You might be wondering can cows eat clover hay. There are a couple of different types of hay, Red clover, Sweet clover, and Crimson clover. These different types are similar in flavor and nutritional value, but some differences exist, too.
Contents
Red clover
Red clover hay is an excellent source of energy for cows. It can also be fed to grazing horses. Red clover hay is associated with tall fescue and Caucasian bluestem, which are used for summer and winter grazing, respectively. It is not recommended to feed red clover to high-producing dairy cows in early lactation.
Alfalfa hay
There are several pros and cons to feeding cows clover hay. However, if you want to keep your cows healthy, you must know the risks associated with it. For starters, clover is prone to rot and mold. If this occurs, it will produce dicoumarol, which is toxic to cattle. If you plan to feed clover to your cows, make sure you follow local laws and seek advice from your local veterinarian.
Crimson clover
Crimson clover is an excellent legume for grazing cows. It is a fast-growing legume that can be planted alone or in mixtures with grasses and small grains. It is best planted no deeper than 0.6 cm in clayey soils. It can be mixed with other legumes such as vetches and oats. Its seed matures within 30 days after pollination.
Sweet clover hay
Although you can safely let cows eat sweet clover, you should not feed it to your cows in large amounts. It is toxic and can cause metabolic disorders. It can also cause bloat and even death. For these reasons, you should be very vigilant when feeding your cows sweet clover hay.
Health risks
There are several health risks associated with feeding cows clover hay. One of these risks is bloat. This is caused by a compound called dicoumarol, which inhibits vitamin K. This vitamin is critical for blood clotting, and its inhibition causes bloat in animals. Fortunately, this problem is rare when clover hay is fed as less than 50% of a cow’s diet.
