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Tips for Providing/Buying Quality Feed for Livestock

Dan Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Livestock, Pasture, Sheep-Goats, This Land of Ours

Some tips for providing/buying quality feed for your livestock. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

livestock

Buying hay can be challenging. Especially if you’re buying from a seller online, sight unseen.  Here are some tips to help you what to look for.

When it comes to color, the best quality hay will be a silver-green, while a deeper green will show that a bale of hay was in storage for quite a while. Brown hay, on the other hand, is hay that was cut far later in the season or allowed to dry too much.

Storage length can affect the hay’s nutritional value. It’s not just the length of time that matters, either, but the conditions. It’s important to understand which cutting your hay came from because each is quite different.

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The location of where hay comes from is vital, especially if you are feeding alfalfa hay. Blister beetles, for instance, are common in many portions of the United States. Blister beetles are extremely toxic to horses and even just a handful can kill a horse.

Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.

Tips for Providing-Buying Quality Feed for Livestock