Is vetch hay good for horses?
In drought conditions, it is easy to provide the horse with sufficient energy, protein and other nutrients without satisfying the dry matter component. It is often easier to source good quality hay such as legume hay (lucerne, clover or vetch) which is relatively nutrient dense.
Is vetch hay good for cattle?
Feeding Lucerne, Vetch or Clover hay can be a great protein source addition to your livestock’s diet. They both have a high crude protein (CP) source and low to average sugar content in the form of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC).
Is vetch bad for horses?
Horses will not consume a toxic plant such as the vetch unless under a specific set of circumstances. Most of this vegetation, like hairy vetch (v. villosa) is poisonous; its bitter taste is only tolerated by the hungriest of horses.
Is vetch harmful to horses?
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth L.) is an annual or winter annual legume. It is most often grown for soil improvement, roadside, or bank stabilization. It can also be grown as a pasture or hay crop but it can be toxic to horses, especially on high selenium soil.
Is vetch toxic to cattle?
K-State Grazing Management: Toxic Plants Summary. Hairy Vetch is a nitrogen-fixing plant that works well as a cover crop. However, it is not recommended for livestock because of its toxicity to cattle and horses. The mortality rate for affected animals ranges from 50-100%, typically as a result of kidney failure.
Can cattle bloat on vetch?
However, such reports are rare and the poisoning has always been associated with cattle grazing on vetch-dominant pastures. Ill-thrift syndrome in cattle, with dermatitis and diarrhoea, has been known to occur. Bloat is of low incidence.
Is vetch bad for garden?
Vetches have the ability to offer substantial improvements in soil fertility, structure and organic matter as well as offering a weed and disease break for cereals in a crop rotation. Vetch fixes atmospheric nitrogen in the soil; this is beneficial for subsequent cereal crops in both yield and quality.
What is vetch grown for?
Vetch is classified as large-seeded pasture legume that can be used for forage, fodder and a nitrogen-fixing green manure. Common vetch is the most versatile of the vetch species as it can be grown for early grazing, green or brown manure, conservation as silage, hay, dry grazing and as grain.
What animals eat vetch?
Animals that chew their cud, such as cows, sheep and goats are able to eat crown vetch because the offending compounds are absorbed in their more complex digestive system but in an animal without the ruminate digestion it can cause weight loss, lack of muscle coordination, posterior paralysis and eventually death.