Sainfoin: The Best Hay You've Never Heard Of
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- Опубліковано 28 жов 2017
- Stu and Jessi from Elloom Farm in the Palouse region of Washington delivery 3 tons of sainfoin hay for our winter supply. Stu and Jessi tell us all about this amazing hay product for our livestock.
Elloom Farm: elloomfarm
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I live in southeast Idaho the farmers here use it for nonirrigated land they have found it out produces dryland alfalfa. The cows love it and they don't bloat. It also is much more resistant to aphids and weevil. The only problem is it can be hard to sell as it will not test as well in feed value tests which are like gospel for dairies so most of it is kept on farm to feed to farmer's livestock
Stu and Jessi look like a couple of movie stars that Hollywood might cast as farmers, but it's clear from this video that they certainly know their business. I also noticed that they have even given some very helpful replies to comments on this video. What pleasant and down to earth people.
I'm really glad to have met them. They are great folks!
Thank you for sharin' Dan. :) Love all the knowledge you're willing to share. I'm gonna keep soaking all of it up. :)
Thank you--so glad to know this!!
Great video, your channel is a good resource!
when I worked in Montana I had a few clients growing this it is a great forage!
I have never heard of this type of hay. I will have to do some research and see if anyone is growing it here in VA. Thanks for sharing! 👍
Oooh, I'd love to plant a bit of this for my chickens. And the pollinators! Great info. Thanks.
Keep up the great work your doing.
I love your videos. Thank you.
This video was suggested by another grazer since I lost a cow to bloat. I will be planting some of this to see how it does on our farm. I also keep bees there so it should be very interesting. Thanks for sharing what Sainfoin is.
Awesome!!! Thank you for the great info! Never heard of this before. I'll bet this would be great for hogs too.
Another great video, thank you. Interesting stuff, I've never heard of Sainfoin before, but I'm going to look out for it over here!
I'd be curious to hear back from you regarding the availability of sainfoin in the UK
Hi Dan, I found this info from a seed company www.cotswoldseeds.com/seed-info/how-does-sainfoin-meet-todays-needs that sells the seeds, both on their own and also in some of their seed mixes. There's a bit of discussion about it from 2012 on a farming forum farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?3900-Sainfoin I've found Sainfoin pellets for feeding to horses, small bags of hay for feeding rabbits and rodents in a pet store and other several companies selling the seeds, looks like about half the sainfoin in UK has been imported from France, then yet more from USA and Germany! I can't find (on a quick search) anyone advertising sainfoin hay for sale.
Thank you for the update! Sainfoin pellets...that's awesome!
Thanks for the info! I’ll look into throwing some seed around here for my chickens and sheep.
Jenn Stone
Seven Sprouts Homestead LLC
Nicholls, GA
I love the look of a full hay barn. A good leguminous mix for some diversity (especially in relatively high-pH soil): sainfoin, lucerne, trefoil, and red clover.
Also, in my experience, hay is typically delivered by less attractive folks. Lucky you. :)
Very interesting! Dan, you are a gifted interviewer and have brought so many knowledgeable folks to our attention. I'll definitely look into this hay, as one of my horses sometimes appears to experience digestive upset after a meal of alfalfa -- the only nutritious forage available in my area (the southern Sierra region of California). I'm thinking I may be able to grow enough sainfoin on my property to mix with the alf to mitigate its gassy effects.
Thank you Jeanette!
Incredible
Nothing beats the smell of a stack of fresh hay! Here in Tennessee we normally fed our horses alfalfa hay. What is the protein per cent?
We are actually seeding our field with sainfoin grass this year.
Awesome! Please let me know how it turns out
I learned about sanfoin from granite seed company website a year ago and was very curious. This vid provided great info. Thanks! I would like to know if it would naturalize in an intensively grazed pasture system. It sounds like it might be good to plant into your pastures, perhaps to compete with the knapweed...
