HAY -- Goats John Lahrman www.farminlahrmans.com Email farminlahrmans@gmail.com March 7
About Us John Lahrman -- Live in Dayton, IN Grew Up on Farm - Baled Lots of Hay Two 4-H ers (Brook & Haylee) Raise Goats and Duck Show Dairy Goats @ 10-15 Open Shows per Year Started Growing Own Alfalfa in 2015 2016 Indiana State Fair Hay Champion
What is the difference between Hay & Straw?
Who Can Name Types of HAY?
Types of HAY Timothy Orchard Grass Alfalfa Alfalfa/Grass Mix Brome Others Clover Mix Wheat Bermuda Grass
Oh, We Forgot this one?
Which Cutting? Who Cares??? Cuttings count 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th or even 5 th Stage of Growth too! 1 st cut alfalfa can be stemmy 2 nd cut alfalfa usually higher stem-to-leaf ratio 3 rd cut alfalfa typically has a higher leaf-to-stem % Protein @ Stage Early Bloom Full Bloom Alfalfa 18% (before blossoms open) 15.5% Timothy 9.8% (before seed heads fill) 7.6% Orchard Grass 11.4%
Which Cutting? Who Cares??? Cuttings count 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th or even 5 th Stage of Growth too! 1 st cut alfalfa can be stemmy 2 nd cut alfalfa usually higher stem-to-leaf ratio 3 rd cut alfalfa typically has a higher leaf-to-stem % Protein @ Stage Early Bloom Full Bloom Alfalfa 18% (before blossoms open) 15.5% Timothy 9.8% (before seed heads fill) 7.6% Orchard Grass 11.4%
Selecting Hay - Other Quality Factors? How Green when Baled Rained On? How many times? (Did they salt it?) SNAP TEST -- If a handful of hay bends easily in your hand, its fiber content is relatively low and it will be more digestible than if the stems snap like twigs. Open Bales - And inspect it closely. Look at texture, maturity, color and leafiness. Check for weeds, mold, dust, discoloration due to weathering Hay redried due to rain will be dull in color yellow or brown, rather than bright green SNIFF TEST -- Use your nose, it should smell good, not musty, sour or moldy Flakes should separate easily from the bale and not be stuck together. All hay tends to weather because the sun bleaches the outside of the bales.
GAME TIME To Buy or Not to Buy? And Why
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Buy or Not Buy?
Storing Your Hay Keep it from getting wet or drawing moisture from the ground Use Tarps if no Roof/Shelter Available If you have a year s worth of hay stored, keep in mind that long storage time reduces nutritional levels of protein and vitamin A. Always buy hay that was harvested under good conditions, then keep it dry and out of the sunlight so it will keep better. Always stack it so that the oldest bales will be used first. Always Stack it so that the Oldest bales are used FIRST
GAME TIME Storage or POOR-age? And Why
Storage or Poor Storage?
Storage or Poor Storage?
Storage or Poor Storage?
Storage or Poor Storage?
Storage or Poor Storage?
Storage or Poor Storage?
How Much Hay Per Goat Each goat needs about two to four pounds of hay per day, minus what they might forage on pasture. Goats require hay, which is roughage, for their rumen to function properly. Hay Hits the Ground Goats Say NO WAY
Alfalfa Pellets Goats do need alfalfa because it is rich in calcium. Alfalfa pellets are simply alfalfa ground up into pellets. There is little waste if you feed alfalfa pellets, however, you cannot feed only alfalfa pellets. Goats need long fiber and this is only available from hay or leaves. Other Great Snacks!!! Turnips Carrots Fruit Peanuts in Shells Fiberglass Insulation
Does Hay Quality Matter? High Quality Alfalfa hay has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than grass hays, typically. It can be a good choice for feeding milkers as it has more calcium as well. You Get What You Pay For After 7 days of our alfalfa hay Goat Breeder Reported > 20% Milk Production Increase Prior full utter took 16+ hours Reduced to under 12 hours
Additional Tips When changing an animal s diet, do it gradually especially when changing from a grass to a legume. Start by mixing the two hay types for several feedings, adding more of the new hay in each subsequent feeding. Changing to a legume hay suddenly can make an animal sick, or cause a ruminant animal to bloat. Changing from grass hay to alfalfa all at once can change the environment in the rumen of cattle, sheep and goats and in the cecum of a horse (because of the shift in ph the acid/base balance). Mix the Hay Types Up (Do you like eating PB&J Everyday?)
Sources (Additional Information) http://www.hobbyfarms.com/all-hay-is-not-equal-choose-your-livestocks-carefully/ http://smallfarm.about.com/od/farmanimals/a/how-to-feed-goats.htm http://goatjusticeleague.org THIS PRESENTATION is AVAILABLE on our website www.farminlahrmans.com Click on the ALFALFA section