Is orchard grass good for horses?

Orchardgrass is one of the highest quality grasses that is a good hay option for horses, cattle and other livestock. In cattle, sheep and goat diets, it produces a superior body weight gain and milk production compared to other grasses, making it a great choice for pregnant, lactating and even growing animals.

Is timothy or orchard grass better for horses?

Orchardgrass and timothy hay are both excellent, but orchard grass gets the nod as the best of the two. It has a higher protein and calorie content and balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus.

Is orchard grass toxic to horses?

Among grasses, orchardgrass does particularly well in mixed stands. From a nutritional angle, as those classified advertisements indicate, orchardgrass can be a worthwhile component in almost any horse-feeding scenario. “As a source of fiber, well-made orchardgrass hay has a place in the diets of all types of horses.

What is the best grass hay for horses?

Is orchard grass good horse feed?

Orchard Grass is the emerging super star of the horse hay world. Orchard Grass is a highly palatable grass with a high nutrient content. Orchard Grass is higher in protein (10-12%), higher in calorie content and contains the same balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus as Timothy grass.

Horse Hay. Timothy, Orchard, Alfalfa, Fescue. Is your hay still good or gone bad

Is orchard grass high in sugar?

Most cool-season grasses, like orchardgrass and fescue, can have high sugar content. Timothy and crested wheatgrass tend to be medium in sugar content, as are most warm season (native) grasses.

Is orchard grass good for horses with laminitis?

Often, laminitis relates to nutrition and diet. Rapid intake of nonstructural carbohydrates (or sugar) stored in pasture plants can cause laminitis. Cool season grasses like orchardgrass, bromegrass, and timothy tend to store more carbohydrates.

Is Orchard alfalfa hay good for horses?

Alfalfa is a very common choice for horse owners to feed. It contains more nutrients than grass hay including protein, calcium, and energy. For example, Alfalfa contains 21.2% protein and 11% simple starches. It is higher in calcium which can be good and bad.

What is the difference between orchard grass and Bermuda grass?

Bermuda vs.

Orchardgrass is about 12% protein which is a slightly higher amount than Bermuda. It also contains more calories per pound and a reasonable balance of calcium and phosphorous levels. Like Bermuda, it's a good grass hay candidate for your horses.

What hay can horses not eat?

Oat hay has thick tougher stalks that some horses will not eat. Oat hay tends to be higher in nitrates and also high in sugar (NSC), so this hay is not an option for insulin resistant horses. Here's a comparison chart so you can see the differences between alfalfa hay, timothy (grass) hay and oat hay.

Is Orchard fescue good for horses?

If feeding grass hay, keep in mind that horses tend to prefer “stalky” grass over soft grasses, so timothy and orchard grass are good choices. Fescue hay (or pasture grass) should never be fed to pregnant mares because an endophyte (fungus) that grows in this grass can cause pregnancy complications and abortion.

What grasses are bad for horses?

What kind of grass is bad for horses? Don't let your horses eat any of the following: sorghum, sudangrass, johnsongrass, or any varieties of these types. Horses can get sick from eating this grass. That's why horse owners must know what the grass is in their pastures.

Is Orchard fescue hay good for horses?

There are many types of hay that can be safely fed to horses. Geographic conditions usually dictate what types of hay are grown in an area. Some common types of hay include: timothy, alfalfa, orchard grass, coastal Bermuda grass, pangola, brome, clover, and fescue.

What is orchard grass used for?

Grazing/Hayland: The primary use of orchardgrass is for pasture and hay forage production (Ogle, et al., 2011a). It is highly palatable to all classes of livestock. It is one of the best forage grasses for use in the Northern states under intensive rotational grazing systems.

What's the difference between timothy hay and orchard grass hay?

Oxbow Western Timothy Hay is high in fibre, low in protein and calcium and is a good, basic grass hay with high quality nutrition. Orchard grass is another cool-season grass; it grows in tufts and is more drought tolerant than Timothy hay. Orchard grass has a soft texture and is high in fibre and low in protein.

What cutting of hay is best for horses?

Second Cutting

This is the most common cutting of hay that horse owners give to their horses, and for a good reason. It is greener and more substantial, with more leaves and a sweet smell. This hay contains a lot of protein and fat, so it is excellent for horses that exercise.

What hay is best for older horses?

A reduction in fiber fermentation means that older horses receive less nutrients from forage resulting in higher quality forages being required. Alfalfa hay and good quality grass hays are preferable to stemmy and mature hays that have tougher fiber to ferment.

What hay is best for Laminitic horses?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.

Is alfalfa or Bermuda better for horses?

For horses with high protein needs, Bermuda hay is not the best option. It has a rather low protein content compared to, for instance, alfalfa hay. If Bermuda grass is harvested in a mature state, it also becomes harder to digest. This is because of an increase in fiber with its maturity.

What animals eat orchard grass?

Orchardgrass is one of the highest quality grasses that is a good hay option for horses, cattle and other livestock. In cattle, sheep and goat diets, it produces a superior body weight gain and milk production compared to other grasses, making it a great choice for pregnant, lactating and even growing animals.

What is Orchard alfalfa?

Premium Western Orchard Alfalfa is a very soft green hay high in protein and nutrients. Baled in the high elevations of nevada where drying conditions are optimal. It is sweet smelling and highly palatable, excellent hay for any type of animal that needs high protein and palatability.

What grass causes laminitis in horses?

We tend to think of spring grass as the trigger for many laminitis cases. But, typically, the problem is caused not by grass alone but by grass intake combined with the high blood insulin levels (hyperinsulinaemia) that occur in ponies and horses with: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)

What type of hay has the lowest sugar content?

Low sugar hay is extremely important in a horse's diet due to its health properties and the enormous benefits it can offer. While lucerne usually has lower sugar than a lot of grass hays, it more often than not tests HIGHER in sugar, starch & protein compared to our Low Sugar Hay.

What can you not feed a laminitic horse?

Laminitic horses need extra attention paid to their diet. This includes avoiding things like molasses and wholegrain cereals and using feeds low in sugar and starch. However, it is important to make sure that they still get the daily nutrients that they need including vitamins, minerals and amino acids.