Sainfoin will naturalize, but does not become invasive according to the USDA. Where it is allowed to go to seed, it will start new plants. We have not grazed it, but we have kept it mowed for a year and it did not hurt it at all. According to a study done, above 85% defoliation can hurt your stand, but up to 70% defoliation during grazing will not hurt it at all. I believe these numbers are conservative based on our limited experience. What is great about it for beating out weeds is simply how early it grows up in the spring, and if left standing, it gets a tall enough canopy and none of the annual weeds we deal with have a chance! However, if you hay or mow it, by summer the sainfoin will lose its advantage and the weeds will get their chance.
What is sainfoin and what does it look like?
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) is a perennial cool-season legume used for forage production. It is an introduced species, brought over from Europe, parts of Russia and Asia. It is a non-bloating legume suitable for hay and pasture.
It is a forb (broad-leaved plant) with erect stems up to 1 m (39 in.) in height. Stems are hollow and appear coarse but are quite succulent, and grow from a root crown. The roots are deep, branched taproots with many fine lateral roots; the main taproot is very stout, and the crown is branched.
Leaves are comprised of 11 to 29 leaflets that are paired up the stem except for a single terminal leaflet at the tip. Flowers grow on a long, spike-like terminal head, which are narrow at the tip and wide at the base. These heads have up to 80 rosy-pink flowers attached to short stalks that connect them to a main stem. Plants tend to produce flowers and seeds starting from the bottom of the flower spike, working upward.
Seedpods are tough and fibrous, with a network of raised veins, and stick tightly to a single enclosed seed. The pods shatter easily from the plant when mature. When threshed, the seed pod is left attached to the seed. The seed pod is usually not separated from the seed prior to planting. The seed itself is large-kidney-shaped and greenish-brown-for a perennial forage legume; one kilogram (2.2 pounds) yields 48,000 seeds with pods, or 66,000 seeds with no pods.
Where does sainfoin grow best?
Sainfoin is adapted to at least two of the seven Natural Regions in Alberta: Grassland and Parkland Natural Regions. These include brown, dark brown, black, and grey-wooded soil zones.
Well-drained, dry sites not subject to flooding or sub-irrigation at the root zone are ideal for growing sainfoin. Also, soils must be of neutral to alkaline pH, weakly saline, calcareous (high calcium), and moderately fertile. Sainfoin is more drought tolerant than alfalfa, but grows well in areas with 300 to 500 mm of annual precipitation. Prolonged drought will diminish a stand; it is not adapted to long-term production on non-irrigated semi-arid locations.
What are the seeding requirements for sainfoin?
Seedbeds need to be well packed and uniform before and after seeding. Though sainfoin has large seeds compared to other forage legumes, it still needs to be seeded shallow: no more than ¾ inches (2 cm) deep. Avoid fields with heavy trash-cover because the soft seedbed is more difficult to pack, dries out quickly, may increase the depth of the seedbed, and the trash may harbor a surprise crop of highly competitive weeds. It also reduces seed-to-soil contact which is needed for successful germination.
Sod-seeding sainfoin into existing grass stands have not been successful with recent trials in the western USA. However, anecdotal evidence in southwestern Alberta has shown that sainfoin may establish and persist in areas where sainfoin hay has been fed, or plants are able to grow to maturity so that seed can spread by grazing animals or wind. Otherwise, sainfoin should be sown in cultivated seedbeds.
Sainfoin should be inoculated with the correct rhizobia species before seeding to allow nodules to develop. However, commercial strains of nitrogen-fixing bacteria specific to sainfoin are often unavailable, so a clover or alfalfa inoculant may need to be used instead. Scarification is not possible as most sainfoin seed is sold with pods on.
Fields should be fertilized to soil test recommendations: alkaline soils tie up available phosphorus, but sainfoin has shown to be unresponsive to phosphorus application in some trials; mycorrhizal complexes between sainfoin roots and fungi are formed to improve phosphorus uptake by the plant. Low-level nitrogen applications may be beneficial for improved nodulation, or seeding with other legumes in nitrogen-deficient soils.
