Can cows eat Timothy hay?

Timothy hay is recommended by many experts due to its ease on various animal's digestive system as well as promotion of bowel regularity. Additionally, there have been scientific studies done that show Timothy hay is an ideal feed for pregnant or lactating cows.

What hay can cows not eat?

Sorghum, Sudans, Millets and Corn. Four main categories of sorghum and millets are grain sorghum, forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudan-grass hybrids. These all put grazing cattle at risk for prussic acid HCN poisoning.

What is the best type of hay for cattle?

Fine alfalfa or oat straw best is best for cattle. Avoid coarse hay for young calves, sheep, and goats. Give dairy producing cows nutrient-rich hay to aid production.

Do cows like timothy grass?

Timothy is highly palatable to livestock and produces high quality forage for hay and grazing, depending on the area. It is used in cool humid, temperate and high rainfall regions for grazing, primarily by cattle (AWI et al., 2012).

What is the difference between timothy hay and regular hay?

Alfalfa hay is higher in protein and calories, but timothy hay has more fiber and better calcium to phosphorus ratio. If you feed your horse a mixture of these two types of hay, it will get the best combinations possible for optimum nutrition.

Ask the Vet - Benefits and differences between grass hay and alfalfa hay

Is Timothy hay just grass?

Timothy hay is a grass hay. Another type of grass hay is meadow hay. This is softer than Timothy hay, and may include some edible plants such as dandelions. Because it contains a variety of plants, it can also be a bit more variable in contents than Timothy.

What do you do with timothy hay?

Timothy hay is used most often as cattle and horse feed. Its low protein, high fiber, and high energy content make it easily digestible.

Is Timothy grass the same as timothy hay?

Timothy Grass has a slightly higher protein and is greener in appearance. Timothy Hay is a mix of leaves and stems from Timothy grass, which is a perennial bunch grass. Timothy Hay is high in fiber and low in protein which is a combination critical to the health of rabbits and other small animals.

Is timothy hay the same as alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay and timothy hay are different nutritionally

Alfalfa hay and timothy hay are both forage sources commonly used in rabbit and guinea pig diets. Nutritionally speaking, however, they are very different. Alfalfa contains higher concentrations of protein and calcium compared to timothy hay (Table 1).

What type of hay is best for dairy cows?

Dairy cows need the best quality alfalfa hay with the most nutrients per pound, eating as much as possible to keep up with their caloric demands when producing milk. Feed efficiency (FE; sometimes called dairy efficiency) measurement is often used to help determine the cows' ability to turn nutrients into milk.

What hay should cows eat?

Most experts recommend mixing alfalfa with grass hay, rather than relying exclusively on alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay is often recommended for dairy cattle, but may not be a good fit for beef cattle, since it can lead to bloat. Legume hay is another nutritious option for cattle, since it's high in protein.

Do cows prefer grass or hay?

The simple answer is hay. Most people are familiar the a cows diet in the summer, acres and acres of lush green grass. But what is hay? Hay is the staple forage in most cattle operations.

What is the best feed for fattening cattle?

What is the best feed for fattening cattle? Barley is the best grain for lot feeding cattle, but wheat, triticale, sorghum, maize, and oats can be used. Oats is not an ideal grain on its own for cattle fattening but can be used with any of the other grains. Hay or silage could be used as the roughage source.

Can you feed cows just hay?

Forage. When available, unlimited pasture access is the best feeding option for cows. If lush pasture is not available, farmers feed hay. Hay is generally dried and baled grass, legume or straw according to Hobby Farms website.

Can you feed cows just grass hay?

Cows do, indeed, eat grass. Their diets consist mainly of roughage from various grasses, hay, legumes, and silage. Grass pastures also provide much of the protein they require, although lactating dairy cows may need additional protein supplements. Minerals, salt, and plenty of fresh water are also essential.

What do you feed cows other than grass?

The most common concentrates fed are corn and soybeans, along with by-product feeds like whole cottonseeds, citrus pulp, almond hulls or soy hulls. Cows enjoy variety in their diets, and having a mix of both forage and concentrates allows this.

Why do they call it timothy hay?

It is probably named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer and agriculturalist said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century. Upon his recommendation it became a major source of hay and cattle fodder to British farmers in the mid-18th century.

Can goats eat timothy hay?

Legumes can have as much as twice the protein and three times the calcium of grass hays, so they are the preferred hay for goat kids and lactating does. Grass hay, such as timothy, orchard, brome, and bluegrass, is a suitable maintenance hay for goats.

What kind of grass is timothy hay?

Timothy hay (phleum pratense) also known as meadow cat's-tail, is a perennial grass hay used as feed for many animals from small pets to Triple Crown-winning racehorses. Native to much of Europe, an American colonial farmer is credited with being the first to cultivate the grass in North America in 1720.

Does timothy make good hay?

Its energy storage pattern makes it a better hay crop than a pasture species. Timothy is grown primarily as hay for horses but is frequently included in pasture mixtures. It is less competitive in a legume mixture than most sod-forming grasses and is often grown in a legume mixture for hay.

What is Timothy grass good for?

The benefits of Timothy grass are numerous. It has broad appeal as hay for and horses, but when combined with alfalfa, it makes nutritious forage for sheep and other grazing animals. It is also made into food for guinea pigs, rabbits and other domesticated pets.

Can horses eat timothy hay?

Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to horses. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content.

What is the difference between timothy hay and western timothy hay?

Note: Timothy Hay is more suitable for adult rabbits due to the low calcium content. Oxbow Western Timothy Hay is high in fibre, low in protein and calcium and is a good, basic grass hay with high quality nutrition.

Can chickens eat timothy hay?

Timothy and grass hay are mostly roughage and not something to feed to hens (although they might like to scratch through it and find a seed or two.)

How long can timothy hay last?

If stored properly in a cool dark place with good ventilation, the Timothy Hay Food may keep for 6 months or longer.