Grass Hay

Grass hay is hay made predominantly or entirely from grass species, as opposed to legume hays like lucerne or vetch which come from nitrogen-fixing legume plants. It is cut from either purpose-grown grass crops or grass-dominant pastures and baled for use as livestock feed.

In Australia, grass hay covers a wide range of products depending on the region and the species involved. In southern Australia, common grass hays include ryegrass hay, phalaris hay, and cocksfoot hay from cool-season perennial grasses, as well as annual grass hays from mixed pastures. In northern Australia, tropical grass hays like rhodes grass, buffel grass, and paspalum make up the bulk of what is described as grass hay in that region.

Grass hay is typically lower in protein than legume hays but higher in fibre, which makes it a useful roughage feed and a cost-effective option for maintenance feeding of most livestock. It is one of the most widely produced hay types in Australia because grass grows on almost every farm and grazing property in the country.

Browse hay and fodder listings on LocalAg to see what is available near you. If you cannot find the type of grass hay you need listed locally, post a free Wanted Ad and our team will track down a supplier.

The two terms overlap significantly and are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a practical distinction worth understanding when you are buying.

Grass hay implies the hay is dominated by grass species with little or no legume content. It is a straightforward description of the primary botanical composition of what is in the bale. Grass hay tends to be lower in protein and higher in fibre than mixed pasture hays that contain legume species.

Pasture hay is a broader term that refers to hay cut from an established pasture, which may be a mixed stand containing both grasses and legumes. A pasture hay from a sub clover and ryegrass mix in southern Victoria will have meaningfully higher protein than a grass-only hay from the same region because of the clover component. When someone lists "pasture hay" without specifying the species mix, it is worth asking what is actually in it. See pasture hay listings here.

In practical buying terms, if protein content matters for your feeding program, do not assume grass hay and pasture hay are equivalent. Ask for the species composition and always request a feed test result to know what you are actually getting nutritionally.

These two hay types sit at opposite ends of the protein spectrum and serve quite different roles in livestock feeding.

Protein is the most significant difference. Grass hay typically runs between 6 and 12% crude protein depending on species, cutting stage, and season. Lucerne hay comes in at 18 to 25% CP for well-managed irrigated crops. Lucerne has roughly double to triple the protein of a typical grass hay.

Fibre is where grass hay has the advantage. It is higher in ADF and NDF than lucerne, which makes it a better pure roughage source. For horses and ruminants that need high fibre intake to support gut health, grass hay provides more structural fibre per kilogram than lucerne.

Energy is comparable between good quality grass hay and lucerne, though lucerne is generally higher in metabolisable energy, particularly from irrigated crops.

Cost is where grass hay wins. It is typically considerably cheaper per tonne than lucerne. For maintenance feeding where protein is not the limiting factor, grass hay is the more economical choice.

Calcium is much higher in lucerne than in grass hays. This matters for horses where calcium to phosphorus ratios need managing, and for dairy cows with high calcium demands.

In practice, grass hay and lucerne are often used together rather than as alternatives. Grass hay provides the bulk roughage and fibre base, while lucerne provides the protein boost at critical production stages.

Yes. Grass hay is widely used for cattle across Australia and suits a range of feeding situations.

For beef cattle on maintenance, grass hay is a practical and cost-effective option. It provides adequate fibre and energy to carry dry cows and backgrounding cattle through dry periods in reasonable condition. Paired with access to water and a mineral lick, a good quality grass hay can maintain cattle well without supplementation.

For cattle with higher protein requirements such as weaners, cows in late pregnancy, or animals being prepared for joining, grass hay alone will not provide enough protein to drive the outcomes you want. At those production stages, adding lucerne or vetch hay to the ration makes a meaningful difference to condition and production performance.

For dairy cattle, grass hay can work as a fibre component within a total mixed ration alongside higher-protein feeds, but it is not adequate as the sole feed for high-producing cows.

The wide range in quality across grass hays means a feed test result is worth having before committing to large volumes, particularly if you are buying for a specific production purpose rather than general maintenance.

Grass hay can be suitable for horses and is commonly used, particularly in regions where purpose-grown equine cereal hays like oaten or wheaten hay are less available or more expensive.

The key requirements for feeding grass hay to horses are the same as for any horse hay. It needs to be weed-free or very low in weed content, well-cured with no mould, palatable, and ideally backed by a feed test result so you know what protein and energy levels you are working with.

For horses in light work or on maintenance, a good quality grass hay that provides adequate roughage and moderate energy is often perfectly sufficient. Horses need significant fibre intake for gut health and grass hay delivers this well.

