Rye grass hay, the most common hay found in pet shops, is a by-product of the grass seed growing industry. Once you’ve keyed these two items, turn to the appropriate category to identify the grass. from Vermont Law School. Switchgrass – a perennial native grass that is a bunchgrass. Hay is made from grass, legumes or cereal crops that have been mowed, cured and baled. Using seed species ensures you get better establishment and a healthier looking lawn. Hay may also include legumes , such as alfalfa (lucerne) and clovers ( red , white and subterranean ). Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (grass and legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). There are three types of ryegrass predominant in hay production. Different Types of Bermuda Grass There exist two broad categorizations of Bermuda grass: Hybrid Bermuda and Bermuda Common. The type of vegetation from which hay has been made can vary based on location, availability and preference of the horse owner. Hay from grasses contains less calorie (energy) and a lower protein amount, usually 6% to 10%. Clover — The Graff’s in Illinois planted a mixture of various types of hay including clover. Wheatgrass hay, however, can be prohibitively expensive, especially as a late-season cut, and it is more often used as pasture grass than as cut hay. Popular types of grass include Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass, centipede grass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue lawn grass. When choosing the right hay for your small pet it can sometimes seem overwhelming by the choices you have and understanding the value of different brands. We carry 3 different basic types of hay: Grass, Legume and Grain. It grows in USDA zones 4 through 8, notes North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. More primitive methods are still used for small lots or by farms without access to machinery. Commercially, grasses are grown in large fields and cut with machines that can do anything from cut to bale the hay. Hay is dried forage vegetation used as feed for horses, cattle and other livestock during the winter months when green pasture is not available. There are a wide variety of different hay types – each with its own benefits (a few even have drawbacks) for your animals. Cutting fescue for hay should begin just as the flowers begin to emerge for best quality. It is used for both forage and hay, and it's grown mainly in the southeastern U.S. Grass hays have the best balance between calcium and phosphorous of all the forages. Fine fescue is actually a grouping of various fescue species of grasses such as chewings fescue, hard fescue, red fescue, and sheep fescue. This grass tolerates a wide range of soil types and soil pH values, making it adapted to most of the southern U.S. Bermudagrass provides good nutrition for cows during the … However, grass hay is very high in fiber. All Rights Reserved. Some homeowners lay straw or hay on top of new seeds to keep them in place, but you can also try coconut fiber, which holds moisture in place to nourish seeds. Grass hays should be the main component in rabbit, chinchilla and guinea pig diets. One source of hay is ryegrass (Lolium spp.). Anderson Hay & Grain: What is Timothy Hay? They may or may not be baled. Types of Hay Grass. Certain varieties are resistant to toxic fungus, including 'Fawn' (Festuca 'Fawn'), 'Kenhy' (Festuca 'Kenhy') and 'Johnstone' (Festuca 'Johnstone'). Palatability and nutrient levels drop after seed heads form so it … Meadow hay has a better spread of other minerals and trace elements than single grass hays. Considered too low in quality for dairy cows, fescues are fed mostly to beef cattle and sheep, notes the University of Missouri Extension. There are two types guinea pig hay: grass hay and alfalfa hay. She holds a B.A. Inflorescences . Typically, orchard grass is lower in protein than timothy, but it is a favorite amongst horses and owners. Grass hays include bromes, fescues, orchard grass, rye grass, wheat grass, timothy, coastal Bermuda or Bluegrass. The type of hay you feed the horses in your barn depends on a number of factors, including geographic location, price and the horse’s nutritional needs. Hay has a higher fiber percentage than green leafy fresh grasses, and this fiber is required to keep their digestive tracts moving and it’s the best to keep their teeth from overgrowing. Due to current drought conditions in parts of Australia, access to ANY hay type is important for most horses (except metabolic horses which high sugar + starch hay needs to be avoided). A freelance writer since 1978 and attorney since 1981, Cindy Hill has won awards for articles on organic agriculture and wild foods, and has published widely in the areas of law, public policy, local foods and gardening. Most lawns are a mixture of different grass types. This type of grass is considered to not be too aggressive nor retiring, which means that it does not die out quickly nor does it grow fast. Timothy, Fescue) and legume (e.g. Haylage is conserved cut grass, baled with a higher water content than hay, and then wrapped. bunch-type grass, check to see whether the unemerged leaf blade is rolled or folded. Timothy. The former is rich in fiber and low in calories, calcium, and protein, which makes it the best hay for guinea pigs. The types of grasses that grow well in Texas depend on the part of the state and the season of the year. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Mississippi State University Cooperative Extension Service: Mississppi Forages. Although fescues (Festuca spp.) The University of new York and a healthier looking lawn horses are timothy and grass. Flowers begin to emerge in protein and calcium it contains lower levels of,... 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