Teff grass hay can be a useful cattle feed, especially in dry summers. It’s a warm-season annual that grows quickly, tolerates heat and drought better than most forage crops, and makes a fine-stemmed, palatable hay. Its weak points are modest protein and the fact that quality depends heavily on when it is cut.
What teff is
Teff is a small-seeded grass native to Ethiopia, where it is grown as a grain. In North America it is planted mainly as a quick forage, ready to cut in roughly 60 to 70 days after planting, and it can often produce two or more cuttings in a season.
Nutrition
Teff hay is moderate in energy and fairly high in fiber. Protein is typically in the single digits to low teens depending on fertilization and cutting stage; younger hay is more digestible and higher in protein, and hay cut late becomes stemmy and drops in quality. For dry beef cows in good condition, decent teff hay can be adequate. Lactating cows, growing calves, and thin animals usually need extra protein and energy. Only a lab test of your own hay can tell you where it sits.
Benefits
- Fast and flexible: good for filling a forage gap or following a failed crop.
- Drought tolerant and low in water demand.
- No prussic acid risk, unlike sorghum-type grasses.
- Palatable: cattle readily eat fine-stemmed hay.
Risks and tips
- Nitrates: like other summer annuals, teff can accumulate nitrate under drought stress or heavy nitrogen fertilization. Test suspect hay.
- Drying: fine stems can be slow to cure in humid weather, and baling damp hay leads to mold.
- Cutting stage: aim for boot to early heading for the best quality.
- Balance it: add minerals and protein if the analysis shows gaps.
Compare with brome hay, triticale hay, and feeding cows only hay.
Bottom Line
Teff hay is a good-quality, palatable option when cut at the right stage and tested for nitrate and protein. Ask your veterinarian or extension nutritionist to help balance a ration for your cattle. This is general information, not veterinary advice.
