Forage suitable for preparing hay

In theory, almost all artificially cultivated and wild forages can be used to make hay. But in practice, we generally choose those forage varieties with thin stalks and moderate leaves, that is, legumes and grasses, because the stalks are too thick, the leaves are too large, and the differences between stems and leaves are too wide. Will affect the quality of hay.

(1) Gramineous forage

① Leymus chinensis, also known as alkali grass, is mainly distributed in Northeast, Northwest, North China and Inner Mongolia, as well as Russia, Korea, Mongolia and other countries. Leymus chinensis is the dominant species and constructive species in Songnen, Horqin, Xilingol and Hulunbuir grasslands. It has been artificially cultivated since the 1950s, and a large area of Leymus chinensis artificial grassland has been built rapidly in many places. Leymus chinensis is not only suitable for grazing all kinds of livestock, but also one of the most suitable forage varieties for preparing hay. The crude protein content of hay is 7%-13%, and the crude fat is 2.3%-2.5%. The leaves are wide and long, and the palatability is good.

② mango, also known as Triticum aestivum and Siberian alkali grass, is a perennial forage of Gramineae, which is a wild grass widely distributed in the northern temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. China is mainly distributed in Northeast, Northwest and Inner Mongolia, southeastern Russia, Siberia, far East, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Japan. It was used to establish artificial grassland in the early 1960s. Mango wheat has strong cold resistance, moisture resistance but poor drought resistance, and has a wide adaptability to soil. It can grow well not only in fertile soil, but also in weak acid to weak alkaline soil and low wet saline-alkali soil. Mango is rich in leaves and is suitable for grazing when it is young. It is harvested from heading to the beginning of flowering, and hay is prepared with good quality, with crude protein content of 11%-13% and crude fat of 2%-4%.

③ Elymus, also known as wheatgrass and straight-panicle ryegrass, is an excellent forage grass widely distributed in temperate and cold grasslands. China is mainly distributed in the "three north" areas (northeast, north and northwest). Elymus is popular for its cold resistance, drought resistance, wind sand resistance and saline alkali resistance. The suitable harvest time for preparing hay is from heading to flowering, with a crude protein content of 7%-12% and crude fat of 2%-3%. If the harvest is too late, the grass will be rough and hard, and the nutrient content will decrease.

④ tall fescue, also known as Reed foxgrass, is a perennial herb of the genus foxgrass of Gramineae. It originated in Europe and Asia, and is mainly distributed in temperate and cold zones of Europe, western Siberia and northern Africa. In recent years, it has shown good adaptability and high yield in Shaanxi, Gansu, Jin, Henan, Hubei, Lake, Yunnan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong and other provinces. Tall fescue tufted, whisker root, short underground stem, stem erect, hard. Resistant to drought, moisture and heat, it can not only grow under cold conditions, but also survive the summer safely in subtropical hilly land, but it has poor cold tolerance. It has high yield, strong regeneration and resistance to cutting when planted on fertile and moist soil. It can be widely planted in warm temperate zone, subtropical hilly land and light saline land, and can also be mixed with white clover to form a mixed grassland. Reed fescue is prepared to cut hay at heading stage, the crude protein content of hay is 13%-15%, and the crude fat is 3%-4%. If the harvest is too late, the grass is rough and palatable.

⑤ ryegrass originated in southwestern Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia, and now it is an excellent forage grass widely cultivated in high-altitude precipitation areas of subtropics in China. So far, it has been cultivated into more than 60 varieties with different characteristics. Ryegrass is on the grass, dense type, strong tillering ability, up to dozens to more than a hundred. Ryegrass likes warm, cool, humid climate, fear of heat, drought and cold. Ryegrass is an important evergreen forage grass in spring, autumn and winter in the Yangtze River Basin and southern provinces in China. Soft grass, more leaves, all herbivorous livestock, poultry, fish are very fond of eating. When the hay is cut at the peak of the early ear, the crude protein content of the hay is 9%-13%, and the crude fat is 2%-3%. Because of its many and soft leaves, it is high quality hay for livestock. When harvested young, the crude protein content can reach 20%, which can be used to feed pigs, especially sows.

(2) Leguminous forage

① alfalfa is the most widely distributed leguminous forage in the world. It originated from the highlands of Asia minor, Transcaucasia, Iran and Tukuman. China began to plant it as early as 2000, which is mainly distributed in the "three north" areas. Alfalfa is known as the "king of forage", not only because of its excellent grass quality and rich nutrition, but also because of its extensive adaptability. Alfalfa stems and leaves are soft, suitable for preparing hay, the suitable harvest time is the early flowering stage, the crude protein content is 18%-20%, and the crude fat is 3.1%-3.6%. If the harvest is late, the nutrients will decrease and the grass will be rough and hard.

② Astragalus membranaceus, also known as Astragalus membranaceus, is a perennial herb of the genus Astragalus Leguminosae. Henan, Hebei, Shandong and other provinces in China have been cultivated as forage grass and green manure for hundreds of years. Since the 1960s, large-scale aerial sowing in Northeast China, North China and Inner Mongolia has developed rapidly. Astragalus adsurgens is not only used as feed, but also a good plant for preventing wind and fixing sand, conserving soil and water, as fuel and fertilizer. When Astragalus adsurgens is harvested at the early flowering stage, it is most suitable to prepare hay, with a crude protein content of 12% Mel 17% and crude fat of 2% to 3%. The stem of Astragalus adsurgens is thick and hard, and the feeding utilization rate of the whole plant is low. Mixing other feeds after crushing can improve the utilization rate and improve the nutrient balance.

③ red bean grass, also known as donkey bean and donkey happy bean, is a perennial forage of the genus Leguminosae. Its feeding value is similar to that of alfalfa, and it is known as "forage queen". It was cultivated in Armenia more than a thousand years ago and later introduced into France, Russia and the United Kingdom. It is now distributed in Europe, Africa and western and southern Asia. At present, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet and other provinces (regions) have been planted in a large area, which has become a promising important legume forage in arid areas of our country. Red bean grass in flowering stage is suitable for preparing hay, because at this time, the water content of stems and leaves is low, easy to air, but we should also pay attention to prevent the leaves from falling off. The crude protein content of red bean hay at flowering stage is 15%-16%, the crude fat is 2%-5%, and the dry matter digestibility is about 70%.

④ is an herb of Leguminosae, native to southern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. It was introduced in China in 1967 and has been planted in Beijing, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Nanjing and other places. Fresh Corolla contains a low toxic substance-3-nitropropionate glycoside, which is safe for pigs and sheep, but feeding young rabbits has toxic symptoms and can not be fed alone. The dried leather should be harvested from the bud to the beginning of flowering, and it is safe to feed all kinds of livestock with hay. The content of crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber is 19%-22%, 1.8%-2.9% and 21%-32%, respectively.