It grows best in well drained soils has rapid regrowth and is palatable.
Best grass for hay for cattle.
So base your choice primarily on how you plan to use it.
Orchard grass dactylis spp is a perennial grass with fibrous roots that can be used for both pasture grass or hay.
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Lucerne or alfalfa is another very good option for high quality horse hay.
Double barrel brome grass and double barrel orchardgrass both are cool season grasses suitable for making hay.
It can be confusing because there are six different types of major summer annual forage grasses sudangrass sorghum sudan hybrids forage sorghum which we often call cane or sorgo foxtail millet pearl millet and teff.
For best quality hay should be cut just as.
Hay for sheep and cattle the best mixtures for hay are usually longer term ones such as early bite sheep and hay ley and milk meat cut or graze which contain perennial and hybrid ryegrasses.
It grows in usda zones 5 through 8.
Brome grass does well in arid climates and marginal soil conditions.
Orchardgrass is considered more palatable than brome grass and requires better soil and more active management.
Bermuda grass is common in the south and university of florida foraging expert glen burton consider it an excellent crop for achieving high yields especially in dairy operations.
Shutterstock hay for cattle.
However when it becomes mature palatability rapidly declines.
Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Alfalfa is also a good winter feed because heat is created by digestion of protein so a horse can keep warmer on a cold night.
Bermuda grass is also made easily into hay for winter grazing making it a popular crop for year round production.
Legume hay is known for its high protein and calcium levels as well being rich in vitamins and minerals.
Orchardgrass this grass is good for pasture hay and silage.
It is very productive bunch type grass that responds well to good management.
As grain prices continue to be high the better our forage stands yield high quality forage the more we can reduce our need for expensive grain.
Research has shown that stand of 2 3 alfalfa and 1 3 grass can out yield a pure stand of either grass or alfalfa by as much as 40 50.
