Why is some hay green and some yellow?

In most cases, green hay has a large amount of keratins, which is a precursor to vitamins A and E. On the other hand, if the hay has a yellow coloration, it may have been over mature when harvested or could have been rained on in the field before baling.

Is green hay better than yellow hay?

Without question, the most desirable color of hay is bright green. Greenness indicates the hay was not subjected to any adverse conditions during curing or storage, thereby suggesting the forage is nutritious and free of molds. Green hay is often rife with carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, and vitamin E. Yellow.

Why is my hay yellow?

The color indicates that it was baled at an optimal time. Light yellow on the outside of bale: it's sun bleached, which decreases palatability somewhat to horses. The color also indicates decreased carotene (used to make vitamin A), but the hay still has nutritional value.

What is the color of good quality hay?

Good quality hay should be bright green in color with little fading. A bleached, yellow, brown or black color may indicate aged hay, mold or poor storage conditions. Storage condition and age have a significant effect on vitamin content of hays.

How can you tell good quality hay?

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Should hay be yellow?

In most cases, green hay has a large amount of keratins, which is a precursor to vitamins A and E. On the other hand, if the hay has a yellow coloration, it may have been over mature when harvested or could have been rained on in the field before baling.

What is poor quality hay?

Poor-quality hay may be damp and moldy with a musty or fermented smell. Hay that appears weathered, straw-like, or brown is likely low in nutritional value. If hay has been cut late in maturity, seed heads will be apparent in grass hay and blooms will be evident in alfalfa hay.

Why is some hay green and some brown?

Hay that was cured quickly and stored properly is usually a bright green color while hay that was cured slowly or damaged by rain after partial drying may be pale yellow or brown because of bleaching and/or leaching.

Is green hay high in sugar?

Ryegrass and grain hays tend toward high sugar, plus starch in the grain hays. Contrary to popular belief, there is no type of grass hay guaranteed to be low sugar and starch. Seed heads are the easiest way to identify a grass hay. Timothy's fuzzy, long seed heads look like a green or beige caterpillar.

What is green hay called?

Alfalfa, clover, and peanut are legume hays, while timothy, oat, bermuda, and orchard are examples of grass hays. If you're sitting there thinking that you've seen oat straw before, you may have! Oats can be grown for hay or oats and straw. Hay is basically a grass that is cut green, then dried and baled.

Is green hay better for horses?

Most horse owners want dark green hay. Many sources state that higher quality hay tends to be dark green. This is true, but it is only part of the truth. A dark green colour can indicate higher protein and nutrient levels, but it can also indicate high nitrate levels.

How can you tell if hay is bad?

Signs that your horse hay may be bad include a lack of color or dried-out appearance, a moldy smell, excessive dust, visible mold, or excessive heat towards the center of the hay bale. Because hay provides your horse with so many essential nutrients, you must provide your horse with the best quality hay available.

Why is the hay in Yellowstone so green?

It turns out that those bales were full of clover. Certain varieties of clover are fatally poisonous for cattle if ingested, as it leads to bloat — and death by bloat is every bit as brutal as it sounds.

What is considered horse quality hay?

Horse hay should be bright green, leafy and fine textured, with a fresh, pleasant aroma. Musty hay or other indications of mold or heating, and dust, weeds and other foreign material in hay can be unhealthy for an animal. Color is an indicator of quality and nutrient content; good hay is a bright green.

Can you feed hay straight off the field?

In perfect conditions — where the hay has been baled at less than 12% moisture and is very dry — it is safe to feed straight away, but this isn't often the case, Tim explains: “The main reason for allowing a period of anywhere between two and eight weeks before feeding freshly made hay is to allow for a process called ...

What hay has lowest sugar?

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.

Which hay has the most sugar?

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.

Does soaking hay remove sugar?

In addition to removing sugars, soaking also reduces some minerals. Crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium concentrations all decrease with soaking.

What Colour should timothy hay be?

Soft Timothy Hay should have these qualities:

Color: Described as hunter or deep green. Soft Timothy Hay should be noticeably darker green than Coarse or Medium Timothy Hay. Stems/Stalks: The stems of Soft hay should be very thin, less than 1/32nd of an inch, if any at all.

What kind of hay do race horses eat?

Racehorses should be fed 15-20 lb (7-9 kg) per day of clean grass hay such as timothy or oaten hay. Smaller quantities of alfalfa hay (2-4 lb or 0.9 to 1.8 kg per day) may also be offered. This level of hay intake will meet the racehorse's maintenance DE requirement and help protect against gastric ulcers and colic.

How long is hay good for?

If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.