anyone heard of "crabgrass" hay

[kaprikorn]

Hi,

I went to pick up some more hay today and we got to talking about various hays and using orchard grass for pregnant mares the last trimester. . . etc. He said that he had Quarter Horse breeders using crabgrass hay??? Never heard of this. . .looks like orchard. He had some pretty crabgrass hay.

Does anyone know anything about this kind of hay and problems it might cause?

 

[chandab]

The only crabgrass I know of is considered a weed (still a grass plant, but a weed), never heard of it being made into hay.

 

[Marty]

OMG I could write an essay on what happened to me and crabgrass hay during our drought a couple years back......but don't get scared, I won't. Short version is They showed me a couple bales of orchard grass. I said "yes please". So I paid for the orchard grass and came home with crabgrass. They played the old switcheroo on me when loading it on my truck, and I didn't realize it until I got home. They duped me. Come home, unloaded it, thought it didn't look right, opened it up to find that it was pure crabgrass junk and get this: was loaded with deadly nightshade. My friend who was with me had it tested for us. Crabgrass is nothing but a darn weed. Has no nutritional value whatsoever. Its crap.

 

[Charlotte]

can somebody delete this? I can't make it go away.

 

[Charlotte]

I've not had any experience with crabgrass hay, but have used it for grazing for years. You can buy the seed for it. I've never had a problem from grazing it, but have never investigated it a whole lot.

I would think if you just made sure that it was properly cured and baled like any grass hay you would be ok, but do an internet search for crabgrass hay and see what you come up with.

I've been lucky that it reseeds itself quite well.

It's considered a 'weed' in lawns, but then so are dandelions which can be so pretty and horses love to eat them so a weed is just a plant in a place where it's not wanted.

just found this very good article.

Crabgrass hay/forage, U of FL

 

[kaprikorn]

Thanks for the article, very interesting.

 

[Marty]

Mine too Charlotte. I've got it in two of my smaller fields for grazing every spring and all over my front lawn and in the yard. Makes for pretty scenery. My friend here told me she baled her crabgrass out of desperation for her arabs back during drought and now she thinks its the best thing since the wheel and is feeding it exclusively. Not me. I'm not paying for it as hay. ugh

 

[Mareish Mom]

There's a lot of crabgrass in my fields and the horses eat it up with the other grasses. Never seen it cultivated for hay though.