Dryland sainfoin should be seeded before the end of June in most parts of Alberta. Late-autumn seeding has also been successful, as long as it is done when the ground surface is dry and is too cold for seeds to germinate. Annual cover crops should be avoided unless there are areas where erosion could damage the seedbed. Seedlings are not competitive; it germinates well, and establishes slowly, with spring-seeded sainfoin normally well established by fall.
If sainfoin is mixed with other legumes or grasses, it's best to seed in alternate rows, with sainfoin in its own row. Cross-seeding sainfoin in perpendicular rows may improve plant density when in mixtures. Row spacing should not be less than 22 cm (9 inches) to reduce competition between species.
What varieties are available for use in a forage stand?
Sainfoin breeders recognize two types of sainfoin: "single cut" and "double cut" referring to their ability to regrow after cutting. Available cultivars produced in the US include 'Eski' (1964), a single-cut variety; 'Remont' (1971) and 'Renumex'(1979), double cut varieties for northern and southern regions respectively; 'Shoshone' (2005) a synthetic composed of single and double-cut varieties; and 'Delaney' (2007) a multi-cut variety to replace 'Remont.' Canadian geneticists have produced two single-cut varieties: 'Melrose' (1972) and 'Nova' (1980); and 'Mountainview' (2013), a double-cut for northern conditions. All cultivars are recommended for both hay and pasture use, for irrigation and dryland, and as parts in mixtures with grasses and other legumes.
'Mountainview' was selected for its improved regrowth performance in mixed stands with alfalfa. It is one of the more preferred varieties because of its ability to regrow quickly and remain in the stand when combined with alfalfa; it is also more adapted to northern areas in Canada than most American cultivars.
What seeding rate should be used?
The seeding rate of sainfoin should be based on pure live seed (PLS). Assuming that PLS is 95%, a pure stand of sainfoin should be precision-placed at 30 kg/ha (27 lb/ac). Suggested seeding densities are 40 to 60 seeds/metre of row (12 to 18 seeds/foot of row, when row spacing is 7 inches) resulting in 175-250 seeds/m2 (16 to 23 seeds/ft2). Row spacing for sainfoin should be 18 cm (7 inches). This spacing should be double if another legume is included, and the seeding rate halved. For instance, if seeded in alternate rows with alfalfa in a 50-50 seed mix (50% sainfoin and 50% alfalfa), row spacing for sainfoin would be 36 cm (14 inches), and seeding rate 14 kg/ha (12.6 lb/acre). You can calculate your seeding rate using the 'Forage Seed Mixture Calculator' found on Alberta Agriculture and Forestry's website.
Can sainfoin be used for hay?
Since sainfoin grows upright, it makes it easy to harvest for hay. It also has excellent leaf retention, better than alfalfa, and can be cut to at least 50% flowering to maximize yields. Sainfoin can work in either a two-cut system under irrigation or a one-cut system in drier areas. Even though sainfoin tends to have higher moisture content than alfalfa, it still cures very well for hay due in part to the hollow stems. It also yields 80 to 90 percent of alfalfa hay.
What about in a pasture system?
Sainfoin is best suited to a rotational grazing system that allows for significant amounts of residual leaf and stem material behind (such as in a take-half leave-half grazing system) so that it can regrow; it depends mainly on the photosynthesis of remaining leaves to provide enough energy to regrow. Sainfoin has a lower leaf area index than other legumes like alfalfa, or rather, lower leaf surface area for gathering energy for root storage and growth. This means that most sainfoin varieties are slower to regrow, and need more time to recover. Newer varieties like 'Mountainview' have improved regrowth, compared with older cultivars, to be able to compete with alfalfa.
Sainfoin can be grazed mid-summer or stockpiled for fall grazing. Maximum yields are expected when sainfoin is at 50 to 100% bloom, however better regrowth would be expected when it is grazed in the vegetative stage. Also, sainfoin in vegetative stage is higher in quality and more palatable than when it's mature.
Frequent and severe grazing will quickly diminish a sainfoin stand, especially when grazed in its vegetative stage. Sainfoin needs to have an opportunity to reseed itself and store carbohydrates in its roots at least once every few years to be able to persist in a forage stand. Rather, a sainfoin stand should not be grazed until it is fully mature once every two or three years.
