If hay is for horses

[painted_ponies]

It's almost time to start filling up the hay barn to get through the winter. I feed my horses Coastal Bermuda, about 10% protein. Just in case I wind up with a few sheep before spring grass comes in, will my horse hay be ok for sheep, or do sheep require something different?

[stockdogranch]

They'll eat hay just fine. Make sure they have some minerals, too, ones especially for sheep. Many mineral blocks have too much copper in them for sheep.

Anna

[bcnewe2]

THe only problems I"ve ever had with hay is when it was beautiful alfalfa. It was to rich for some and they ended up with waterbelly.

10% bermuda should be fine. We have mixed grass fescue here and it does the job.

[Bill Fosher]

I've never seen Coastal Bermuda Grass that I know of, but a 10 percent protein forage would be maintenance level feed at best and might even require some supplementation depending on other aspects of the hay -- particularly TDN and palatability. If you had lambs or ewes in late gestation or with lambs on them, it would be woefully inadequate in the protein department.

 

As a general rule, maintenance sheep hay should be at least 13 percent protein (I prefer 16 to 18 percent) and 55 to 65 percent TDN.

 

Of course, you can correct any deficiency in the CBG hay via pellets, grain, or a blend. But again, the sheep supplement should be one that is intended for sheep. Horse pellets will have too much copper.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Livestock around here does fine on Coastal Bermuda suitable for horses - and of course some supplementation is needed. It's hard to find really high protein hay that is not TOO rich, on the southeast coast.

 

We usually have three hay cuttings by this time. This year we've had one and aren't expected to have any more. We're OK but I know many people with big cattle operations are looking to sell out completely. There's a big dairy farm up the road, been in the family five generations, shutting down. It's weird, like what you hear about, out west, but it's here.