Questions about Timothy Hay?

Arabians4ME · 03-07-2007, 05:23 AM

Does anyone feed a large amount of Timothy? We are getting into some of our first cutting hay crop from a field that is majority of timothy. I would says it's 50/50 timothy and orchard grass. Lovely hay and actually when tested came back about the same in calories but 12% protein. I was really surprised! Anyhow my herd will NOT eat the Timothy. They seem to eat the heads of it off and leave the rest.

Here's my questions.

Does anyone else have this problem?

We are planning to seed drill hay fields and pastures next week and I am wanting to either switch to another grass that goes well with Orchard or try a different type of Timothy. I'm not sure if there is though. I haven't looked in my ag book yet. Do you have suggestions as to what would be a good seed to replace it with?

or any other info would be great!

MelissaH · 03-07-2007, 05:31 AM

I feed bermuda in the pm and straight Timothy in the pm. But my timothy does not have any of the heads in it. My horses don't like it. I recently got a orchard/timothy mix.

It's funny that yours eat the heads and mine hate them. Can you get timothy without all the heads/etc in it?

tightpaycheck · 03-07-2007, 05:36 AM

All I can get is timothy, so I feed it. All mine will eat it, but then again, my guys will eat straw if I use it for bedding. My new horse was on an alfalfa mix, and she wouldn't touch the timothy when I got her. But after a few days she decided it is better than starving to death, and she eats it now.

whiteraven · 03-07-2007, 05:43 AM

My horses love a timothy/orchard grass mix. Right now all I can get is bermuda/orchard grass with some johnson grass (whatever that is) mixed in... I think they leave a bit of that. But then my horses are hay eating machines!

Vix · 03-07-2007, 05:56 AM

Our guys love a nice timothy/alfalfa/grass mix hay, its their favorite. The only time they won't eat it is when those maroonish dark weeds are in it (can never remember the name of them, but they're horrible things, grow everywhere). Maybe there was another weed or type of grass mixed in there that could have been bitter?

Horses can be so picky...

Arabians4ME · 03-07-2007, 06:00 AM

No this hay is very clean and has no weeds. It's sprayed yearly for weeds and my FIL goes through and will dig up any weed in it. SO I know that it's not weedy. He takes really good care of it up until it's too tall to walk through.by then we are bout to cut anyway so there's nothing much in it.

Is everyone's Timothy stemmy and a lot like straw?

SalemsMom · 03-07-2007, 06:12 AM

Timonthy should be cut before it gets the heads or it can become stemmy if you wait to long,our horses eat it with orchard grass and they love it,but the timonthy is cut before it gets stemmy.

BettyBootsy · 03-07-2007, 06:27 AM

We had a semi load of Timothy/Alfalfa mix shipped in from MD. It's awesome!

Sue B · 03-07-2007, 06:35 AM

Timothy or timothy mixed with orchard is a common hay areound here. I just switched this winter from local grass mixes to a mostly timothy/orchard mix. I was very hesitant because these are the two grasses that are highest in NSC and I have insulin resistant horses. However, I can honestly say that they have done better on this hay then they ever did on the lesser quality grass hays.

I agree....timothy should be cut before it heads. This seems to be common here. My neighbor fees straight timothy and also looking at mine....neither have heads. And, no it is not stemmy at all...it is a rather soft, finer type hay. The tests on mine were also high in protein (average 11%),

What you options would be will depend on location and climate. The one thing I would not do is plant something that is geared toward high traffic....such as Blue Grass....these grasses are designed to be excessively high in sugars so that they will sustain through drought and heavy grazing/use. This also makes them dangerous for srping and fall grazing. Check out some of the info on www.saftergrass.org for suggestions on planting "horse friendly" pastures and hay lots.

Arabians4ME · 03-07-2007, 07:37 AM

I'f I think about it I'll try and get a good picture of it today. With the season that we had last year hay was cut late because of weather. Otherwise it wouldn't have had heads. Sorry I should have mentioned that. However not all my timothy is like that but it's seems as though no matter the timothy they are not going to eat it.

Would pictures help?

03-07-2007, 05:23 AM	#1
Arabians4ME Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Blountville, TN Posts: 4,353 Images: 1176	Questions about Timothy Hay? Does anyone feed a large amount of Timothy? We are getting into some of our first cutting hay crop from a field that is majority of timothy. I would says it's 50/50 timothy and orchard grass. Lovely hay and actually when tested came back about the same in calories but 12% protein. I was really surprised! Anyhow my herd will NOT eat the Timothy. They seem to eat the heads of it off and leave the rest. Here's my questions. Does anyone else have this problem? We are planning to seed drill hay fields and pastures next week and I am wanting to either switch to another grass that goes well with Orchard or try a different type of Timothy. I'm not sure if there is though. I haven't looked in my ag book yet. Do you have suggestions as to what would be a good seed to replace it with? or any other info would be great! __________________ Jamie Unttouchable, Muscaskaia, Kararose, Karizmuh, Anteiaa's Legacy, Cassie, Rebel, Pete, Tab, Romance, Penny, and Ace!

