Buying Horse Hay

1. Buying Horse Hay Key issues for Horse Owners

2. Nutritional Requirements of Horses • Pseudo-Ruminants • ineffective ruminants: high quality needed • fiber required: • daily forage intake should >1% bw • Prefer 1/2 of daily intake to be forages • Multiple Requirements • Production: Reproduction, Growth, Work • Maintenance: infrequently exercised, mature horse

3. Forage Requirements of Horse Owners • Nutrition • High Quality needed • Reduce feed costs • Control of Toxic plants • Exercise • Daily requirements • Soil compaction • Aesthetics

4. Forage Quality • Digestibility is a function of maturity • Crude protein is a function of maturity and soil nitrogen.

5. Nitrogen rate effect on digestibility and crude protein

6. Maturity effects on Digestibility and Crude protein.

7. Cool Season Annuals Ryegrass Small grains Clovers Perennials: Tall Fescue: toxin others Warm Season Annuals Crabgrass: loams Millets: Sand Perennials: Switch Grass, Indian Grass, Side Oats Gamma, Big and Little Bluestem Forage Selection

8. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Sensitive horses • Laminitis (founder) • Equine metabolic syndrome • Equine Cushing’s syndrome • Polysaccharide storage myopathy

9. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Cushing Disease and pasture laminitis • Cause: Unable to take up sugar in the form of glucose due to diminished response to insulin (insulin resistance) • Obese or fat horses over 15 years of age • Common in ponies

10. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Polysaccharide storage myopathy • Cause:Increased sensitivity to insulin and increased glucose uptake in muscles • Found more often in heavy muscled horses and ponies

11. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Cool Season Grass Ratings • Orchardgrass, meadow fescue, tall fescue all high in sugar • Timothy and crested wheat grass are medium in sugar • Warm Season Annuals are medium in sugar content

12. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Test forage for Sugar if horses are sensitive • 10% of less considered safe

13. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Producers can Take Some Action • Soak hay 60 minutes in cold water followed by 30 minutes in hot water • Removes 30% of the sugar content

14. Sugar Problems With Hay and Forage • Grazing Control Options for Producers • Sugar highest at vegetative state and periods of cool nights and warm sunny days, or after a hard freeze and during periods of drought • Usually found in top 2” of plant so grazing susceptible horses last is recommended

15. Warm Season Perennial Grasses adapted to Central Sands • Rye Grass: most popular • Switch Grass: gaining popularity • Sudan Grass: Can be toxic and avoided • Big and Little Bluestem: Late Summer • Indian Grass-Side Oats Gamma-Gamma Grass-Some interest

16. Weed Control • Limited Herbicides • Multiple options • Integrated Management • Multiple uses • Multiple methods

17. Why Control Weeds • Economics: forage quality and quantity • Animal Health: toxic • Hoary Alyssum • Tall fescue • Spouse Nagging: better listen

18. Weed Control Methods • Herbicides • Defoliation • Mowing • Grazing • Good Management • Fertility • Carbohydrate Management • Shading

19. Basic Principles of Chemical Weed Control • Know your weeds • Choose the right herbicide • Calibrate your sprayer • Spray at the proper time

20. Know Your Weeds 300 different species in Wisconsin Pastures and Fields

21. Only a Handful Economically Significant • Yellow Foxtail Milkweed • Pigweed Ragweed Thistles • Spotted Knap Weed • Horsenettle Grassburs • Buffalo Burs and Sand Burs • Hoary Alyssum Crabgrass

22. Life Cycle • Annual: Seed germinates, plant grows, flowers and seeds out in one growing season (crabgrass) • Biennial: Seed germinates, plant grows, then reproduces in following year (onion) • Perennial: Seed germinates, and plant lives and reproduces for several years (bermudagrass)

23. Basic Principle • Starve the weed, feed the crop • Spray annual weeds when they are young and actively growing • Spray perennial weeds when they are at full leaf or fruit set

24. Labeled Herbicides • 2,4-D: annual broadleaf • Banvel: Weedmaster • Picloram: Grazon P+D • Sulfanyl Urea: Ally, Amber • specific weed tolerance and susceptibility • Roundup: new uses • Zorial: only labeled pre-emerge

25. Summary • Weed management • Weed Identification • Integrated management

26. Lieberg’s Law of Limits

27. Chemical Soil pH Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Secondary Micronutrients Physical Texture Structure Infiltration rate Utility Aesthetics Crop selectivity Soil Fertility

28. Nutrient removed (lbs./ac) by grazing and hay production.

29. Fertility Management • Potassium: Tricky • Grazing: limited • Hay: depletion • First indication: Winter kill • Late application may be more important • examine roots in late summer • fertilize for Ryegrass Requirements

30. Fertility Management • Soil pH: • limits nutrient availability • Cool season more intolerant • Ryegrass/small grains: pH>5.8 • Clover • pH<7: crimson, arrowleaf, subterranean, lespedeza • pH>7:alfalfa, berseem, sweetclover, vetch, medics (?)