Sainfoin has good leaf retention and frost tolerance, making it ideal for fall grazing. Be sure to rest it four to six weeks before a killing frost in order to allow the plants enough time to build up their carbohydrate reserves to survive the winter.
Recent studies conducted in Alberta and Saskatchewan has looked at the possibility of including new sainfoin varieties with alfalfa for grazing. They have found that these new varieties, such as Mountainview, are more competitive with improved regrowth rates compared with some older varieties. These studies have also shown that including 20 to 30% sainfoin in an alfalfa pasture stand significantly lowers and in certain cases eliminates, the risk of bloat.
What is the forage quality of sainfoin?
Sainfoin is highly palatable, with cattle often selecting it over alfalfa when grazing. Research has shown it has lower acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) levels than alfalfa, along with increased digestibility of its stems. Feed quality tends to decrease with advancing maturity, however; by the seed-shattering stage the amount of leaf loss will make feed stemmy and unpalatable.
What makes sainfoin a non-bloating legume?
Sainfoin is a non-bloating legume due to the presence of condensed tannins. These tannins will bind with proteins released from plant tissues in the rumen preventing their degradation and allowing them instead to be digested as by-pass protein. Without tannins, proteins are quickly digested, combining with rumen fluid to form stable bubbles, which causes bloat.
Awesome, wondering where the best place to get sanfoin seeds are???
Planted AAC Mountainview -on a few acres, it's coming in but will it not go to flower in the first season?
Two questions come to my newbie mind. 1. Would I have to keep my cows off the field for the year it takes to get established and
2. Does it regrow the following spring after you harvest in the fall? Thanks for the info!
Sounds interesting. Where to find seed? We live in Smithers BC. Lots of dry hill sides here. Thanks for all of the info.
Thanks for the video. We did a test plot in SW Colorado in our garden. Not much but one bed but we have an apiary here and have heard that the bees love to forage on it? How much precip do you get annually up in the Palouse?
around 30" I think
Good looking hay. It's too bad Playfair (the horse race track) in Spokane is no longer, they'd probably sell out all they could grow. I used to source some of my Thoroughbreds from one of their "neighbors". The Palouse is one of the most fertile growing regions in the USA, oh how I miss those rolling hills... Your sheep will be dining well this winter.
I'm glad to see you're stacking your hay on pallets, even under cover. A lot of people don't think they need to, but it prevents moisture from coming up into your bottom bales.
Yeah, pallets are a must!
Thanks for showing of that. But one thing am confused about? is when they siad it's a one time cut with no cover corp, like what alfalfa does sure it might be true, but where they got that stuff at was it planted in Sandy and rocky or just sandy soil when it got to hot and dry if they know of?? Just curious.
no clue
Dan, why did you get rid of the Dexter? I am thinking about getting 2 to keep my ag exemption.
I didn't. We haven't gotten him yet.
Hey not heard of this, what is the protein content of it? Was the hay analyzed for nutrition content? Probably would not grow in the horrid heat of Alabama. Wonder how it compares to Perineal Peanut Hay? It is way higher in protein then Alfalfa and grows in the horrid heat. I have to go to Florida to get the Perineal Peanut hay. Some folks get the Peanut straw from harvesting peanuts and think it is the same thing. NO it is not TWO DIFFERENT cultivars! Peanut straw from harvesting peanuts is just shaft and crap. Great video and info!
What does sainfoin research content do? Pleass
GREAT for bees too!!!
Where do you get seeds
Trying to find sainfoin hay. And seed. M.Anderson
Never heard of this. No one grows it down in Southern Idaho. What's the cost per ton and the bales look light
Hi Joshua, We intentionally bale light (50-60# per bale) so that I can spend a day moving bales, not every producer would choose to do that. We will be selling for $200 per ton (not delivered) in the 2018. I believe there is someone in Montana selling 1200# bales for $130 per ton.
