Selecting Quality Hay

Factors that influence hay quality:

1) Maturity at time of harvest is one of the most important factors that influence the
     hay's quality. The more mature the hay is, the higher the level of indigestible fiber
     the hay contains.

2) Whether the hay is grass or legume hay. Legume hays include alfalfa, clover and
     lespedeza. Grass hays include Bermuda grass, timothy, bromegrass, Kentucky
     bluegrass, prairie grass, fescue (fescues that are not endophyte-free can cause
     reproductive problems), orchard grass and cereal grasses.

3) How fertile the land is and if the land was fertilized to increase yield or not.

4) Under what climate conditions that hay was raised. Excessive moisture or drought
     can affect indigestible fiber levels. Cool temperatures, drought, salinity and lack of
     essential nutrients can increase sugar levels.

5) How long ago the hay was cut. Hay that has been stored over six months will
     have lower vitamin content.

6) Storage conditions of the hay. Hay that has been rained on or left out in sunlight will
     have a depleted vitamin content.

Appearance of good quality hay:

Good quality hay will have a high leaf-to-stem ratio, stems of small diameter, smell and look fresh, appear clean (free of debris, few weeds, little to no dust), have good color and very few seed heads or blooms.

What to look at on a hay test:

1) Available Crude Protein should be at least 9 to 10 percent to meet most
     maintenance horse requirements. (Grain or supplements can make up for
     lower protein hay).

2) Relative Feed Value (RFV) is one of the first indicators of quality hay. For a high
     quality hay the RFV is over 100.

3) Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) stands for mostly indigestible fibers and some
     digestible fibers. If the ADF is in the mid 20s, the hay may not contain
     enough fiber to be suitable for horses. As the ADF increases, the digestibility
     and palatability of the hay decreases. A normal range of ADF is about 35
     to 40. The more mature the hay is at cutting, the higher the ADF will be.

4) Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) stands for digestible fibers and includes the ADF. As
     the NDF increases, the digestibility and palatability of the hay decreases. A normal
     range for NDF is about 55 to 70.

What doesn't indicate quality hay?

1) Crude Protein (not Available Crude Protein) is a poor way to judge quality hay
     because crude protein does not give the quality of the protein and nitrogen (N) in
     the hay, or indicate where the protein will be digested. The protein needs to be
     digested in the stomach or small intestine of the horse for the horse's body to be
     able to use the protein.

a. Example: "In one study, the digestibility of N (nitrogen or protein) in high quality
     alfalfa in the upper tract was only 37 percent although apparent total tract
     digestibility was 74 percent" (Forages for Horses. Power Point Presentation.
     Katie Young, Ph.D., March 2005).

2) Crude Fiber also doesn't indicate hay quality. Crude Fiber doesn't tell whether the
     fiber in the hay is digestible or indigestible for horses, and varies upon retesting.