Best Grass For Hay For Cattle

Double barrel brome grass and double barrel orchardgrass both are cool season grasses suitable for making hay.

Best grass for hay for cattle.

Bermuda grass is also made easily into hay for winter grazing making it a popular crop for year round production. It grows in usda zones 5 through 8. As grain prices continue to be high the better our forage stands yield high quality forage the more we can reduce our need for expensive grain. However when it becomes mature palatability rapidly declines.

Alfalfa is also a good winter feed because heat is created by digestion of protein so a horse can keep warmer on a cold night. It can be made from a wide variety of legumes including clover vetch sainfoin birdsfoot trefoil and of course the queen of the forages alfalfa. Orchardgrass this grass is good for pasture hay and silage. Orchardgrass is considered more palatable than brome grass and requires better soil and more active management.

Bermuda grass is common in the south and university of florida foraging expert glen burton consider it an excellent crop for achieving high yields especially in dairy operations. It can be confusing because there are six different types of major summer annual forage grasses sudangrass sorghum sudan hybrids forage sorghum which we often call cane or sorgo foxtail millet pearl millet and teff. Hay for sheep and cattle the best mixtures for hay are usually longer term ones such as early bite sheep and hay ley and milk meat cut or graze which contain perennial and hybrid ryegrasses. It grows best in well drained soils has rapid regrowth and is palatable.

Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is very productive bunch type grass that responds well to good management. Research has shown that stand of 2 3 alfalfa and 1 3 grass can out yield a pure stand of either grass or alfalfa by as much as 40 50. Brome grass does well in arid climates and marginal soil conditions.

Legume hay is known for its high protein and calcium levels as well being rich in vitamins and minerals. Lucerne or alfalfa is another very good option for high quality horse hay. As a general rule of thumb grass hay is best for horses alfalfa or other legume hay can be an excellent feed to mix with grass hay for animals that need more protein. Legume hay is a popular choice for most livestock.

So base your choice primarily on how you plan to use it. Orchard grass dactylis spp is a perennial grass with fibrous roots that can be used for both pasture grass or hay.