Wrisley Brothers Farms
"Fancy" 1st cut
Our premium first cut is made while the grass is at its prime quality. It is always in high demand, Why? Because it is what defines "Fancy Horse Hay". 1st cut just doesn't get any better! Typically packaged in small squares, this can be prearranged for large square bales. Call us with your needs.
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"Classic" 1st cut
The majority of our small square bales contain a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, and brome grass -- all cool season grasses. With good paletability and nutritional value, this is classic horse hay. A very safe feed for most animals from horses, cattle, goats and sheep, whether lactating, working with modest activity levels or just standing behind the barn soaking up the sun. This is our most popular and most consistent hay we produce.
Large Square Bales
Our large square bales will usually contain our classic horse hay, perfect for brood mares and animals requiring a modest protein and carbohydrate level feed. Later cut low carb horse hay in these large square bales is great for those animals with lower activity levels or those that need to trim their wastelines. Measuring 3x4x8 feet in height, width, and length, these bales usually weigh around 1200 lbs. A full semi load will usually weigh close to 24 tons.
Low - Carb 1st cut
Although past its prime, this grass is still highly paletable and on its own is more than capable of providing sufficient nutritional value to maintain healthy animals with up to moderate activity levels. This is the quality of hay that the majority of our horse customers request. Why? Because its the most economical. It truly is -- It will fill them out, they clean it up, they won't founder, and it won't break the bank!
Second Cut
If there is any hay we specialize in, its our second cut grass. We call it our "big nose'" hay because of the sharp pungent smell it develops during curing. Paletability is exceptionally high making it a great fit for alpaca, goats, and when necessary, problematic horses. Another great feature of this hay, especially for the alpaca market, is we make a big deal out of steering clear of burdock, horse nettles, chiggers and stickers near the hedgerows that could otherwise end up in the coats or eyes of the animals. The direct result is the abatement of vetranarian bills for you.
Baleage
You know what you do when you can't change the weather and the weatherman lies? You make baleage.
If you've ever tried to make dry hay, invariably, you'll experience a change in the forecast at the worst possible time. So when we mow hay with the expectation of baling more premium fancy first cut hay, but the forecast changes to rain, we just roll it up with the round baler and wrap it with plastic. Because of it's high moisture and lack of oxygen while curing, the baleage will turn to a cooked brownish color with an incredible smell most animals just can't get enough of. We feed most of baleage to our steers to finish them off or to over-winter the rest of the beef herd. This product typically contains the same material as our fancy first cut, but sometimes the forecast changes when we mow 2nd and 3rd cut too.
Because of the risk of Botulism in non-ruminant animals like horses, baleage is rarely fed to horses here in the states, but in Europe, where the same risk is present, it is quite common to feed it to horses and folks have had great success in doing it.