A few years ago we were unable to track down some T/A hay for a pony that cant be on coastal and we ended up with some hay that we LOVED - but no one can seem to tell me what type of hay it is. It was super green, very fine and soft, and smelled AHMAZING. It was not coastal, alfalfa, or timothy to my knowldge. I * thought * it was orchard grass. Since it was so delicate and easy to eat, I ordered a few bales of straight orchard from a hay guy for an elderly horse that can’t chew well. Much to my surprise, the orchard he sent down is nothing like this hay we had a few years back. Thanks to google - I can confirm that he indeed delivered orchard grass (nice bales too!) and my idea of what orchard grass was turned out to be completely wrong. This orchard looks similar to timothy - but greener and a little softer. The smell of the “orchard” we had in the past was deliciously sweet, and this new orchard smells like great hay but not sweet or delicious or anything. I am at a loss.
Brome? Or perhaps a third cutting of orchard?
The fineness or coarseness of hay is going to depend a great deal on what stage of growth it is cut at. In my region at least (PNW), first cut hay is much coarser, because the wet springs mean the grass starts growing in Feburary, but is already very mature with flower tops and even seed heads by the time the weather is dry enough to cut hay, in May or June. Second cut is much finer, as it grows back fast in June and July, and is cut at a “younger” age. And some years we even get third cut. Hay off the same field can look very different between cuttings, and the nutritional profile can be very different too.
The hay season is going to be different in different climate zones, but the basic fact always applies that the same kind of hay will look very different depending on its maturity when cut.
Your earlier batch of hay may or may not have been orchard grass, but it was clearly cut at an immature stage (fine, green, sweet-smelling), what in my region we’d expect from very nice second cut hay. Your next batch of hay sounds like it is more mature in stage, what we’d expect from a first cut hay. Especially as I assume you identified it by the characteristic flower tops/seed heads. I bet your earlier batch of hay didn’t have these, right?
Even young timothy can be quite fine textured. You don’t of course see the flower or seed heads on the grass, so you don’t always trust that it is timothy, though!
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Brome? Or perhaps a third cutting of orchard?[/QUOTE]
Brome has fairly wide blades even in the immature plant. Here, fine, soft and sweet hay is generally what we call redtop which, if cut at the right stage is vibrant green and has a sweet, spicy smell. Crested wheat also produces a fine, soft hay if cut early enough
Hay quality has very little to do with species. It’s more about when and how it is cut and cured.
Freshly baled common Bermuda smells good and is fine stemmed. Coastal Bermuda is a different hay. Some native grasses make nice hay, too. If you have any that still carries seed, you can take a picture of it and take it to the ag services office (if you have one). Or you could past it here; somebody will probably know what it is.
i was thinking it might be orchard, but a different cutting than you got. First is usually the coarsest.
Chances are you had a 2nd or later cutting on the hay you are trying to find again. I am wondering if it could have been a variety of Brome maybe? We have a small field of that and all my animals go crazy for it when I get to those bales.
It is very soft and the blades are wide with no long stalks. I wish we had more…
Teff, Fescue and Bermuda grass leaves will curl as it dries so it appears to be very fine because tbe leaves do not dry flat. But fescue tends to be tougher and less palatable than Teff. Teff is an annual, seems to have less stem and in general is pretty palatable. I have some very fine and soft 2nd cut Teff right now that is what you described. Orchard, Timothy hy and brome leaves all dry flat. Brome is REALLY well liked and bas less stem. Good value per lb.
Is it possible to soak what you have to make it easier to chew?
