What is hay and What types are there?
Hay is simply dried grass we feed our livestock.
Technically Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing animals such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to smaller animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. Pigs may be fed hay, but they do not digest it as efficiently as fully herbivorous animals.
So how many types of hay are there and which type is the best to feed my animals? There are many types of forage that are grown for hay production. Choosing the best type of hay to feed your animals depends on the type of animal and what their purpose is. Horses who spend much of their time in stalls don’t need hay with as much crude protein as a horse who is running barrels. Beef cattle wouldn’t require hay with as much crude protein as dairy cattle that are being milked multiple times per day. Explore a list of many of the most common forages grown to produce hay below.