How to Survive a Temporary Shortage of Quality Hay

Hay is a great way to feed livestock, but sometimes conditions outside of your control might result in a shortage of quality hay. Lack of precipitation or particularly cold winters may limit your access to good hay, so it is important to understand what alternatives exist for feed. And even if weather conditions are agreeable, it may be in your best interest to diversify what you are feeding your livestock.

First of all, it is important to understand that cattle, for instance, are not limited to only eating forage, so a temporary shortage of hay is not as dire a situation as it may seem at first. For that reason, immediately selling your livestock in response to a lack of forage is not necessarily a wise decision.

With this in mind, it is important to understand what types of feed can serve as quality alternatives to hay when necessary:

• Distiller grains provide a high protein content and provide as much or more energy than other types of grains, such as corn grain. As such, a small amount of distiller grains can go a long way. Therefore, if only low-quality hay is available, distiller grains are certainly worth considering.
• Wheat midds do not provide as much protein as distiller grains, however, they are generally quite affordable. If the price of hay is driven up by a supply shortage, wheat midds are a cost-effective substitute.
• There are certain kinds of crops that can be produced prolifically and, therefore, serve as readily available alternatives to forage. These are derivatives of potatoes, soybeans, barley and beets. Because these are so common, you don’t have to worry about inflated prices, so they are excellent hedges against a cold winter or dry summer inflating the price of hay.
• Protein-dense plants like canola, sunflower and linseed meal also can help make up for any nutritional deficiencies that may result from a lack of hay.

Of course, these alternatives to hay can be affected by environmental conditions as well, so it is important to understand exactly what conditions are conducive to their health. Some of them may be particularly sensitive to moisture whereas others will not thrive in dry weather, so you must be vigilant to tailor your purchases of hay alternatives to weather, price as well as transportation costs. As a last resort, you may have to sell your livestock inventory, but these hay substitutes mean that this does not need to be your first choice in the event of a dearth of high-quality hay.