Dan, do you have any followers from the North Texas area? I recently purchased 6 acres that grew only sorgum. Not sure how to spell that lol. I am needing some kind of cover crop for animals. Everyone here says to grow Bermuda. I am also told that the weeds may germinate before the Bermuda so I am really interested in this if it germinates before the weeds.
I know there are several in TX but I'm not sure where in TX. It sounds like Sainfoin might be a good fit for you.
They say it has anti parasitic effect I don't know if it is correct.
Another advantage over alfalfa is there is no GMO version...yet...and will not have been sprayed with Roundup. Not all alfalfa is GMO, so you could ask for the expurgated version.
Actually it is said sainfoin has a natural resistance to glyphosate and is sprayed. It doesn't kill it but does knock down the first cutting yield. Second and third cuttings have little loss.
I guess you have to ask about what has been sprayed on the sainfoin too.
Thanks for the info, I hadn't heard about that.
I've never heard of this hay! I would love more information on it as it sounds like it would be great for my dairy goats! What was the protein count on it? Is it a fall or spring seed crop? Do they mix it with alfalfa or single crop it? Where may one purchase seed?
Hi Terri, the protein averages 15.2% DM. It can be seeded early fall or in the spring, but we have not personally tested the fall planting. I hear it is supposed to do better in the first year of establishment if you plant it in the fall. Ours is a single crop of straight sainfoin. It can be grown with other products, but alfalfa likes wetter soils and sainfoin likes dryer soils. Often is it grown with a non-aggressive feed grass. For the seed, it depends on where you are. There are seed producers in Montana, you can get it at Clearwater seed in Clarkston, WA or we have smaller quantities that we harvested this year. We will harvest more seed next summer. Be aware that the germination declines quickly, so be ready to plant it within a year of its harvest! Also, you will need inoculant, most places that sell the seed also have inoculant available, but you may have to ask for it! Good luck, and let me know if you need anything else! facebook.com/ElloomFarm/
Elloom Farm - thank you for replying and the information. I checked out a Montana seed supplier out of the university there & they sell Shoshone sainfoin. I'm trying to see if it's a GMO since they claim it's glyphosphate resistant. That scares me a bit on using their seed. There is also a Delany sainfoin but it is apparently not as hardy. I grow winter wheat, sorghum and field peas here with no problems. Too dry & too short of a season for field corn. I average about 7.5 inches of rain & it's a good growing season if I get 90 days of warm weather. I need something very hardy because my snow does not always stay all winter so there is a lot of root breakage with frost heaving. Since I plant my wheat in August, it may be to late to plant this year. I'm tempted to try & plant a quarter acre just to see what happens! This looks like a wonderful hay!!
Elloom Farm - one more question: if the seed quickly deteriorates over the coarse of a year, how is nutritional value holding up once cut? Would it be best to open the field up for grazing first then get a cutting or cut first leaving a high stem, 8" or so, then graze it? I'm assuming one would cut in bloom stage for higher protein but if that protein quickly deteriorates...hopefully it holds NV through winter & spring! How often are you needing to reseed?
