Hay vs Yard Grass

[SarahFair]

Yesterday we cut our grass for the 2nd time this year so it wasnt very long. I decided to lay it out on a tarp very thin and dry it all day.
By the evening it was very dry so I bagged it.

Would this be the same thing as hay?
My rabbits and goats can eat this and use it as bedding and such?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

It may not be as high quality as some of the legume hays but I'd think they would enjoy it. If I did that I would likely mix it in with Alfalfa hay or something.

 

[babyblue]

it may be higher in sugar and carbs being early spring grass. if you used it spareingly and introduced it slowly you could still use it.

 

[arabianequine]

People are not encouraged to do that because of molding which you dried it out....but also chemicals that maybe on your grass and who knows what else.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

If you haven't sprayed it with anything, I would think it would be fine. My goats used to love and weeds or grass clippings that we cut and threw over their fence. I probably would not give quite as much to the rabbits because they have a tendency to get diarrhea, but a little bit here and there would be fine.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

It is the same plant it is just cut at a lower height.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Quote:
Well it really depends what variety of lawn grass she has vs. what she feeds for hay.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Yes, aggieterpkatie is correct. Some farms cut and sell grass hay, which is pretty much just a mixture of over grown grasses, but typically what is sold is either timothy or alfalfa. This is probably not what is growing in the OP's yard unless she planted it there.

 

[LV426]

You should also be careful because some weeds and grasses can be toxic when dried into hay.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Most people that I know here in Georgia use natural grasses for what is called cow/goat hay. Bermuda-grass or fescue is the normal grasses for seeding of both higher end yards an hay fields(horse hay). If your hay field is one then most likely your yard is the same. But there is always a chance of someone seeding with something odd. As far as I know goats do ok on all of these but would prefer brush over hay anyway.

Alfalfa is usually sold as horse hay for a high cost. It does not like red clay because it does not drain well so it is not that big of a thing in Ga like some of the other states. Timothy hay I have never even heard of around here so I cant comment on it.