# Wheat Hay



## ladyharley

What is the consensus on feeding Wheat Hay. Is is considered grain? I know about the concerns on Alfalfa, but what about feeding wheat hay. Any concerns I need to watch for?


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## ksalvagno

I have never heard of wheat hay. I know there is wheat straw. Wheat straw would not be good to be used as hay. But if there is honestly a wheat hay, then I'm really not sure.


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## Stacykins

I have heard of wheat hay, if it is cut, dried, and baled while the wheat kernels are still in a milk stage. I don't think it is very common, because wheat is more valuable as a mature crop than being cut down early for hayl.


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## keren

Wheat hay is excellent, better than oaten hay, if it is indeed hay (cut before it heads or just as it heads) and not straw (cut after the grain is harvested, leaving only stalks).

I think if it is cut late, you could say it is grain since the grain will be in the heads. But the best is to have it cut just before it goes to seed, then all the sweetness is in the stem and leaf. My girls would get fat on just wheat hay, its brilliant stuff


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## ladyharley

keren said:


> Wheat hay is excellent, better than oaten hay, if it is indeed hay (cut before it heads or just as it heads) and not straw (cut after the grain is harvested, leaving only stalks).
> 
> I think if it is cut late, you could say it is grain since the grain will be in the heads. But the best is to have it cut just before it goes to seed, then all the sweetness is in the stem and leaf. My girls would get fat on just wheat hay, its brilliant stuff


The bales I bought have the stems, seeds and everything. The goats went crazy over it. I read it was the best protein for livestock. Just curious as I know too much Alfalfa isn't that good for goats, just was wondering if there were any draw backs to feeding the wheat hay..it was the same price as the alfalfa...$9 a two string bale approx 65 lbs.. darn good price. If I feed them the wheat hay, do I have to be concerned with the 2:1 calcium/phos ratio... didn't know if the wheat hay was considered "phosphorus" or not..

I read this: http://hayandforage.com/mag/farming_wheat_hay_solid


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## GTAllen

Stacykins said:


> I have heard of wheat hay, if it is cut, dried, and baled while the wheat kernels are still in a milk stage. I don't think it is very common, because wheat is more valuable as a mature crop than being cut down early for hayl.


I think this what we call "soft dough" hay. Sometimes the wheat gets knocked down, or it is not worth cutting, so it is salvaged.


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## 8566

boy with the price of wheat I can't think of anyone who might harvest it for hay but maybe .... and this is just maybe. It did get ruined, they got their insurance, and instead of letting the cows in they baled and are now selling.

I've only let cows in to eat the stuble before turning over a field. Do you have to worry about nitrates?


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## keren

You do get dual purpose wheat varieties - designed to be grazed and get a cut of hay off it before letting it go and then harvesting grain from it.


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## keren

The only thing you have to watch is if it is an 'awned' variety it will have big spikes on the seed heads which sometimes get stuck in their teeth/gums and can cause a nasty wound, in 4 years of feeding wheat hay to around 50 head, I only saw a couple of these, and I simply pulled the spikes out, flushed the wound with saline and gave them a different type of hay for a day, by two days later the wound was completely healed, mouth injuries heal fast. They didnt go off their food when they had the wound either, tough buggers.


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## Jessica84

Ohhh my if I found cheap wheat thats what I would get. My dad grew some wheat this year, the goats broke into the hay lot, by passed the oat, and alfalfa and went for it. Just make sure it is beardless. I am actually thinking about fencing off a acre and planting oat and wheat.....if my dad shares the seeds, it was very hard to find.


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## ladyharley

This is exactly what the wheat hay I got looks like.. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/wheat2.htm for 65lbs at $9 a bale and non GM...good deal. I asked him if goats eat this (small local farmer) as his whether went up to my bales and started munching...question answered LOL


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## Martha

*Newbie Question on feed*

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We acquired our first goats ever early this fall. I am in LOVE. I was following a friend's lead, bought the same fencing, and am feeding the same. Now I feel as if I am making mistakes. Here is what I'm doing.

Friend said, 'lots of browse and 1/4 cup sweet feed per day'.

I was doing that, but read that loose minerals are a must, and fresh hay should be offered. So I did that.

Vet came for a field check, said they are looking good. Noted that I am feeding alphalfa ($16.95/bale!) and said that it's okay to give to them for now as they are not full grown (6-8 mos) but that I should be feeding something different than Alphalfa unless they are lactating or pregnant.

What I THINK I should be doing is offering some kind of 'Goat Grain' each day, free choice minerals and free choice hay (something less rich-and maybe less expensive than Alphalfa). Does this sound correct? And what's up with the baking soda? How is that offered?

