrigate the pasture this summer, so wanted to get some stored up. Guess I will find out this Sunday if the guy answers my email.

Also for anyone in the area here is the link http://medford.craigslist.org/grd/3008336739.html


----------



## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

My goats are pickier than my horses most times. I don't know how good the "local" hay is around Medford. In Western Wa., the hay they put up is not that great. Not a lot of protein etc. The best hay around here is from Eastern Wa. They grow excellent hay, but it is high. I would ask your feed store where the grass hay they are selling you is coming from. If the $3 hay is put up right, it should be safe anyway. I wouldn't let the CL label "horse quality" convince you it is anything special. Use your own judgement by looking at it and your goats will tell you how good it is. Hard to go wrong at $3 though. Even if you end up using it as bedding if they won't eat it.


----------



## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

Tenacross said:


> My goats are pickier than my horses most times. I don't know how good the "local" hay is around Medford. In Western Wa., the hay they put up is not that great. Not a lot of protein etc. The best hay around here is from Eastern Wa. They grow excellent hay, but it is high. I would ask your feed store where the grass hay they are selling you is coming from. If the $3 hay is put up right, it should be safe anyway. I wouldn't let the CL label "horse quality" convince you it is anything special. Use your own judgement by looking at it and your goats will tell you how good it is. Hard to go wrong at $3 though. Even if you end up using it as bedding if they won't eat it.


That's what I was thinking, if nothing else it can go in as bedding (heck it's cheaper then straw), or to mulch the garden.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I always try to find some horse quality hay, here in KY it can be really expensive at times since there is such a demand for it from all the horse farms <horse capitol of the world!>. 
We can't buy alfalfa mix because they want to pick the alfalfa and leave the rest, so we've just been buying clover hay. There is a farmer a couple of miles up the road that has been selling me some, and will be baling next month, and we plan to hopefully buy some out of the field.


----------



## naturalgoats (Jan 3, 2011)

hay is mostly 3 doallrs (well maybe four) in my area... definitely go check it out... make sure it smells sweet and is dry all through the bale... buy one and cut it open in your truck and then buy more or less depending on that.....Have fun!
M.


----------



## dobe627 (Oct 16, 2007)

1 thing to keep in mind buying out of field is to make sure its very dry, or else don't put in barn to tightly. When we bale we let it on trailor not in barn if possible. I always worry, if its not dry can catch fire. My stepdad had that happenin his milking barn about 25 years ago. Just worries me. But that's just. Me


----------



## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

My animals are soooo picky! But, we ran out of alfalfa and my supplier was also out...darn. So, I had to rush and get whatever was left. Turned out to be a nice brome, they didn't want to eat it...but DH was right...if I will give them alfalfa then that's all they want...give them grass hay and eventually they will eat it. lol. Ran out of that and had to get a BIG bale of timothy. It's a little coarse...but...they are eating that now. 

I did add some alfalfa pellets to their grain mix. And, I feed a little more grain with the grass hay. But, they are eating the pasture grass now. So, hopefully, I can stop obsessing now about hay. For a couple of months anyway.

I only feed "horse quality" hay, if it says for cows or goats it's usually moldy. They call it "sweat" here, but were I come from it's mold.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No matter what quality people claim to have, you need to thoroughly inspect it. What some people call "horse quality" hay around here, I wouldn't feed to cows. I just make sure my hay is 2nd or 3rd cutting and inspect for wetness and mold. Luckily I have a hay guy who is great and I can count on him bringing me very high quality hay without going over to his place and inspecting it before he delivers it.


----------

