Ask The Equine Nutritionist

Although I know there is a difference, nutritionally, between grass hays and alfalfa, is there any nutritional difference between a first cutting of grass hay and a second cutting, assuming that both cuts were done at the optimum time of growth for nutrition? Is there a difference for alfalfa first and second cutting? Which of these cuttings for each type of hay would be the most nutritional, (ie, for feeding a hard-keeper)?

There can be quite a difference between first and second cutting of the same hay crop. As they can a very different stages of the plants growth cycle.

As the grass plant grows during the spring, it will lay down cellulose and then indigestible lignin in the leaves and stems as they develop; finally the plant will produce flowers and then seeds ready for next growing season. At this stage the plant is done with its life cycle and will die leaving the lignin filled skeleton of stalks and leaves. In order to make good hay the farmer must catch the grass at just the right moment in its lifecycle, when it has produced the maximum leaves and stalks and before it has produced the seeds, or as is commonly said "gone to seed." Hay made from grass which has gone to seed will contain plenty of stalks and lignified leaves but will have very low feed value. Hay made too early in the plant's life will have a high moisture content and will tend to crumble easily when dried, but will have a high level of digestible nutrients . However, grass cut too early will be hard to dry and suffer lots of leaf drop and hence nutrient loss. Thus good hay making is a balance between too much lignin (grass too old), and too little (grass too young).

First cutting hay is made at a later stage in the life cycle of the plant due to the need to wait for the warm dry days to dry the hay. The grass may have passed the optimal growth stage waiting for the spring to warm up enough. Second cuttings can be made earlier in the growth cycle as the days are now long and it is good drying weather. The same rule applies to alfalfa hay, though as alfalfa grows relatively fast it is easier to get two or more cuttings of hay from an alfalfa field..
To get weight on a hard keeper go for the leafiest hays cut at an early stage in the growth cycle. E.g. without too much stalk, this is most likely to be a second cutting.

Dr. Melyni Worth Ph.D. - 2004 (c)

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