Thanks all, -Martha


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## ladyharley

Martha said:


> Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
> 
> We acquired our first goats ever early this fall. I am in LOVE. I was following a friend's lead, bought the same fencing, and am feeding the same. Now I feel as if I am making mistakes. Here is what I'm doing.
> 
> Friend said, 'lots of browse and 1/4 cup sweet feed per day'.
> 
> I was doing that, but read that loose minerals are a must, and fresh hay should be offered. So I did that.
> 
> Vet came for a field check, said they are looking good. Noted that I am feeding alphalfa ($16.95/bale!) and said that it's okay to give to them for now as they are not full grown (6-8 mos) but that I should be feeding something different than Alphalfa unless they are lactating or pregnant.
> 
> What I THINK I should be doing is offering some kind of 'Goat Grain' each day, free choice minerals and free choice hay (something less rich-and maybe less expensive than Alphalfa). Does this sound correct? And what's up with the baking soda? How is that offered?
> 
> Thanks all, -Martha


http://fiascofarm.com/sitemap.htm << great website for info. I would do a search for what you want to know...esp. grain and urinary calculi for the bucks/wether. I have baking soda available for them for bloat and they have minerals as well. If they need the minerals, they will eat it.

I don't feed alfalfa anymore or grain. It depends on what area you are in and what purpose you use your goats for. Members will tell you that everyone does things different, it depends on your situation.

Mine have plenty of browse and only get wheat hay, bermuda grass hay. Winter time, perhaps supplementing.


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## ThreeHavens

If they're just pets, I would just feed plenty of grass hay and loose minerals.  Grass hay is cheaper then alfalfa anyhow.


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## onehorse_2000

I would consider it a grain and limit access to it in a similar fashion to grain. Goats are designed to eat browse (leaves and such at head level in limited quantities), not grain.



ladyharley said:


> What is the consensus on feeding Wheat Hay. Is is considered grain? I know about the concerns on Alfalfa, but what about feeding wheat hay. Any concerns I need to watch for?


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## ladyharley

onehorse_2000 said:


> I would consider it a grain and limit access to it in a similar fashion to grain. Goats are designed to eat browse (leaves and such at head level in limited quantities), not grain.


I wonder why they call it wheat hay instead of wheat gran?


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## keren

ladyharley said:


> I wonder why they call it wheat hay instead of wheat gran?


Because it is hay, not grain.

Wheat hay is what you get when you cut the stalks and leaves of the plant before it matures, dry it and bale it. Just the same as any other hay.

Wheat grain is the seeds that you get when you harvest the plant at maturity.

Good wheat hay will contain very few or zero grain heads, if it is cut at the right time before the plant goes to head all the sugars are in the leaves and it is very nutritious, and a good source of quality roughage.


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## jenlwhi2

I was just researching feeding wheat hay and found this link...
Is there any danger to feeding wheat hay to goats that are used to just eating grass hay? I'm in a need of getting hay quickly and my neighbor has some wheat hay...should I worry about them over eating on it?


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## kccjer

The biggest worry has already been stated....the "beards" from the wheat can get stuck in cheeks, gums, throats, etc. We've fed wheat hay for years and never had an issue with it tho. And, my dad never seems to get it cut before it actually heads out...sigh... Cutting wheat for hay can be done for any number of reasons. My dad actually plants some for us to cut and bale right now since a portion of my pasture is used by him as turn rows for his farming. It is a HAY and not a grain...period. Wheat is a grass so there is no danger of nitrates.


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## MsScamp

LilBleatsFarm said:


> boy with the price of wheat I can't think of anyone who might harvest it for hay but maybe ....


The thing with raising wheat is that if it gets hailed on at certain point after the heads have developed - I think after the seed has started developing, but not sure - it damages the plants and the heads will shatter during combining, thus a lot of the seed will end up on the ground instead of in the combine.


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## mom81549

I read that the nutritional value goes way down, quickly, if it gets past the early milk stage. It is superb for hay IF cut at the right stage. We used some of our wheat from last year that like 1/4% being high enough weight and planted it as a winter cover crop. It isn't very thick and wouldn't have any value as grain. We should have cut it and planted a couple of weeks ago, but it has been too wet, so now, we are looked at haying it off IF we can get into the field before it is too late again.. THEN 3rd choice will be to simply mow it down in the soft dough stage, which will kill it, and plant


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## Anthony Washington

ksalvagno said:


> I have never heard of wheat hay. I know there is wheat straw. Wheat straw would not be good to be used as hay. But if there is honestly a wheat hay, then I'm really not sure.


Wheat hay is a prized commodity in west texas used for horses cattle especially to prized for feeding goats.


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## toth boer goats

Yep ☝


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