For the best results, hay must be both palatable and nutritious. The most nutritious hay has little value if it is unpalatable and animals will not eat it. Ideally, for a balanced ration, hay should be tested by a forage testing laboratory to determine its feeding value. FS714 Analysis of Feeds and Forages for Horses provides detailed information regarding forage analysis. However, due to the time required for testing, many times this step is skipped.
Many individuals evaluate hay based on sight, smell and feel.
This system gives no quantitative value of protein or energy level in the hay. In the absence of forage testing, it is important to know what can generally be interpreted from looking at hay. When purchasing hay for feeding, the stage of maturity, color, leafiness, general condition and presence of foreign material are the most important factors to examine. All of these factors will have an influence on both palatability and nutritional value. As a hay crop approaches maturity, the palatability and digestibility decrease.