Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
impossible. In these areas, many hay producers are using organic acids to help
with curing.
Once it is baled, hay should be retrieved from the fi eld as quickly as pos-
sible (particularly for small square bales — the type most often used by shep-
herds) and then stored in the darkest part of the barn to preserve the vitamin
A content, which is depleted by exposure to sunlight. Careful storage is neces-
sary to avoid weather damage and nutrient loss. Exposure of the bales to rain
can not only leach out minerals but can also result in moldy hay, a cause of
abortion in ewes. If you have no barn, hay can be stored under tarps.
The lower the hay quality, the more you have to feed. Lots of heavy stems
in the hay mean that the sheep will eat less. A certain amount of hay is always
discarded: some is pulled out onto the ground and wasted (pile this in the
garden twice a year), and some is uneaten stems (take the clean ones out of
the feed rack for clean bedding for lamb pens). If you buy two different kinds,
or grades, of hay, save the best for the pregnant ewes. Late in a ewe's preg-
nancy, the hay she's fed must be of high quality, as the growth of the lamb will
crowd the ewe's stomach and leave little room for bulky low-nutritive feed.
The greener the hay, the higher the vitamin content.
Legumes, such as alfalfa and clover hay, are also high in calcium, magne-
sium, iron, and potassium. The protein content in legume hays varies from
12 percent to 20 percent, depending on what stage it is cut at (highest protein
yield occurs when it's cut young, or in the bud) and on its subsequent storage.
(Alfalfa got its name from an Arabic word meaning “best fodder,” which is
most appropriate.) But legumes can also be high in phytoestrogens, or plant-
based estrogen-type chemicals; these naturally occurring chemicals can inter-
fere with breeding. Red clover has the highest concentration, followed by
other clovers, and then by alfalfa, so it is usually best to not feed any clovers
and to reduce the percentage of alfalfa you feed during fl ushing and breeding
season (see Flushing, on page 272) for more information). Bird's-foot trefoil,
another legume, doesn't contain high concentrations of phytoestrogens, so it
is a great substitute if you can fi nd it or grow it. Legumes can also contain an
imbalance of calcium to phosphorus, which may result in urinary calculi (see
page 258), a particular problem for young males.
Our hay of choice throughout most of the year is a legume/grass mix. If
you can fi nd hay with 20 to 30 percent alfalfa, it is a perfect feed for the foun-
dation of your fl ock's feeding regimen most of the year. Use an appropriate
amount of grain to balance the ration according to season, age, and other
production criteria.