03-07-2007, 05:31 AM	#2
MelissaH Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 5,104 Images: 163 Blog Entries: 4	I feed bermuda in the pm and straight Timothy in the pm. But my timothy does not have any of the heads in it. My horses don't like it. I recently got a orchard/timothy mix. It's funny that yours eat the heads and mine hate them. Can you get timothy without all the heads/etc in it? __________________ So unless your normal riding route is a haven for wild tarps on the loose or domesticated tarps that someone has let off their leash, I'd give poor Dubie a break and let him have his one phobia.~Liz

03-07-2007, 05:43 AM	#4
whiteraven Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 439 Images: 36	My horses love a timothy/orchard grass mix. Right now all I can get is bermuda/orchard grass with some johnson grass (whatever that is) mixed in... I think they leave a bit of that. But then my horses are hay eating machines! __________________ "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion." - Ralph Waldo Emerson http://www.ashelynmorgans.com

03-07-2007, 05:56 AM	#5
Vix Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 2,367 Images: 328 Blog Entries: 5	Our guys love a nice timothy/alfalfa/grass mix hay, its their favorite. The only time they won't eat it is when those maroonish dark weeds are in it (can never remember the name of them, but they're horrible things, grow everywhere). Maybe there was another weed or type of grass mixed in there that could have been bitter? Horses can be so picky... __________________ May the horse be with you.

03-07-2007, 06:00 AM	#6
Arabians4ME Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Blountville, TN Posts: 4,353 Images: 1176	No this hay is very clean and has no weeds. It's sprayed yearly for weeds and my FIL goes through and will dig up any weed in it. SO I know that it's not weedy. He takes really good care of it up until it's too tall to walk through.by then we are bout to cut anyway so there's nothing much in it. Is everyone's Timothy stemmy and a lot like straw? __________________ Jamie Unttouchable, Muscaskaia, Kararose, Karizmuh, Anteiaa's Legacy, Cassie, Rebel, Pete, Tab, Romance, Penny, and Ace!

03-07-2007, 05:36 AM	#3
tightpaycheck Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NE PA Posts: 1,808 Images: 2	All I can get is timothy, so I feed it. All mine will eat it, but then again, my guys will eat straw if I use it for bedding. My new horse was on an alfalfa mix, and she wouldn't touch the timothy when I got her. But after a few days she decided it is better than starving to death, and she eats it now.

03-07-2007, 06:12 AM	#7
SalemsMom Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,780 Images: 6	Timonthy should be cut before it gets the heads or it can become stemmy if you wait to long,our horses eat it with orchard grass and they love it,but the timonthy is cut before it gets stemmy.

03-07-2007, 06:27 AM	#8
BettyBootsy Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 3,175 Images: 87	We had a semi load of Timothy/Alfalfa mix shipped in from MD. It's awesome!

03-07-2007, 06:35 AM	#9
Sue B Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3,824 Images: 6	Timothy or timothy mixed with orchard is a common hay areound here. I just switched this winter from local grass mixes to a mostly timothy/orchard mix. I was very hesitant because these are the two grasses that are highest in NSC and I have insulin resistant horses. However, I can honestly say that they have done better on this hay then they ever did on the lesser quality grass hays. I agree....timothy should be cut before it heads. This seems to be common here. My neighbor fees straight timothy and also looking at mine....neither have heads. And, no it is not stemmy at all...it is a rather soft, finer type hay. The tests on mine were also high in protein (average 11%), What you options would be will depend on location and climate. The one thing I would not do is plant something that is geared toward high traffic....such as Blue Grass....these grasses are designed to be excessively high in sugars so that they will sustain through drought and heavy grazing/use. This also makes them dangerous for srping and fall grazing. Check out some of the info on www.saftergrass.org for suggestions on planting "horse friendly" pastures and hay lots. __________________ Save a Horse - www.saveahorse.org December 13th - National Day of the Horse September 19th - International Talk Like a Pirate Day www.talklikeapirate.com

03-07-2007, 07:37 AM	#10
Arabians4ME Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Blountville, TN Posts: 4,353 Images: 1176	I'f I think about it I'll try and get a good picture of it today. With the season that we had last year hay was cut late because of weather. Otherwise it wouldn't have had heads. Sorry I should have mentioned that. However not all my timothy is like that but it's seems as though no matter the timothy they are not going to eat it. Would pictures help? __________________ Jamie Unttouchable, Muscaskaia, Kararose, Karizmuh, Anteiaa's Legacy, Cassie, Rebel, Pete, Tab, Romance, Penny, and Ace!

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