sheepandakom Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Does anyone have experience with rye hay? I found a good deal on hay and am going to buy some. They have horse hay and rye hay. I've never even heard of rye hay before. The rain still isn't falling here and I'm afraid my spring pastures will be ready a lot later than I planned, so I want to stockpile extra hay. If I don't need it, I can always sell it. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepandakom Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 I spoke to the man that has the hay. Apparently his cows and horses really like the rye hay. He's also got an orchard grass fescue mix. I'm going to get a few bales of each today and see which they'll eat. I know fescue can be a concern with pregnant horses. Is it a problem with pregnant sheep? Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Emily, I don't think sheep are as susceptible (if at all) to the endophyte in fescue as horses are. You could ask if the hay is supposed to be endophyte free (I see some advertised that way) if you're concerned (and if they're selling the fescue as horse hay it should be). I have fed fescue or a mix thereof for the past couple of years with no ill effects that I could observe. One issue with fescue is that it isn't one of the most palatable grasses/hays as far as sheep are concerned. If they're hungry, they'll eat it, but it would not necessarily be their first choice. I have never fed rye hay, so can't help you there, but I do know lots of folks plant winter rye for late winter grazing. We would have done so if we could have found seed.... It might make the most sense to have both kinds of hay tested to see just what sort of nutritional value they offer. You could then base your decision to buy on what is the best nutrition for your sheep. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted December 21, 2007 Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 I wonder what he means by rye hay? Hay made from cereal rye? If so, the price would have to be pretty darn good or the stuff would have had to have been cut just right. If it has seeded out at all, what you are really buying is straw. And it could be straw with ergot. Ergot can kill sheep in incredibly small amounts. As I understand it, ergot only forms in the seeds of cereal rye. If this stuff was baled before it went to seed, it should be okay from a safety standpoint, but might still be pretty stemmy On the other hand, if it's hay made from ryegrass -- annual ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, or perennial ryegrass, it could be excellent feed. Biggest problem you're going to have with fescue -- endophyte free or otherwise -- for sheep is palatability. I don't suppose that any of this hay has been sampled and analyzed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepandakom Posted December 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2007 It's hay cut from grain rye. It was cut before it went to seed, but it looks a lot like straw. It does smell like good hay though. I bought a few bales of each. They ate the rye hay, but preferred the grass hay. I think I would rather buy more of the grass hay. I've got a barn full of good quality orchard grass/alfalfa hay, but without any rain, I'm afraid I'll run out before my pastures are any good this spring. I am thinking I will buy the grass hay and feed in a ratio of 2 bales of the better hay and 1 bale of the grass hay. It should last me thought the winter and spring that way. Emily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.