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.

Can cows eat any type of hay?

Mature beef cattle can get by on rather plain hay—of any type—but if lactating they will need adequate protein. Good palatable grass hay, cut while still green and growing, can be very adequate, but if grass hay is coarse and dry (with little vitamin A or protein), you'll need to add some legume hay to their diet.

Why can't cows eat alfalfa?

Why does alfalfa cause bloat in the first place? Soluble proteins in forages and other small particles within the cells of the plant are rapidly released once they reach the rumen. These proteins and particles are attacked by slime producing rumen microbes, which cause a buildup of stable foam.

Is hay toxic to cattle?

In addition, spoiled forage or the presence of decomposed animal carcasses in hay can result in botulism and blister beetles have been found in alfalfa hay resulting in disease in cattle. Plant poisonings can have a tremendous impact on profitability of livestock production.

Can cows eat alfalfa bales?

Alfalfa is considered to be great food for many cows.

It is incredibly high in protein at around 20%, which is higher than most other feeds. Grass hays are often low in protein, making alfalfa an excellent supplemental option to improve a cow's protein intake. Regular grass hay also takes longer to digest than alfalfa.

Not All Hay Is Good Hay - Cow Update

Can cows eat green hay?

Alfalfa (green or fed as hay) is better for calves, younger cattle, or dairy and pregnant cows in late gestation. While the nutritional value of hay for beef cattle isn't as crucial as dairy, it is still something for producers to think about, especially pre-calving and while nursing a calf.

Can cows eat clover hay?

Yes, cows can eat clover but feed safe and mold-free clover. Cattle grazing on sweet clover, yellow clover, and white clover may develop metabolic disorders. Clover poisoning leads to bloat which may cause the death of an animal.

Is Timothy Hay good for cows?

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.

Can cows have oat hay?

Oat hay is nutritious and high in both protein and energy content. It can be fed to horses and cattle. In addition to straight Oat hay, alfalfa is often planted with oats to allow for better alfalfa stand establishment. This results in a high-quality feed.

What grass kills cows?

Any condition that causes stress to the grass has a potential of producing this poison that can kill your cattle. It's not a common occurrence, but poisonous nitrates or prussic acids can form in everything from Bermuda, ryegrass, alfalfa etc., but is most common in Sorghum Grasses like Johnsongrass.

What is the best hay to feed cows?

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.

What happens if a cow eats clover?

A cow eating spoiled White Sweet Clover can develop a fatal hemorrhagic disease. Blood vessels in the animal's body burst and cause internal bleeding. The reason is that the clovers contain coumarins. You may recognize the chemical for its use as a medicine to reduce the risk of clots in humans.

Can cows eat clover and alfalfa?

In addition research has shown that when red clover and alfalfa are of similar fiber content red clover may be more digestible than alfalfa providing a more energy dense forage to the diets of lactating dairy cows.

Is Bermuda hay good for cows?

This grass species is an excellent warm-season perennial grass that stands up to grazing pressure and responds well to fertility and moisture. Cows can meet their nutrient requirements on bermudagrass during the growing season and with stockpiled forage in the fall, if calving timing is correct.

Is fescue hay good for cows?

Cattle tend to avoid consuming tall fescue, because it is a more course and fibrous forage. Animal gains tend to be lower on these fields but are a good source of forage for the beef cow herd. When cattle are turned out to graze a fescue mixed stand, the cattle will eat around the less palatable fescue.

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.

Can cows eat peanut hay?

Perennial peanut is a high-quality persistent tropical forage legume which can be grazed or fed to horses, dairy and beef cattle, hogs, goats, sheep and rabbits. It can be stored as dry hay or silage and is a substitute for alfalfa.

Is peanut hay good for cows?

Residual peanut hay is by far the most widely used peanut by-product fed to beef cattle, and if it is properly harvested with minimal leaf shatter, it is comparable to good-quality grass hays in nutrient content.

Is lucerne hay good for cattle?

Lucerne, also known as the 'queen of forages' is one of the most nutritious forages available for cattle. It can either be directly grazed or fed to cattle as hay and silage.

Is orchard grass hay good for cows?

A sought-after grass known for its soft, highly palatable leaves, orchardgrass is suitable for horses, cattle, and small ruminants. It has good quality forage with heavy spring yield and moderate fall production but is less drought tolerant than fescue.

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.

Is timothy hay and alfalfa the same?

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 kind of grass 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.

Are dandelions good for cattle?

Even many plants that people consider weeds in their lawn, such as dandelion or clover, are actually very nutritious for cattle, and cattle readily eat them.

Is rye grass good for cows?

Annual ryegrass and perennial ryegrass produce highly digestible and palatable forage. The forage of both of these grasses can support high dry matter intake levels and are suitable for animals with high nutritional requirements, including lactating dairy cattle.