There are many types of Bermuda grasses. All of them originated
in Africa with Giant Bermuda being high on the feeding scale in regards
to digestibility.
Coastal
Bermuda can cause impaction. Coastal
hay is excellent pasture feed. It has a tendency to be ropy if
baled mature and this can cause impaction. It is considered empty
calories if not cut young and fertilized properly.
The
Cuttings and Harvesting: Giant
Bermuda Hay is nutritious when cut and baled for horses with proper
management and fertilizer program. Giant Bermuda is usually cut and
baled for horses on a consistent monthly cycle. A swather cuts the
grass and arranges it in windrows. After the grass has dried, a
tractor pulling a baler collects the hay into bales. In most climates,
Bermuda is cut three to four times a year but is harvested up to
6 to 8 times per year in Southern California. Yields vary with region,
weather, and the crop's stage of maturity and fertilizer management.
Bale sizes: There
are several types of bales commonly used for Bermuda hay. For small
animals and individual horses, the Bermuda is baled into small "square" bales
— actually rectangular, and typically about 14 in x 18 in x 38 in. Small
square bales weigh from 50 – 70 pounds and can be easily hand separated
into "flakes." Cattle ranches use large round bales, typically
4 to 6 feet in diameter and weighing from 1000 to 2000 lb.
Giant Bermuda is Recommended: We
often recommend Giant Bermuda in conjunction with alfalfa for back
yard horses and horses in training programs. Giant Bermuda hay is excellent
for foundered and obese horses. Giant Bermuda hay is a good choice
for horses that require a low protein and calcium diet, and it is a
good choice for ponies and donkeys. We recommend Giant Bermuda hay
for horses that are confined to a stable and have created bad habits
as a keep busy hay.
Bermuda hay is not recommended for:
Horses that are impaction prone, and are underweight.
Horses are pasture animals. Their normal activities include grazing
anywhere from 10-15 hours a day, Problems can arise in horses that are
confined to stalls for long periods of time.
• Kicking: Stabled
horses may resort to kicking due to boredom or hunger. Horses that
learn to kick can quickly destroy your stable. One way to decrease
this kicking behavior is free feeding Giant Bermuda or Timothy hay
on the ground so your horse can be as close to his natural state as
possible.
• Box walking: A
Horse will continuously walk around their stall in circles due to boredom.
This causes damage to ligaments and joints. To decrease this behavior
offer more turn out time. If your horse must be in a stall, we recommend
free feeding Giant Bermuda or Timothy hay for additional chewing time & offer
toys.
• Cribbing: Often
caused by boredom, horses will set their incisors into a horizontal object,
arch their neck and pull backwards, swallowing air. This causes a release
of endorphins and can be very addictive. Cribbing can lead to weight
loss, gastric colic, and excessive tooth wear. We recommend free feeding
Giant Bermuda or Timothy because of the extended chewing time. It will
help keep them busy and closer to their natural state.
The Advantages
of Giant Bermuda hay
- Giant Bermuda hay is recommended by Veterinarians
- Giant Bermuda hay is the perfect hay for
the equine athlete
- Giant Bermuda hay can be fed as a complete diet
- Giant Bermuda hay is Blister beetle free
- Giant Bermuda hay is more digestible than
coastal bermuda hay and does not burn calories to digest.
- Giant Bermuda hay is perfect for horses that
are protein sensitive
- Giant Bermuda hay can be free fed and help bad
stall habits
- Giant Bermuda hay is excellent for foundered
horses
- Giant Bermuda hay is excellent for horses that
are obese
- Giant Bermuda hay is excellent for horses that
are allergic to legume hays
Feeding recommendations:
When
changing any horses diet we recommend consulting your veterinarian.
Generally speaking, give 2.5% forage / feed per 100# of body total
body weight per day. All horses have different needs, So, a 1,000
pound horse would have 25 pounds of hay. This varies greatly, depending
on the amount of work the horse is asked to do, and on the type of
hay that is fed. It is best to allow horses to eat free-choice hay
throughout the day to promote the health of their digestive systems.
Horses need minerals. It is an excellent
choice.
Free feed loose minerals as their body requires.
Hay or grass is
the foundation of the diet for all grazing animals. Hay is usually
fed to an animal in place of allowing the animal to graze on grasses
in a pasture, particularly in the winter or during times when drought
or other conditions make pasture unavailable.
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