Hay - A Critical Crop
Hay is a critical crop for the world’s food supply.
It is the main food source for livestock. Sheep,
goats, horses, dairy and beef cows depend on
hay as their main food source.
Hay is made from different grasses and legumes
that grow in fields with good sunlight and
balanced soil chemistry. It provides proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals for
animal growth, health and milk production.
High quality hay contains both carbohydrates
and proteins. Livestock are animals with
specialized stomachs that can digest the tough
hay fibers and release these nutrients.
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Can you identify the hay customers above? Write the name of the animal below its picture.
variety of other birds are found in and around
hay fields.
The healthy soils support worms and insects for
rodent populations that provide food for hawks,
owls, foxes, coyotes and bobcats.
Hay fields not only provide food for livestock, but
they provide food and habitat for various other
wildlife. Deer, snakes, turkeys, pheasants and
Colorado Ag in the Classroom
Flowering hay plants support healthy bee
populations. Bees are necessary for fruit and
crop pollination. This makes the hay field a very
important part of the wildlife food chain.
On a sheet of paper draw a hay field food chain.
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