Okay, this ended up being very long... so here it is :) It is not a GMO, sainfoin is just naturally slightly glyphosate resistant. We have not tested it out on ours as we are sticking to a no-spray regiment on this field. Shoshone is the variety we have and are very happy with it! I would think it should work for you as long as you can get it established. I would recommend planting in the spring so your baby plants and their baby roots do not get frozen out. It has a very deep taproot that makes it hardy through the winter and drought resistant once it is established. I would also recommend a bit of a test plot just because of your annual rainfall. We are at 16" and the large majority of that moisture is in winter snowfall. Here it grows very strong in the spring, but with no rain over the summer, it does not grow back any foliage to speak of until the next spring. I have read that the plant should be left to reseed every 2-3 years, however, after we swathed, even though the plants did not grow back much foliage, they shot up a seed head, and we let those go to seed and plan to each year if we can. In the spring I will be able to tell you if our plant population increased, but I am confident the answer will be yes! This is our first year haying it, so I do not have any experience regarding how well it holds its NV, however, I have read SOOOOOOOO many pieces of literature on sainfoin, and I have not read anything to indicate that it has a problem. But it would be interesting to do some testing on that! As far as haying and grazing together, back when it was used for hay for draft horses, it was grazed after haying to fatten lambs. However, I think that must have been somewhere with more rainfall in the summer than we have. I just don't know if you will be able to count on both haying and grazing, but if it was going to work, I would think graze early in the spring, then leave it to grow for hay. BUT, I would not assume you will be able to utilize it for both in the same year. This plants big weakness is its grow back, or lack thereof. I hope I answered all your questions, but if I missed any or you think of more, please feel free to message me on facebook at Elloom Farm for a guaranteed response :)
Elloom Farm - Dang!! You're the second person today that's sending me to Facebook - which I don't do. I may need to bite the bullet & sign-up! 😧
I believe you have given me a very thorough answer, the biggest being it's non GMO - yay! Awesome how much you know about your new hay for first time grower - I totally respect your knowledge! Gathering from the seed Co. It will grow in my area but like you mentioned, I'll either get a grazing or a cutting not both - I'm at the cut-off of where it can grow. I live in the wrong area!! I will, with my head low & shoulders stooped in defeat, sign up for Facebook because I'm really interested in how successful next year will be for you! Thank you for all your generous information & time!
Never heard of such a thing. Did they say how much calcium (I think that’s the right one) is in it? I’ve read that I shouldn’t feed clover hay or alfalfa hay to my male goats because it can cause a blockage in the urinary tract.
Hi Brian, Jessi here with Elloom Farm. The average calcium for dry sainfoin hay is 13.7 grams per kilogram of Dry Matter. Alfalfa has an average of 16.8 grams per kilogram of dry matter. I believe all clovers are different, but red clover is 13.5 grams per kilogram. However, upon doing a little research, I think it has more to do with the ratio of Calcium to phosphorus. Check this link: www.ansc.purdue.edu/SP/MG/Documents/SLIDES/Urinary%20calculi.pdf
Elloom Farm hey thanks a lot
Yeah, the stalk def looks thicker than grass hay. Thank you for the info about alfalfa, never knew it causes bloat. BTW, how is Blue? Did you check his ears?
Confirmed issue with his ear. Vet appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'll let you know what happens
BTW, ear mites can transfer to humans as well as other mammals.
+The Grass-fed Homestead do you think that you can help me get a few chickens ?? i live in the bahamas and there are very little chickens and i want to start farming also i would like to see how it feels how to eat fresh eggs . thank you
+Shamar Thompson, I'm thinking the closest state for you to order chicks would be Florida. Don't know what your import regs are but here's a link to a Florida Hatchery. Please note that Irma most likely put farming industries through a ringer and you might have to search for a hatchery that was not affected and doing year round incubation.
greenfirefarms.com/about.html
I'm dealing with ear mites this year for the first time with my Pyrenees. Took in my neighbor's Akbash for 3 days only to discover on the second day she had ear mites. I separated them & kept watching my dog. Sure enough, 3 days later he had ear mites. I first cleaned his ears with diluted ACV then mixed grapeseed oil with a couple of drops of oil of oregano & massaged a couple of drops into his ears. I repeated the process every 3 days for a week and a half - looks like they are gone but I still watch him for signs of the mites coming back.
where do you live ???
north Idaho
Cost?
Hello, We will be selling it in 2018 for $200 per ton, not delivered. facebook.com/ElloomFarm/
In french "sain" means healthy and "foin" means hay.
What a cool couple! They certainly put the lie to the false stereotype of farmers as ignorant hayseeds. 'Anthelminthic', or 'antihelminthic': 'anti', against; 'helminth', parasitic worms. I had to look that up.
I'm thinking it might be a good idea to plant a small patch of Sainfoin near the back yard garden to encourage pollinators. Will it work as ground cover in shaded areas?
I have to give a mark of A-, though, because they did use the (very common) non-word "preventative", which, if it were a real word, would be derived from the (non-existent) verb 'preventate'. As it is used, "preventative" means exactly and only what 'preventive' means, and therefore has no legitimate reason for being.