# Does anybody feed New England first cut hay??



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Just what the title says - is anybody feeding their goats first cut hay from in or around New England with success?

We are in Connecticut and we bale about 2000 bales of hay per year on our farm. We have always kept second cut, or even done a third cut to feed the goats for winter because why not feed them the best if the costs are fairly minimal for us? The bales are HEAVY (70 lbs?) two string/square bales and stay nice and green all winter and the goats love it. We have never done a hay analysis to find out protein etc. but it is all mixed grass mostly timothy with some clovers and alfalfa. 

But now we have a few problems: 
1. the goats are all essentially dry-lotted right now due to pasture fencing issues and will be for the next 1.5-2 months, 
2. I'm nearly out of last year's third cut, and 
3. We're having a hard time selling all our first cut hay this year (everybody is going round bales, or doing haylage/grass silage.)

I have buyers come & buy first cut for goats, and I have been to other goat breeders recently where they are feeding first cut. IMO New England first cut is just barely a step above straw! It is never hot/dry enough to cut & bale until after everything has gone to seed! The bales weigh half as much as second & third cuts and are not as green.

Am I being too sympathetic and/or fussy? Does anybody feed New England first cut with success? Do you do analysis to find out if it has enough protein left? 

I have tried putting first cut in all the hay racks and let them scream for 2 days... I have no idea how I am going to tolerate that for the next 2 months until the pastures are back up. However, it would be a thousand times easier if we kept first cut for winter feed - it is so much easier to move & stack!


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

I'm in NH, we feed first cut near all year.. If we have to in the middle of the winter pick something up and all I can get is second then I do that.. I'd rather do second cut at all times.. But hay is expensive lol! I just can't afford 2nd cut most times...
Our hay guy almost always has real nice 1st cut though  nice and green and soft  some of his fields are a bit corse, and other more fine.. But what we got the other day was great 
My guys have all been on it and look good for the past 4-5 years...


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Hmmm - maybe our first cut is just crappy! lol I don't know much about hay really - just started doing it with my dad & uncle when my husband and I first moved the farm a few years ago.

Any chance you could take a photo of an opened bale when you feed some of that first cut and post it?

Do they go nutty when you sometimes get second cut?


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

Lol!
I know nothing about hay either  lol!
I know the last first cut we had was crappy.. This stuff is like gold compared to the last stuff we got from another guy.. 

Yah I'll get a picture tonight when I feed  I have an 'exploded' bale on my spare milk stand now lol!

Depends on the quality of it.. But if it's the nice stuff from the feed store, they yah, it's like Candy for them lol! But others they waste.. It is very rare that I do get 2nd cut cause money is tight here.. So unless I can find some under $5.50 or so we stick with first cut...


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## Suntoo (Nov 14, 2013)

SalteyLove said:


> I have tried putting first cut in all the hay racks and let them scream for 2 days... I have no idea how I am going to tolerate that for the next 2 months until the pastures are back up. However, it would be a thousand times easier if we kept first cut for winter feed - it is so much easier to move & stack!


That explains my goats' reaction to the Orchard Grass I tried!
I knew nothing about 1st, 2nd, or 3rd cut but thanks to you, now I get it.
My goats HATE the 1st cut Orchard Grass!
My doe rushes to fill her mouth with the hay, then cries, even with her mouth full, and looks at me like she's starving! I swear she's shouting at me, "WHERE'S THE REAL FOOD???"
:help:
I'll never buy it again.
And it's all very expensive here in the city.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Since you have it, I would certainly try using it.


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

Here are a few pictures  not the best as the lighting was poor..


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## Ryann (May 29, 2013)

we cut our own hay and believe it or not our goat like the brushy first cut stuff that we bale..the weedier the better! we ran low this last spring and had to buy some they actually wasted more and ate less of the dark green fluffy hay we bought than they do of what we cut....


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

I have fed 1st cut grass/weed hay for always. I can't find, or afford 2nd cutting, it's all shipped out of State to the horse farms in Ct, Ma and NY. Mine do fine on it. Been doing it for 30+ years.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh boy... I might have to have a long talk with the herd about this upcoming winter. We've got 130 bales of first cut hay in the barn that hasn't sold. After taking my own photos and hearing from all of you and seeing your photos - they may have to learn to love it. In person, our first cut appears much less green and feels dryer/stalkier and of course much lighter in weight. But when I took the photos it really doesn't look bad. 

First Cut


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

And here is one of the few remaining bales of third cut from last year - bales that are heavy as sin! (but dry and mold free and still green!)


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## foxhollow (May 5, 2013)

I am in Western Massachusetts and the first cut hay we picked up is beautiful! It is a beautiful green and keeping well. The goats love it
However, at the tail end of winter we got some 3rd cut that looked like straw but out herd still chowed on it. 
I think a lot has to do with what they are used to at the time. I mean, in the bitter cold of winter when there is no browse, they will eat anything remotely green versus this time of year when they are used to the lush-ness of the browse they get a bit more picky about hay. 
How much are you selling your bales for? Where are you located? I would be interested in buying 10-15 bales to stock pile for the winter depending if traveling distance would be worth it.
Feel free to private message me of you don't care to share specific details on the open forum. 
All hay dealings aside, it would be nice to exchange information of fellow New England goat owners as well.
I look forward to more conversation!


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

That doesn't look bad! Of corse that third cut looks REALLY nice! Lol! 

I wish we could hay our own fields.. Would be nice to have second and third cut..


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## loggyacreslivestock (Mar 5, 2013)

I am in Pa, and feed our first cutting as well. Little different weather here in the spring though. I just baled ours this week and they are loving it.


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## Frosty (Feb 13, 2010)

I usually feed second cut ran out a while ago and just bought some first cut. Its kind of coarse and the goats don't like it much I think the girls waste more than they eat but the boys seem okay with it.. Of course they are out to pasture all day so must be pretty full when they come in.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Foxhollow - I sent you a PM


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## gemstoneacres12 (Apr 8, 2013)

I'm in Connecticut and I fed my goats 1st cut hay for the whole year except winter is when I switch to 2nd cut to keep them happy cause it's super green. My goats love either or and they have learned to eat what they get. They have free choice hay and I can't even seem to keep the 1st cut in front of them! 


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Well the transition has officially occurred! Thank you all for the verification and encouragement that goats really can survive on first cut. I'm being less snobby about the hay now and see that it is truly edible and better than straw. (and finally the buyers are showing up, of course AFTER I already put it in the barn!)

The buck pen of 7 stinkies has no problem emptying both hay racks of first cut on a daily basis and barely any complaints. The doe pen is a bit more resistant but is getting better. Still some screaming and a few does walking around looking a little hollow, but overall they are eating it. They just aren't eating as much as they were of the second/third cut I had for winter.


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