# why does noone want to buy clover anymore?



## haystacker (Jun 20, 2010)

Hi just wanted to drop in and say hi. Im just getting started in the hay business and have learned alot already from read the other posts here. The question I was growing up we ran cattle and always grew and fed clover hay cause it didnt take a lot of matinance and the grwound was poor, but it grew good clover. So why is it such a hard product to sell. It seems like the only time you can get a good price out of it is when everything else is gone and thats all that is left, The rest of the time is brings less than straw.THe people say if they are going to spend the money on hay they would rather buy alfalfa. So whats you guys thoughts on this.Thanks


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

I've grown quite a bit of clover and think it makes pretty good feed, but it seems I'm in the minority. When put up right it is close to Alfalfa in food value.

My Horse Customers are afraid it will cause their Horse to slobber and a Sheep breeder told me it had too much plant Estrogen and wouldn't let the ewes come in heat.

I have 30ac in clover that was scheduled to go in Corn this year. I decided to sow some Rye Grass in with it and bale it this year. The first cut was a mess due to being so late getting it up and it had a lot of weeds.

The new plan is to burn it down this Fall and go in with Wheat followed with Alfalfa next Fall after the weeds are under control.

I will continue to keep a small amount of clover in my grass fields but I am done with it as a crop.

BTW, Haystacker, welcome to the group and good luck with your hay operation. Most of the Guys here are very willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

Where are you located? It is a good idea to put it in your profile so people can answer your questions in a way that is specific to your area.

Regards,
Sam


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Welcome aboard Haystacker!

I have a lot of clover fields with OG, but it is for my cattle. The horse people I sell to want the alfalfa/OG or timothy. Good plain OG sells OK as well. The horse people tell me they dislike clover because if it gets moldy...which could easily happen in this weather, they will slobber. Only moldy clover produces the slaframine that causes "slobbers" where horses salivate far beyond normal. The vet at the stables I cut for told me that red clover may become infected with the fungus Rhizoctonia leguminocola (black patch disease), especially in wet, cool years. Rarely, other legumes (white clover, alsike, alfalfa) may be infected. I just copied that from the pamphlet she gave me. You know that our forage extension guy from Purdue says the same about the alsike clover, as well. The stable I cut for near Indy, their field and their equipment, has alfalfa/OG on about 20 acres for the stable. They will not touch clover and the vet keeps her horses there as well and treats everyone's horses. I have learned a lot cutting and putting hay for them, especially getting to know a vet that specializes in horses. They are picky folks.

.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

sedurbin said:


> My Horse Customers are afraid it will cause their Horse to slobber


Horse owners are the usually the most uneducated and opinionated customers to deal with. They hear something and apply it to everything.

My vet told me he gets 2-3 calls every spring that somebody's horse has rabies. Then he finds out that the seeded a new pasture with Alsike clover, the one that causes slobbers! Red clover doesn't cause a problem.

BTW: I have 14 head.

Ralph


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Add into the equation that alot of people don't make it right anyways and that turns folks off if they ever get a bad load of it. I always figure on an extra day to dry over what it would take 100% pure stand of alfalfa. I don't mind feeding it to the cows and have seen a few amish buy it for their horse, but for the most part I have to agree with rjmoses. I've heard horse people say before they have to have timothy/alfalfa yet when a load of that comes to the auction, it will sell low as they don't seem to even recoqnize it when it's right in front of em.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

mlappin said:


> Add into the equation that alot of people don't make it right anyways and that turns folks off if they ever get a bad load of it. I always figure on an extra day to dry over what it would take 100% pure stand of alfalfa. ...... I've heard horse people say before they have to have timothy/alfalfa yet when a load of that comes to the auction, it will sell low as they don't seem to even recoqnize it when it's right in front of em.


My farrier and I were chatting yesterday. He also is starting to grow horse hay, so when he and I get together, we're like a couple of old women with our mouths going continuously.

We have both come to the conclusion that they will buy based off of color without the slightest knowledge about feed value! If it ain't green, they don't want it! (Does John Deere have anything to do with that?)

When I try to explain RFV, Crude Protein, etc. to them, their eyes just glaze over! I've heard some producers out west, who sell in the Florida market, are adding greenin food coloring to their proprionic acid! I just may start doing that just to see what happens.

BTW: 80% of horses in the USA are now owned by women.

Ralph


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## Jersey Jim (Jun 3, 2010)

Just to add in what little I know about this subject regarding horses...Black Patch Fungus is most prevalent on Red Clover but can form on other clovers as well. The farm where my wife boards her horse is covered in White Clover and the horses started slobbering like crazy last week.

Slobbers is not harmful to horses...the dehydration accompanied with it can be. Horses can lose 15-19 gallons of water a day just from all that drool. This can cause a horse to colic.

Some horses have a stronger allergic reaction to Black Patch than others. My wife's horse develops sores around his mouth and breaks out in hives. Needless to say she gets kinda worked up about all this. I don't really blame her...an emergency vet visit for colic is kinda expensive in NJ...

You can google Black Patch Fungus for additional info.
Best,
Jim


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## ButchAutomatic (Jun 4, 2008)

Clover is also harder to dry down than Alfalfa


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> BTW: 80% of horses in the USA are now owned by women.
> 
> Ralph


Imagine that, a major cause of migraines in men owns another major cause of migraines in men. Replace migraines with hemorrhoids if desired.


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## haystacker (Jun 20, 2010)

Thanks for all the good advice. Looks like I might go more to the alfalfa/timothy side of things. Thanks again


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## wbstofer (Mar 13, 2010)

rjmoses said:


> I've heard some producers out west, who sell in the Florida market, are adding greenin food coloring to their proprionic acid! I just may start doing that just to see what happens.
> 
> Ralph


Hmmm...anyone know somebody who did this??? I have noticed the same 'green' phenomenon at my hay sale. Always thought I needed more acid!

-Bill


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