Coastal hay is a type of Bermuda hay that has a reputation for increasing the risk of ileocecal impaction in horses. The belief that coastal hay causes impactions has been around for a long time, and in some cases might be true; however, Bermuda hay can make excellent forage for horses.

Can horses eat coastal hay?

Bermuda hay for horses is a common warm-season grass hay in the South of the United States. For hay, coastal grass is used, because its common counterpart does not reach the needed height. This hay is typically a good and less expensive alternative to orchard or timothy hay grass hay.

Can coastal hay cause colic?

Feeding large amounts of grain, even routinely, increases the chance of colic. The type of roughage fed can increase or decrease risk of colic. Very stemmy hay, like oat hay or coastal Bermuda grass hay, is more likely to cause impactions.

What kind of hay is bad for horses?

Alfalfa hay This legume hay is higher in protein than grass hay. However, it has high calcium to phosphorus ratio, which isn’t suitable for growing horses. Horses love the taste and might overeat, leading to obesity.

What is the difference between coastal and Bermuda hay?

Coastal Hay is a type of common bermuda grass hay. Coastal is a maintenance hay and can be fed free choice without fear of over consumption. Coastal usually contains 15% protein when fertilized properly. Haygrazer is typically a sorghum-sudan grass hybrid.

What is Texas coastal hay?

Coastal Hay is cut and dried Burmudagrass. Bermudagrass is a hearty grass that is abundant in the South. It is most common in states such as Texas and Florida because it grows well in warm temperatures with lots of moisture. This grass is not only used for hay, it is also a great grazing grass for horses and cattle.

What is coastal hay made from?

Coastal hay is normally just the native grasses that has been cut, dried and baled. Timothy is a grass that is generally fed to horses. Alfalfa is a legume that generally has good feed value. At times alfalfa can actually be to high in protein and feeding to much alfalfa to horse can be bad for them.

What is the most nutritious hay for horses?

Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to horses. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content.

What kind if hay is best for horses?

Grass Hay for Horses Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and timothy are all examples of common grasses used for hay. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it’s also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses.

What cut of hay is best for horses?

The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but first cutting is also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.

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Can horses eat Tifton 85 hay?

Tifton is beneficial to any horse. Many vets recommend horses that have weight, laminitis or founder issues to be on a diet strictly of Tifton due to its low sugar content. Tifton is also great for HYPP horses and can be one of the only hays that some HYPP horses do well on.

Can coastal bermuda be seeded?

Coastal Bermuda does NOT produce viable seed and has to be sprigged (vegetative variety). Giant Bermuda grass is a high quality grass excellent for horses and all other livestock.

Can horses get colic from eating hay?

A change in the type of hay may cause colic for many reasons. Hay of poor quality is often less digestible, predisposing to impaction. Changing types of hay as in alfalfa and bermuda, may be related to colonic pH changes resulting from calcium differences in the two hays.

Is Tifton better than Coastal?

As far as production, testing in Florida indicates that in general Tifton 85 yields more forage compared to coastal, is more digestible, has a lower sugar content, and is slightly higher in crude protein. Although it has thicker stems, the stems have higher fiber content that is more digestible.

Is Tifton 85 better than Coastal?

Research data from different southern states (Florida, Georgia, Texas) have shown that under similar cultural practices Tifton 85 is about 10% units higher in digestibility and also ranks higher than Coastal bermudagrass in crude protein concentration (1-5% units higher).

Is prairie hay good for horses?

Although grass hay is generally lower in protein and energy and higher in fiber than legume hay, this is, in part, what makes it a good choice for many adult horses. … Mature horses require 10 to 12 percent CP (crude protein) in their diets. Many native or prairie grass hays contain just 6 to 8 percent.

Is Bermuda hay bad for horses?

Bermuda hay is good for horses; it’s high in fiber which helps horses ingest food and absorb nutrients in their diet. However, a diet solely of Bermuda hay wouldn’t provide the necessary amount of protein or all the essential minerals and vitamins horses require.

Is Jiggs Bermuda hay good for horses?

Jiggs is a hybrid type of Bermuda developed at Texas A & M University. It is a leafier grass, easy to grow and a more nutritious hay for horses than common Coastal hay. Jiggs Bermuda will develop more crude protein and more digestible nutrients than common Bermuda. It will also have more calcium and phosphorus.

Is Tifton 44 hay good for horses?

Any species of forage can make acceptable hay for horses if it is harvested at the proper stage of maturity and put up correctly. … Ray notes that Tifton 85, Russell, Alicia, Coastal, and Tifton 44 are all excellent bermudagrass varieties for both pasture or hay production in Georgia.

How much does coastal hay cost?

Small Bales: Coastal: Delivered: Good: 9.00-10.00 per bale. Small Bales: Beardless Wheat: Premium: 10.00-11.00 per bale. CRP: Delivered: 80.00-125.00.

How do you grow coastal hay?

1. Plant only in moist, well-prepared, fertilized (500 lbs. …
2. Plant only pure, live sprigs as soon as possible after a rain.
3. Set sprigs erect with part deep to get moisture and tip showing above soil.
4. Control weeds. …
5. Fertilize by broadcasting 100 lbs N/A as soon as runners develop.
6. Graze lightly or cut hay first year.

How many bales of hay do you get per acre?

With an average bale weight of around 40 pounds (with our Abbriata small square baler or any of our mini round balers), that’s 100 bales to the acre for a first cutting. Our farm aside, we can offer some guidelines to consider when trying to predict the productivity of your hay fields.

What hay is best for older horses?

The horse needs to be able to chew and break down the hay, so select good-quality, soft hay that isn’t overly mature; it shouldn’t have thick, fibrous stalks. Coleman has found that mixed grass-legume hay, such as orchard-alfalfa or timothy-alfalfa, is often a good choice.

Why is alfalfa bad for horses?

Excess protein, like excess energy has been implicated as a cause of developmental orthopedic disease in growing horses. 3. Alfalfa hay contains too much calcium and/or magnesium a. The high calcium level causes a high calcium:phosphorus ratio which may contribute to developmental orthopedic disease b.

Is timothy or alfalfa better for horses?

Alfalfa hay is typically higher in protein and essential nutrients than timothy hay, making Alfalfa a better option for more active animals that need a high protein diet. Alfalfa also has more calories per pound than timothy, so it’s generally the preferred choice of sport horse owners.

What hay is best for Laminitic horses?

Forage: High quality grass hay is the ideal forage for a horse prone to laminitis.

Is green hay bad for horses?

Green. Without question, the most desirable color of hay is bright green. Greenness indicates the hay was not subjected to any adverse conditions during curing or storage, thereby suggesting the forage is nutritious and free of molds.

What is good quality hay?

Good quality hay should be bright green in color with little fading. A bleached, yellow, brown or black color may indicate aged hay, mold or poor storage conditions. Storage condition and age have a significant effect on vitamin content of hays.

Should horses have hay all time?

Conclusion. Horses don’t have to eat all the time, but having constant access to hay helps keep their digestive system working correctly. Allowing your horse to graze on pasture grass is safe and keeps them healthy. A healthy pasture provides all the nutrition horses need.

Is first or second cutting hay better for horses?

Because maturity of the grass at harvest dictates nutritional value, a late second cutting could be lower in nutritional value, while an early first cutting could be higher. Additionally, hay that sits on the field too long once it has been cut, or that gets wet, can leach nutrition before it gets baled.

What is legume hay?

In the United States, legume hays typically include alfalfa and clover. Grass hays include many varieties of grasses and can include the grain (oat) hays. … The energy content is also different between legume and grass hay. Legume hays contain more calories per pound than grass hay.