258 Western Live-stock Management 
amount of crude fiber, but when well cured is palatable. 
It is usually high-priced and is not a good hay for grow- 
ing stock unless supplemented with other feeds. Horses 
do not eat as much timothy as alfalfa, vetch, or clover, 
which is an advantage in the hands of a feeder who per- 
sists in keeping the mangers full regardless of the needs of 
the horse. 
Cheat hay is largely grown in some of the western 
sections, and is used in place of timothy. It is somewhat 
more woody in its general character, and is not well 
adapted for growing stock. When used for work horses, 
the energy needed, as in the case of feeding timothy, 
must be largely supplied by the use of concentrated 
feeds. : 
Alfalfa hay is standard throughout the West. The 
first cutting is preferred for horses, as it is of a less laxative 
nature, and therefore does not have as washy an effect. 
Usually it is considered advisable to feed some other hay 
with alfalfa, but in some sections where the horses are 
used to it, very fair results have been attained when the 
entire feed is alfalfa. On account of the large amount of 
protein involved, there is occasionally some trouble with 
kidneys. 
Clover hay is not as rich in protein, but practically 
as rich in digestible matter as alfalfa, and when well 
cured it is an excellent hay for growing stock. Clover 
is very often dusty if improperly cured and therefore care 
must be taken in the feeding of it, especially with work 
horses, in order to prevent any trouble with the wind. It 
is also laxative and somewhat washy for hard-worked 
horses. 
‘Vetch hay is very laxative for horses, especially when it 
is cut when somewhat immature, which is the best stage 
