# Easiest hay to grow



## Little homestead (Apr 17, 2016)

What is the easiest hay to grow? I would like to sprinkle seeds and leave them be.


----------



## greybeard (Apr 17, 2016)

Depends very much on where you are located.


----------



## Baymule (Apr 17, 2016)

What is your soil type, annual rainfall and climate zone?


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 17, 2016)

I have clay-ish soil I am in southern Colorado and get very much rain in the spring but it starts to get dryer in the summer


----------



## Baymule (Apr 17, 2016)

@Latestarter do you have any suggestions for a fellow Colorado homesteader?

I found this for you.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/sam/forage-guide.pdf


Around here, it is so hot, the most favored grass is Bermuda and Bahia.


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 17, 2016)

Greetings @Little homestead from up north of Denver on the front range. Welcome to BYH!

The guide that Bay linked is excellent for information and guidance. I'm not familiar with your soils there, or how large an area you're trying to develop, so can't really help much... If you have a farm & garden center nearby or sometime animal feed stores have folks to help, you could ask them what local farmers use for pasture seeding. I know our Ace hardware in Brighton is attached to Agfinity and they carry all kinds of seed mixes for whatever you're trying to accomplish. You might consider contacting your county extension agent for assistance. He/she can most likely provide assistance or direct you to the right folks to help you. You can contact the source of the link document as well at Colorado State university and  see if they can help.

I wish you luck and progress.


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 17, 2016)

Thanks everyone! This was my first thread and you all are very helpful!


----------



## Mike CHS (Apr 18, 2016)

This may not be for you but we had the Co-op come out and take soil samples for analysis at Uneversity of Tennessee.  There was no charge since we had them come out with several tons of lime and fertilizer.  Even over winter our cool weather grasses grew like crazy.


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 18, 2016)

Lime huh? You have acidic soils there? We used lime a lot when I was up in New England (lots of pine trees/needles).


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 19, 2016)

Well at TSC I found seeds for an all purpose forage for horses and sheep, do you think this would be o.k. For my goats?


----------



## Mike CHS (Apr 19, 2016)

Latestarter said:


> Lime huh? You have acidic soils there? We used lime a lot when I was up in New England (lots of pine trees/needles).


 
We don't have a single pine tree on our place but I don't know enough of the science behind soil ph.  Our place is over a limestone base so evidently limestone doesn't equate to lime.


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 19, 2016)

Little homestead said:


> Well at TSC I found seeds for an all purpose forage for horses and sheep, do you think this would be o.k. For my goats?



Most goats and many sheep prefer to browse rather than graze... Grazing is grass, browsing is "woody" plants like; shrubs/bushes/leaves/twigs/new buds/woody weeds/bark/etc. I'm sure that seed mix will work just fine.


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 19, 2016)

Ok I just don't want to go online and buy a $50 bag of 5# seed


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 19, 2016)

Before spending a whole lot of money on seeding and the like, you should have you soil tested to see if you'll need any amendments before/during/after seeding. I'd still recommend contacting your local county extension (agent) and let them do what we the taxpayers pay them to do... help you. This is their bread and butter, and it shouldn't cost you anything.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Apr 19, 2016)

Little homestead said:


> What is the easiest hay to grow? I would like to sprinkle seeds and leave them be.



Not many forages you can just sprinkle a few seeds and leave them be
Anything worthwhile usually requires  more effort than that
Where are you located


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 19, 2016)

Where should I try to get the number for the county agent? I live in southern Colorado by the way 1fA


----------



## babsbag (Apr 19, 2016)

Here's a link to a grass mix for goats.

https://fiascofarm.com/goats/feeding.htm


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 19, 2016)

Thanks guys!


----------



## Little homestead (Apr 19, 2016)

And ladies


----------



## Latestarter (Apr 19, 2016)

http://extension.colostate.edu/
I don't know what county you're in... Do a google search for; (your)county extension agents colorado.


----------

