Good quality hay is a main supply for your goats. Figuring out what to look for when choosing hay can be difficult at first. When we first looked for hay for our goats, we didn’t know anything about hay. It’s easy to assume that hay is just hay. But, in reality hay comes in many different qualities. It is especially important particularly if you are feeding goats or horses (which can be sensitive to certain things) to know how to choose a high quality hay.
Here are a few tips to lead you in choosing hay:
1. Dry. You want to make sure that the hay you purchase has been kept dry. Hay that has not been kept protected from the elements may very well have gotten wet and rained on. Wet hay will mold. Mold can be very dangerous for goats and other animals.
2. Dust-free. Of course, there will be a small amount of dust possible in your hay. But, overall, when choosing hay you want the hay to be as dust-free as possible. Dust can actually be mold. Even if it is not mold, dust is still not good for the animals. Many animals can have allergy problems from dusty hay.
3. Extra Junk. Make sure that the hay you choose does not have excess debris, foreign plants or other stuff in it that shouldn’t be there. You want to be sure that no poisonous plants are in the hay, no damaging insects/bugs. And also, if there is a bunch of junk in the hay, your animals are not going to eat those parts and it will lead to a lot of waste.
4. Not brittle. When choosing hay you want to be sure that the hay will be easy to eat and digest. If the hay breaks easily, then your animals will have more difficulty eating it and it will not be as appealing to them. Also, if the hay is all stems and not many leaves they will not like it as much and will waste a lot. Therefore, you want to get hay that is green, soft and a mix of leaves and stems.
Once you have your high quality hay, you will also want to make sure you have a nice hay feeder to put it in for your animals so that they can easily eat it!
For more information on daily care for goats check out “Getting Started with Goats” the eBook or “Getting Started Raising Goats” the eCourse.
Thanks for the tips for choosing hay. I have some farm animals, and I am trying to get them the best hay possible. I like that you mentioned that wet hay will mold, so it is important to buy hay that has been protected from water and damp. I will be sure to ask about this as I shop, thanks!