Farming is the backbone of most economies across the globe. Keeping livestock requires one to invest in the best hay and feeds for healthy growth. As a livestock farmer, you should be equipped with knowledge and skills on how to properly take care of your livestock. Buying quality hay is one of the areas that you need to invest in. The quality of hay that you buy for your livestock defines the quality of their health; hence you should go for the best in the market. In cattle farming, it is crucial that you buy the best hay and feeds as they help in increasing the volume of milk produced. Choosing the best hay and feeds for your livestock can be a confusing task unless you understand the aspects that you should check. The article herein is a comprehensive guide that will help you buy the best hay and feeds for your livestock.
First and foremost, you should establish the nutritional value of hay you intend to buy for your livestock. The quality of hay is usually defined by the amount of potent and vitamin. Just by visual inspection, you can tell if the hay has high nutritional value. Green hay is usually the best for livestock because of the high protein concentration and vitamin content. Therefore, you should be careful regarding the quality of hay and feeds that you intend to use in your livestock farming.
The next crucial aspect that you need to deliberate on before buying hay is the stem size. Good hay should have a stem that is soft and flexible for easy digestion. Hay with tough and inflexible stem might not be good for your livestock’s health. The best hay for your livestock is the one with thick and coarse stems. Thick and coarse stem means that the hay has matured, and this likely to affect the protein content. Also, you should check where the hay comes from. The region where the hay comes from can help you tell the possibility of blister beetles. Blister beetles are known to be toxic to horses.
Information regarding hay color is important when shopping for quality hay for your livestock. As mentioned earlier, green is always good because of its high nutritional value. However, that does not mean that yellow or beige hay might not benefit your livestock. Green hay is also preferred as it shows that it was not left in any harsh condition during storage or curing. The yellow coloration of hay is usually because of bleaching. Sun bleaching of hay can lead to the loss of nutrients. Also, you will realize that some hay is dark brown. Dark brown is a clear sign of heat damage because of extreme moisture content when baled. The use of dark brown hay is not encouraged since it might be affected by mold.
Finally, you should understand the moisture content before buying hay. The moisture content of hay is usually determined by the region in which it was grown. High moisture content might not be good since it can lead to the growth of mold. Therefore, if you want to get the best hay and feeds for your livestock, you should make your decision based on the above-discussed ideas.