For horses in regular work with higher protein and energy demands, grass hay alone may not be adequate. Supplementing with a portion of lucerne hay alongside the grass hay is a simple and effective way to lift the protein content of the ration.

For horses with metabolic conditions such as laminitis or insulin resistance, teff hay is the recommended choice because of its consistently low non-structural carbohydrate content. Not all grass hays are low in NSC and some warm-season grass hays can be surprisingly high in sugar at certain times of year.

Ryegrass endophyte is worth being aware of for horses fed ryegrass-dominant hay from certain regions of southern Australia. The endophyte fungus found in some perennial ryegrass varieties can cause ryegrass staggers. The risk is primarily associated with grazing affected pastures but is worth raising with your vet if you are sourcing ryegrass hay from endophyte-affected areas.

Yes. Grass hay is a practical everyday feed for both sheep and goats and is widely used across Australian sheep operations.

For dry ewes and wethers on maintenance, grass hay is well suited. It provides adequate fibre and energy for sheep in good condition that simply need to be carried through a dry period.

For ewes pre-lambing and lactating, grass hay alone will not meet the increased protein demands at those critical stages. From about four to six weeks before lambing, mixing in lucerne hay or vetch hay makes a real and measurable difference to lamb birth weights, ewe body condition, and milk production.

For weaner lambs, grass hay needs to be paired with a protein source to drive growth. Weaners have high protein requirements relative to body weight and a low-protein grass hay is not adequate on its own.

For finishing lambs, grass hay works well alongside grain as a roughage component in paddock or feedlot finishing rations.

For goats, the same broad principles apply as for sheep. Goats are browsers by nature and tend to do well on mixed and varied feeds. Grass hay suits maintenance feeding well but goats have higher protein requirements than sheep of equivalent weight, which is worth factoring into your feeding program at production stages.

The species composition of grass hay depends heavily on the region and what has been grown or established on the property.

In southern Australia, common grass species found in grass hay include:

1. Annual and perennial ryegrass: the dominant cool-season pasture grass in Victoria, SA, and southern NSW. Ryegrass hays are palatable and moderately nutritious.
2. Phalaris: a perennial cool-season grass common in higher-rainfall southern zones. Hay made from phalaris is also sold as canary hay.
3. Cocksfoot: a persistent perennial grass suited to drier southern zones. Less palatable than ryegrass but productive and drought tolerant.
4. Fescue: a cool-season perennial found in higher-rainfall and irrigated areas.
5. Annual bromes and annual grasses - often present in mixed pasture hays from dryland southern regions.

In northern Australia, common species in grass hay include:

1. Rhodes grass: the dominant tropical pasture hay species in QLD and northern NSW.
2. Buffel grass: widely naturalised across central and inland Queensland.
3. Green panic and guinea grass: productive tropical species used in some hay operations.
4. Paspalum and kikuyu: common in coastal subtropical regions.

In dryland cropping zones, grass hay is often dominated by whatever annual grasses and volunteer species have established as part of a pasture phase, which gives a variable and less predictable mix.

Yes, consistently and significantly. This is one of the most important nutritional differences between grass hays and legume hays, and it directly affects which livestock you can feed adequately on grass hay alone.

Typical crude protein ranges on a dry matter basis:

1. Grass hay: 6 to 12% depending on species, cutting stage, and season
2. Lucerne hay: 18 to 25% for well-managed irrigated crops
3. Vetch hay: 16 to 22%
4. Clover hay: 14 to 20% depending on species and composition

The gap between a typical grass hay and a legume hay is not marginal. Lucerne has roughly double to triple the protein of a typical grass hay. For livestock at maintenance with modest protein requirements, grass hay is adequate. For livestock at critical production stages where protein drives the outcome, including weaners, ewes pre-lambing, dairy cows in production, and performance horses, the protein in grass hay alone will not meet requirements.

The practical response for most operations is to use grass hay as the bulk roughage base and add a legume hay strategically at the production stages where the protein investment pays off. For a full breakdown of your legume hay options and how they compare, read Protein Hays and How They Compare.

Browse grass hay listings on LocalAg and use the location filter to search within a practical distance from your property. Every listing shows bale type, quantity, ex-farm price, and an indicative delivered price so you can compare the true cost before you contact a seller. All sellers are verified and transactions go through CheckVault escrow.

If there are no grass hay listings near you right now, post a free Wanted Ad on LocalAg. Tell us what you need including quantity, bale type, and any species preferences or feed test requirements, and our team will find a verified supplier. Grass hay is produced across most of Australia so supply is generally available in most regions at some point through the year.