The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: alang on October 06, 2019, 10:43:44 am

Title: Soft Rush 'Hay'
Post by: alang on October 06, 2019, 10:43:44 am

Going back a few years to July 2016, saw an article in Country Smallholder magazine regarding using Soft Rush as a hay substitute. It was a very interesting article and just lately i can see a use for it should it be a good alternative as we have loads of it around here.

So my question is. Has anyone here had experience of using it as a hay substitute?

Title: Re: Soft Rush 'Hay'
Post by: Buttermilk on October 06, 2019, 11:17:21 am

If it is the same stuff I am thinking of then your problem would be getting them to eat it.  I think it would make better bedding.

A lot depends on how much grass you have along with the rush for hay.

Title: Re: Soft Rush 'Hay'
Post by: alang on October 06, 2019, 11:42:42 am

Sorry Buttermilk. I should have stated when i first posted that i meant to use it for bedding (Rabbits at first). Apparently pigs will eat some of it and goats, all of it.

Title: Re: Soft Rush 'Hay'
Post by: bj_cardiff on October 06, 2019, 04:50:14 pm

so rather than a hay substitute you mean a straw substitute? Yes, I think it'd work well as long as it was properly dried out before it was baled and wasn't dusty or smelt stale/mouldy

Title: Re: Soft Rush 'Hay'
Post by: Dogwalker on October 08, 2019, 07:02:07 am

I found the goats will eat the rushes green in the field but not dried in the hay.They left just them in the rack and I threw them down as bedding but there wasn't much volume.You'd need a lot to make a decent bed.