# Buying alfalfa hay



## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Any pointers on what I should look for when buying good quality alfalfa? I bought some last year and when I opened bale there was a cloud of dust, mold, ?? Is it unreasonable to ask a hay seller to open a bale to see inside before you buy? This is the hay I'm looking at, the ad says."This years first thru fourth cutting pure alfalfa. In standard 14 x 18 x 36 bales. Will sale as a whole or will sale in 50 lots, nothing less. Asking $5.00 per bale. Had this tested by the UK ag, it was rating at 18% cf 140 rfv."


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would ask if he guarantees his hay and return any moldy bales.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I know people who DO ask that a bale be opened so they can see....even the large round bales! Only caution I would give is that YOU pick the bale!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Agreed. In fact most growers will expect you to open a bale. At first glance the inside of the bale should be totally green. If you see a bunch of yellowed leaf, thats a good indication it was rained on and had to be re rolled and re dried. Smell it. It should smell clean and fresh. If its moldy, you should be able to smell it. The leaf should be whole and not to crumbly. Leaf that turns to dust and hard stems will tell you that its been over dried and not put up in dew. I prefer a tight bale. This will compress the stems and makes them easier to be eaten.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Does the fact it's been tested prove its good quality? I did talk to him and told him of my crap alfalfa I bought last year and he assured me that I was buying quality tested alfalfa. I'm going tomorrow morning to look at it. 


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

No, because testing only shows the nutrients at the time of testing. And since they don't test every single bale.... Definitely take a look at it. Ask him to open a bale for you. If he is that certain his hay is quality....he'll not hesitate


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

Ok, I will. Thanks!


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

We usually bale our own or get it from a friend. All good advice above... smell is the main thing though...


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

140 RFV and 18% CP is what we call feeder quality alfalfa here. Not the greatest quality hay. If he's got 1st through 4th cutting all mixed together and he's advertising 140 RFV and 18% CP, then that's probably the highest test he got all year which is not very impressive and most likely the other cuttings are even lower quality, unless that's the only test he ran this year then it's a gamble on the rest. Each cutting is going to test a little different depending on when it was cut, when and how it was baled, etc. I'm not sure how many options you have as far as alfalfa hay goes. If this is the best you can get then I would just take a look, make sure it smells and looks good and ask if he will replace any moldy bales if you find any.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

I ended up buying it, it looked nice and green inside and smelled good. The goats seem to like it and my Jersey too. I will start buying a wagon load each year right off the field instead of waiting but will try and find a good supplier. This guy is not growing pure alfalfa this year but a mix of Timothy and alfalfa, so I will look around. 


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

The mix of alfalfa and timothy would be a nice mix to get also. Glad to hear the hay was good. I love the smell of GOOD hay....it smells so fresh and sweet.


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## J-TRanch (Jan 31, 2014)

Good deal! Ours has always been fresh. I'm not sure what bad hay smells like lol!
I hope it works out!


Owner/operator
J-T Ranch Dairy Goats
NW KS


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

KW Farms said:


> 140 RFV and 18% CP is what we call feeder quality alfalfa here. Not the greatest quality hay. If he's got 1st through 4th cutting all mixed together and he's advertising 140 RFV and 18% CP, then that's probably the highest test he got all year which is not very impressive and most likely the other cuttings are even lower quality, unless that's the only test he ran this year then it's a gamble on the rest. Each cutting is going to test a little different depending on when it was cut, when and how it was baled, etc. I'm not sure how many options you have as far as alfalfa hay goes. If this is the best you can get then I would just take a look, make sure it smells and looks good and ask if he will replace any moldy bales if you find any.


Yeah, but you guys in Eastern Washington charge quite a bit more than $5 / bale.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Yeah, for $5/bale how much do you suppose the shipping to WA would run? LOL.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

5 dollars a bale... heck thats even cheaper then our straw prices.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I can't touch anything but local grass (cow grade) for 5.00 over here in W. WA. The "better" 12% local grass is more like 9.00 and up.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

I got a heck of a deal on second cutting out of the field this year, but I've never found local at 12%; at least not with a test to prove it.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

12%? Ya Id have to see some current test results. You would be lucky to get 9% outta a grass. A couple of years ago we got some alfalfa that later tested at 31%. We ended up having to sell it. Was just to hot for the goats. Lost 3 and a few others, even when mixed with a much lesser quality hay, would bloat just about every time.


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## farmchick897 (Jul 2, 2013)

What animal could eat 31% protein without bloating? What is ideal protein range for a dairy goat?
I don't see many people testing their hay around here and didn't realize it could fluctuate so much. 


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Saw a chart the other day that went from about 10-11% while dry to 14% or so late pregnancy/lactating.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Dairy quality runs 18%-24% protein average. This is typically a grower who knows what they are doing in terms of knowing what their soil needs, when to cut and when to bale. At our fair every year we have a contest which is called hay king. Growers from around the area bring their best hay in and all the tests are run on their entries. Not just protein but digestibility and an number of other things. This is a great way to get in contact with the best hay growers in our area. The 31% alfalfa we got was a fluke. They typically ran around the 20-24% mark. At 24% you really start running a risk of bloat. When we would get hay like that we would reduce the amount per feeding or again, mix it with a lesser locale hay. It was on the first feeding of the 31% hay that we lost the 3 goats. We nor the grower had any idea it was that hot.


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

The heck were they using for fertilizer; plutonium??


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