What is hay?
Livestock hay is considered to be a type of feed, high-quality fodder for feeding sheep and other livestock. You can use hay both fresh and dry to provide feed for all kinds of livestock. Since hay is easy to digest for sheep; Therefore, animals do not suffer from its consumption. Most livestock farmers use this type of fodder for fattening, increasing the amount of milk and the weight of sheep. There are different types of alfalfa, including Bami, Hamdani, Baghdadi and Yazdi alfalfa.
💠 Properties of hay for use by sheep 💠
Considering that humans need food, nutritious and high-quality food to grow and live; Therefore, sheep and other livestock need high-quality food and feed to grow. Livestock must consume high-quality hay to meet their body's metabolic needs and continue living. In general, there are many food items such as straw, hay, fodder, concentrate and corn for feeding livestock. The nutritional value of each food is different. Ranchers should add each of these feeds to the sheep's diet based on different time periods and according to the needs of the animals. Hay is known as one of the most important and essential food for all kinds of livestock and sheep. For the growth of sheep, hay contains all kinds of vitamins and proteins. By knowing the type of fodder and adding it to the diet of their sheep, farmers can greatly help the growth of livestock. Farmers who plan to fatten their sheep, hay can be the best choice for them.
💠 Nutritional value of hay for all kinds of livestock 💠
Alfalfa is one of the nutritious feeds that contains a lot of minerals, vitamins and proteins. In general, approximately 50% of alfalfa protein is inside the leaves of this grass. Farmers who want to fatten their sheep should use alfalfa, other feed and fodder rations so that the animals reach their desired weight.
💠 Factors affecting the growth of alfalfa 💠
One of the suitable and very valuable plants is alfalfa. Alfalfa is one of the plants that can grow in any weather conditions. Likewise, it can be said that alfalfa growth depends on factors such as soil and minerals. Fertile soils that contain minerals and pH are the best options for better alfalfa growth. Irrigation and the use of natural fertilizers can be mentioned among the factors that can have a great effect on the growth of alfalfa plants. For sheep fattening, you should keep in mind to include hay and other fodder in their diet. The choice of hay is directly related to the type of your livestock; For example, for dairy animals such as sheep and cows, hay should be harvested after 28 days. Also, the quality of hay is not very important for livestock.
💠 Benefits of hay for animal feeding 💠
In general, hay is considered one of the dry forage materials that are rich in nutrients and vitamins for sheep and other livestock. Since alfalfa is rich in vitamins A, C, E, K and contains amylase; Therefore, it will be very easy for livestock to digest. Hay contains more than 60% of livestock fodder. Also, alfalfa has many vitamins and has nearly 20% protein. Similarly, it can be said that hay is a rich source of iron. There are proteins and nutrients in this plant, which include the following:
- Lysine, arginine, histidine, adenine, phenylalanine, asparagine and cystine are considered nutrients and proteins in alfalfa. Alfalfa has phosphoric acid.
- Magnesium, iron and small amounts of arsenic and silica in alfalfa make it a strong food. In this case, it is considered suitable for humans and animals.
- Alfalfa contains a significant amount of vitamins B, A, D, K, C, E, minerals, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.< /li>
