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By BIRGITT THORNHILL
Extension Agent
Grass Hays
A large proportion of the hays produced in Virginia are grass hays or hays that contain a significant proportion of grass material. The feeding value of grass hay varies considerably and is primarily affected by stage of maturity and curing conditions. The effects of adverse curing conditions are serious in Virginia, but the changes that the hay undergoes in the curing process are much less of a concern for quality than is stage of maturity.
Delaying harvest of grasses past the boot stage of maturity can reduce energy digestibility (TDN) by as much as one percentage unit per day. The total protein content declines with maturity but the decline in the amount of protein is not as serious as the reduced protein digestibility. Animal feeding comparisons have shown that protein digestibility of fescue containing 13.5 percent total protein to be 71 percent as compared to 59 percent with the fescue contained 9.3 percent protein. In addition to actual nutrient losses, mature grasses are less palatable to cattle. The changes associated with maturity all affect animal performance, and significant changes are noted with as little as a week’s delay in harvest.
Even when fed solely for maintenance, hay quality can deteriorate to levels that are detrimental to cattle and that result in increased feed costs. If protein, either because of too low content or low digestibility, decreases to a critical point, cattle do, not con
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