31. Fertility Management • Secondary: Ca, Mg, S. • Ca, Mg: adjust with lime • Sulfur becoming more important • Micronutrients: Zn, Cu, others • pH regulates • pH<5.5: Zn, Cu, others • pH>7.5: Fe, others • manure: build up of Cu

32. Summary • Maximum response • Nitrogen • Potassium • Forage requirement • Nutrient use • Crop Compatibility • Manage for cool season

33. Quality Hay Characteristics • High digestibility • High nutrient content • High palatability • Easily consumed • Free of toxic materials • Easily handled

34. Factors in Purchasing Hay • Chemical Analysis • Protein • Digestibility • other nutrients • Physical Factors • Anti-quality Factors: • toxins: fescue, sorghum, kleingrass • dust, etc.

35. Physical Factors Affecting Quality Hay • Stage of Maturity: younger is better • Foreign Material: • Dust, mold, etc. • Metal, Toxic weeds • Insects (blister beetles) • Texture: softer is better • Leafiness: more leaf, more digestible • Color: buyer factor

36. How Much Hay Will Your Horse Eat Per Year • Horse Weight x 2.2% of Body Weight (1100x 2.2=25 lbs) • Number of days feed hay: 180 x 25=4,500 lbs • Small Square Bales(40 lbs) per year • 4,500 divided by 40 lbs = 113 bales • Round bales or Big Squares per year at 800lbs • 4,500 divided by 800=6 large bales per year

37. How Much Will Your Hay CostSmall Squares Price Per Bale Price Per Ton 40 lbs 60 lbs 80 lbs Bale Weight, lbs

38. How Much Will Your Hay CostBig Bales(Round or Square) Price Per Bale Price Per Ton 600 lbs 800 lbs 1000 lbs Bale Weight, lbs

39. CONSUMPTION REQUIREMENTS % BODY WEIGHT CONSUMPTION Forage Concentrate Total Mature Horse  Maintenance 1.5-2.0 0-0.5 1.5-2.0 Young Horses  Nursing foal, 3 months 0 1.0-2.0 2.5-3.5 Weaning foal, 6 months 0.5-1.0 1.5-3.0 2.0-3.5 Yearling foal, 12 months 1.0-1.5 1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0 Long Yearling, 18 months 1.0-1.5 1.0-1.5 2.0-2.5 Two Year old, 24 months 1.0-1.5 1.0-1.5 2.0-2.5

40. Horse Requirements • Nutrient Research Council Sets Standards • Horse Status Digestible Energy Crude Protein

42. Hay-Alfalfa vs Grass • Is There a Difference In Grass Vs Legumes?? • Should I feed Grain??? • Is Hay Enough????

43. COMMON FEEDSTUFF % DM Mcal/# % Protein Alfalfa 90 .94 18 Brome 89 .80 11 Orchard 88 .85 11 Straw 91 .70 4 Oats 89 1.3 12 Corn 88 1.5 9

44. Balancing a Rationworksheet meeting requirementsNeeds: MC ProteinWorking Horse 28 2.8Brome Hay .80 .11(feed 15 lbs) 12 Mc 1.2 lbsNEEDED 16 Mc 1.6 lbs

45. Balancing A RationGrain Mix(50% corn x 50% Oat) Needs 16Mc 1.6 lbs Ration 1.4/lb 10.5%Amount= 16/1.4=11.4 lbs11.4x10.5=1.2Balancing 0 Short .4Need .4 lbs proteinSource 1 lb of Soybean mealIncrease amounts fed by 10% of DM

46. Balancing a Rationworksheet meeting requirementsNeeds: MC ProteinMaintenance 16.4 1.6Alfalfa/Brome Hay .87 .145(feed 20 lbs) 17.4c 2.9 lbsNEEDED 16 Mc 1.6 lbs