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What is orchard grass?
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a perennial, cool-season, tall-growing, grass that does not have rhizomes or stolons (bunch-type grass). It starts growth early in spring, develops rapidly, and flowers during May under Pennsylvania conditions. Orchardgrass is more tolerant of shade, drought, and heat than is timothy, perennial ryegrass, or Kentucky bluegrass but also grows well in full sunlight.
Orchardgrass is adapted to the better well-drained soils and is especially well adapted for mixtures with legumes such as alfalfa or red clover. It will generally persist longer than the other cool-season grasses in frequently cut, properly managed, alfalfa mixtures. Orchardgrass is a versatile grass and can be used for pasture, hay, green chop, or silage. A high-quality grass, it will provide excellent feed for most classes of livestock.
Source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uc088.pdf
What is timothy grass?
Timothy - Grass was unintentionally introduced to North America by early settlers in 1711 by John Herd and he named the Grass "herd grass". In 1720 a farmer named Timothy Hanson began to cultivate this hay and it has been known by its present name since then. Timothy has now become naturalized throughout most of the US and Canada.
How to recognize Timothy hay
Timothy hay is a wide bladed bright green coarse hay with long seed heads measuring one to three inches on the first cutting. The second cutting is softer and darker with smaller heads.
The Cuttings
There are two cuttings of Timothy grass. The first cutting is coarser, lower in protein and offers more chewing time. First cutting Timothy is usually used for race horses and export to the Pacific Rim. The second cutting is brighter in color, softer and much preferred by the retail client due to its color and texture. Often horses eat it much faster (remember, faster is not always better. ) Timothy hay is high in fiber, especially when cut late. It is considered part of standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses.
Timothy is Recommended
We often recommend Timothy hay for horses in intensive training programs. Timothy hay is excellent for impaction and colic prone horses and is fed to horses by surgical clinics after impaction surgery in conjunction with alfalfa. Timothy hay is excellent for foundered and obese horses and it has been said to help mares foal 40% easier. We recommend Timothy hay for horses that are confined to a stable and have created bad habits.
What is bromegrass?
This high-yielding grass is best suited to hay production. The grass grows tall and erect and the stems are leafy, making it a good crop for haying. Although it is very aggressive in a mixture, its tendency to establish itself slowly and its high nitrogen requirement make it well suited for use in mixtures with alfalfa. It should be managed so as to maintain the alfalfa in the mixture. Yields of hay from this mixture are often three times those from bromegrass alone. Properly nodulated alfalfa provides it with the much needed nitrogen.
Bromegrass is high in protein compared to other grasses at similar stages of maturity, especially timothy. However, it is low in energy while timothy is high. These differences in quality are normally less important than total production, however, and the choice between timothy and bromegrass can normally be made on the basis of dry matter yield.
Source: http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/articles/forage/species/grasses/Smoothbromegrass.htm
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