By: Chuck Schwartau, Regional Extension Educator – Ag Production- Dairy (based in Goodhue County)
Buying Horse Hay
This is the time of year a lot of horse owners are putting hay in the barn for the winter, or thinking to themselves, ”I need to get at securing my winter hay supply.” It is one of those jobs often put off until the last minute if you only have one or two horses to feed. Buying horse hay is a bit more complex than just buying a load of bales and thinking the job is done, however.
Extension agronomists in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan have written an excellent publication that can help horse owners purchase the right hay for the horses being fed.
This 4-state publication provides comprehensive and practical tips on what to look for in hay for horses. It includes sections on myths of feeding horses, nutrient needs of horses, selecting quality hay, toxicity problems with hay, purchasing, transporting, and storing hay. Also included is a "Hay checklist" that provides a list of important items to consider before buying hay.
The 16 page bulletin can be purchased through local county extension offices at a cost of $3.00 plus shipping and handling. In the Minnesota publications catalog, it is listed as “Buying Horse Hay”, item number BU-07750.
Chuck Schwartau is an educator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service in Ag Production – Dairy serving SE District that includes Blue Earth County. He can be reached at 1- 651-385-3100 or 1-800-385-3101.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.