Hay Test Results - Help Deciphering?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Got my suppliers hay test results back from UT recently - had their Mixed Grass Hay and their Bermuda tested. I know to look for NSC and protein values - but not sure what the other values tell me. Based on tests we are going with the Bermuda for this winter due to the higher protein and lower NSC… unless someone sees something in these results that is a huge reg flag or something? TIA

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Mixed Grass Results.pdf (102 KB)

Bermuda Results.pdf (101 KB)

[JB]

Mixed grass:

ADF (measure of digestibility) of 30-35% is good, above 40 is getting too indigestible.
NDF (measure of palatability) of 40-50% or so for grass hays is good, it gets less tasty after that, and above 65% or so is likely to be really icky. Protein isn’t terrible, assuming enough was consumed, NSC isn’t terrible, so this might be a good hay for a non-picky metabolic horse who needs something to chew on, and where you can make up nutrition elsewhere. But with an NDF of 70, even they might not eat it LOL

Bermudagrass:

ADF and NDF are also high. Protein is better, NSC isn’t much different (12.79 vs 11.02), the Bermuda has a bit lower starch which is good, all else equal.

Both are pretty overly mature hays, and that 70% NDF makes it questionable whether they’ll eat it

As expected, iron is high relative to copper and zinc so you’ll want to make sure you get things in the range of 4-10:1:3 by supplementing, even after taking into account whatever feed you’re using. If you’re just using a v/m supplement, California Trace is a good option - good cu/zn without added iron. If you’re using a balancer or regular feed, then adding cu/zn separately may be needed.

What type of horses? I wouldn’t feed either of these to a horse who is growing, breeding, or working hard, or just assume you’re going to have to do a lot of nutritional supplementation

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Thanks @JB. All three are pasture ornaments - and are seniors (19, 25 & 28). They are all eating the grass hay now and are hoovering it up (so maybe they aren’t very picky eaters? lol). It’s summer, so they don’t get much - but the 19 yr old is on dirt paddock and can no longer have pasture in summer so he’s getting the most daily. Pony shares paddock at night and eats a little. Senior horse in his own pasture gets his rack filled once a week - but he has a 4 acre pasture all to himself. I wanted to test it with him to make sure he didn’t quid on it (which he is not).

Both hays are very fine stemmed and weed free (something hard to find these days in local hays).

All three are on ProElite Grass Advantage per recommended feeding instructions + Alfalfa pellets (1/2 lb-pony, 2lbs-19yo horse and 4lbs 28yo horse), + Omega HorseShine daily.

The farmer things the final cut of Bermuda will be better - there was a delay in getting the cut I had tested in, and as he noted, that will effect protein levels. May have basic test done on the final cut which gives me protein level (not the whole gamut of tests which is $50).

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Just got results on final cut of Bermuda from my hay supplier. Wow, what a difference in being able to put the hay up exactly when it needs to be done. Protein is much better. NSC about the same.

Protein - 16.40%
NSC - 11.34%

The Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) of the previous cut Bermuda was 78, this cut is 108.

The hay is very, very soft and fine stemmed and literally falls apart when you pick a flake up, Just like his hay was 2+ years ago before the weather got super wonky and rained constantly and that Bermuda virus swept much of TN.

Very happy to have a good hay for my horses this winter.

Bermuda II Results (2019).pdf (58.3 KB)

[JB]

16% protein? Wow - maybe ask for a nitrate analysis?

ADF (digestibility) is great. NDF (palatability) is on the high side, but that often doesn’t mean the same for horses as cows

Can you get a Mineral and Nitrate panel done?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Only had the $ to have the basic panel done. The whole shebang of tests is $50 - the basic panel I got was $17. So no more testing this year. But I wouldn’t expect nitrates to be much different from the previous cut. As he explained to me, the hay sat way past harvest time due to rain. This cutting that didn’t happen, and it was cut at peak time. No delays due to rain this time. But when I go pick up my next 21 bale bundle, I will ask about Nitrates.

Back when he got his hay tested annually, his Bermuda was typically around 14% protein, give or take. This is the first year he’s had a Bermuda crop since 2016. This is a new variety of Bermuda (for him), as the virus has basically killed all the special TN developed variety of Bermuda (which I can’t remember the name of right now, but I think it began with a “V”).

[JB]

Ok, that’s good that the protein is regularly up there. I wouldn’t worry then.