Hay is the foundation of a good nutrition program, but horse owners are often left to the sight, smell and touch of hay to “make general assumptions” about its quality. Nutrena believes that you don’t need to be left “guessing” when making important grain & supplement choices for your trusted companion or equine athlete. Take advantage of our complimentary hay testing offers at an event near you and start maximizing your horse’s nutrition program today!
Why is hay testing so important?
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Hay is the foundation of the diet & provides 50-90% of the horse’s total nutrients
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Protein & fiber values are an important factor in balancing the equine diet- and these values will vary widely by state, county, field and cutting.
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Needed to calculate digestible energy (DE) and calorie content in your hay.
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Balancing your horse’s diet - “what’s in your hay” should be telling you what feed and/or supplements to be using!
For more information on the importance and roles of hay and pasture in a horse feed diet, visit our Horse Feed Blog.
How to Collect a Hay Sample:
The ideal sample is obtained using a hay probe to collect a core sample (if possible). If you do not have a hay probe available we recommend the following:
Instructions:
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Collect equal parts of the stalk, stem & leafy material in the hay sample.
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FILL a (1) gallon clear plastic bag with your hay sample - bag must be sealed.
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Label your sample with your:
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NAME
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PHONE NUMBER
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TYPE OF HAY
Small Square Bale Samples:
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Collect the sample(s) from the center of the hay bale
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Collect sample(s) from (3) three or more hay bales, if possible
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Combine all samples collected
Round Bale Samples:
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Collect the sample(s) from the center of the round bale
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Collect sample(s) from (2) two or more round bales, if possible
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Combine all samples collected
If you have any other questions about collecting your hay sample or Nutrena’s FREE hay testing, please contact us here.