Hay Options

Joel Lanier- Jacoby’s Feed Consultant

Fall weather is around the corner, you might need to tweak your roughage to match the season and maturity of your show lambs/goats. First of all, hay feeding is a must. Hay, in addition to your feed and mineral program, will keep your animal’s digestive tract in proper health and function. Add a small amount of alfalfa to the hay if you’re currently feeding sorghum, wheat or Bermuda grass hay. Alfalfa is higher in protein and B Vitamins and will help with leanness and handling characteristics on sheep and goats that are starting to lay on fat.

*Hay recommendations by species:
*Sheep—wheat, oat, sorghum, alfalfa and Bermuda grass. *Goats—alfalfa, and wheat or oat hay
*Cattle—wheat, oat, sorghum, and Bermuda grass hay

“PRO TIP”—Different hays give your animal a different look over time.

• Sorghum, wheat and oat hay give the most spring of rib and fill in the upper rear flank with lots of body and volume in the animal’s general look.

• Alfalfa alone gives your animal a medium fill down low with good upper fill in the rear flank—less spring of rib and a more tubular look

• Bermuda grass hay lays low in the rumen and will give animals a more lower fill in the middle and rear flank with a more sunken appearance in the upper flank

  Always pack two different hays when you head out to the shows so you can customize your fill for the show ring. Thanks, and good luck with your show stock!