Substitutes for hay?

[Dry Rot]

I suspect I am not the only one who has good hay but not enough of it. Any suggestions for making it go further or supplementing it before I break out the cheque book?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Barley straw

 

[matty]

We've put wheat straw in our ring feeders and give a small amount of hay twice daily to make it last longer.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

straw, or trashed hay if you can get it, my mate just had some tested and its come out better than meadow hay

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

@Forage Trader , go on you know you want to . [emoji849]

 

[General-Lee]

@Forage Trader , go on you know you want to . [emoji849]View attachment 717914

And using straw bales!

 

[mar]

I would buy rolled straights (rolled barley, maize) before I would buy silage, hay or straw. I was buying a mixture of mostly barley and maize for 210 euro a ton last year and the bales of silage cost 20 euro each to make. I done some rough calculation based on how long a bale lasted without meal and with meal and the meal worked out cheaper that the silage at 20 euro a bale.
If meal is a similar price this winter I will be feeding more even though I have enough silage. I will try and save as much silage as I can and cut less next year

 

[Ysgythan]

Alfalfa.

 

[TALDLONKTUP2]

Alfalfa.

I'll see your alfalfa and i'll raise you sugarcane!.......

 

[Bones]

Sugar beet

 

[scrubbuster]

Barley straw

OP is in same area is me. No barley straw to be had [emoji20]

 

[Dry Rot]

OP is in same area is me. No barley straw to be had [emoji20]

Can't be that scarce. Have a look at the field opposite the Hunting Hill road!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

OP is in same area is me. No barley straw to be had [emoji20]

Your profile says Ireland , anyway there is an Abundance of straw atm , haulage to Scotland not cheap mind , hay has priced itself off the market for anyone sane in mind , we cant compete with a man who visits his racehorses with a helicopter, thats not to say hes insane , just buying for different reasons

 

[Dry Rot]

Your profile says Ireland , anyway there is an Abundance of straw atm , haulage to Scotland not cheap mind , hay has priced itself off the market for anyone sane in mind , we cant compete with a man who visits his racehorses with a helicopter, thats not to say hes insane , just buying for different reasons

Easter Ross is the east side of Ross-shire, so Scottish Highlands, the bit above Inverness but below Caithness and Sutherland. Not far from where I believe the highest yields of grain were ever recorded for the UK!

I rather suspect there is plenty of straw up here too, just all squirrelled away waiting for a hard winter that may never come.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Easter Ross is the east side of Ross-shire, so Scottish Highlands, the bit above Inverness but below Caithness and Sutherland. Not far from where I believe the highest yields of grain were ever recorded for the UK!

I rather suspect there is plenty of straw up here too, just all squirrelled away waiting for a hard winter that may never come.

its a year of the haves and have not, strange some have plenty of fodder some have nothing and are planning to sell their stock, even long time established dairy herds

 

[Dry Rot]

I don't know much about cattle but apparently horses do have problems eating and digesting wheat straw which is high in lignin and cellulose. Though it can be fed (and used to be) when processed into chaff. I believe something on the same lines is true for feeding to cattle, but I don't really know. I was hoping this thread would produce some of the legendary TFF wisdom.

Apparently, wheat straw is the main constituent of the fancy stuff they sell in bags with a pretty picture on the side to ltttle girls with fat ponies. It's just been processed so it is more digestible and doesn't need so much chewing. A horse's digestion is fairly simple. They do need roughage to stimulate chewing which in turn stimuulates the production of saliva but get bunged up (colic/compaction) with too much. Ruminants, on the other hand, have a complicated stomach (four compartments) which means they can cope with roughage better by chewing a cud. It all seems a bit complicated and I'm still trying to get my head around it!

I'd have thought there would be plenty of substitutes for the grain element of feed for horses. Turnips? Chopped potatoes? Brewers grains? Hay and straw really seems to be only essential to provide roughage, but I could be wrong!

 

[scrubbuster]

Can't be that scarce. Have a look at the field opposite the Hunting Hill road!

Is it for sale though?

 

[Old Tip]

What are you feeding @Dry Rot, I would have thought brewers grains would be readily available in your neck of the woods.

 

[yellowbelly]

I'll see your alfalfa and i'll raise you sugarcane!.......

You must farm a lot farther south than I'd imagined

 

[Dry Rot]

Is it for sale though?

Seems to be on a self feed system!