Understanding first cutting vs second cutting hay is one of the most useful things a New York hay buyer can learn. The cutting number tells you when in the season the hay was harvested, and that timing shapes its texture, nutrition, and best use. Get it right and you feed your animals well while spending less.
Below, we break down what each cutting actually is, bust the “second is always better” myth, and help you choose the right hay for your horses, cattle, or small livestock here in the Empire State.
What Does “Cutting” Mean?
A “cutting” simply refers to the order in which hay is harvested from a field during a single growing season. Grasses and legumes regrow after they’re mowed, so most NY fields produce two or three cuttings between late spring and early fall.
- First cutting is the earliest harvest, usually late May through June.
- Second cutting comes 30 to 45 days later, often in July.
- Third cutting (when weather allows) lands in late summer or early fall.
Each pass off the same field can look and feel quite different. The plant’s growth stage at harvest, the weather during curing, and the field’s management all leave their mark on the bale you eventually buy.
First Cutting Hay: Coarser, Stemmy, and Practical
First cutting is the plant’s initial burst of spring growth. Because it grows over a longer, cooler stretch, it tends to be coarser, with more stems and visible seed heads. The fiber content is generally higher, and the protein and energy are usually a bit lower than later cuttings.
First cutting can also carry more weeds and grass, since it captures whatever established itself over winter and early spring. Wet spring weather sometimes delays the harvest, which lets plants mature further and adds even more stem.
None of that makes first cutting “bad.” That higher fiber is exactly what many animals need:
- Cattle handle coarse forage well and often thrive on it.
- Easy-keeper horses and mature horses at maintenance benefit from a lower-calorie, higher-fiber hay that keeps them chewing without packing on weight.
- Goats, sheep, and other livestock frequently do fine on quality first cutting.
Good first cutting is still green, leafy enough, and free of mold and dust. Coarse does not mean careless. You can browse local options on our first cutting hay listings to compare what NY growers have available.
Second Cutting Hay: Leafier, Softer, Richer
Second cutting regrows during the warm heart of summer. It matures faster, so it’s typically leafier, softer, and finer-stemmed, with a higher leaf-to-stem ratio. Since much of a plant’s nutrition sits in the leaves, second cutting often carries more protein and energy.
That combination makes it a favorite for:
- Performance and growing horses that need more calories and protein.
- Picky eaters that turn up their noses at stemmy hay.
- Hard keepers, seniors with worn teeth, and lactating animals with higher demands.
Second cutting also tends to have fewer weeds, since the field was already cleaned up by the first harvest. If you’re feeding horses in particular, our second cutting hay selection is a good place to start your search.
What About Third Cutting?
When the season cooperates, some NY growers get a third cutting in late summer or early fall. Third cutting is usually the softest and leafiest of all, and it can be very rich. That richness is a plus for animals needing extra nutrition, but it can be too much for easy keepers or horses prone to metabolic issues.
Third cutting is less common in New York than in warmer states, and cooler fall weather can make it harder to cure properly. When you find good third cutting, treat it as a premium, higher-energy forage rather than an everyday default.
The “Second Is Always Better” Myth
Plenty of buyers assume second cutting is automatically the superior choice. It isn’t. The right cutting depends entirely on the animal you’re feeding and on the quality of the specific bale in front of you.
A rich second cutting can be a poor match for an overweight, easy-keeping horse that gains too easily on high calories. Meanwhile, a clean, well-cured first cutting can be the ideal maintenance forage. Cornell Cooperative Extension and other land-grant forage programs stress that a hay’s actual nutrient value comes from a lab analysis, not from the cutting number alone. If precise nutrition matters for your herd, a forage test is the only way to know for sure. Penn State Extension offers helpful guidance on interpreting hay analysis results at extension.psu.edu.
In short: quality curing, storage, and freedom from mold and dust matter more than the cutting label. A moldy second cutting is worse than a bright, clean first cutting every single time.
How New York’s Season Shapes Your Cuttings
New York’s climate gives hay its own regional character. Our springs can be wet and cool, which sometimes pushes first cutting later and adds maturity (and stem) to that harvest. Summer heat drives fast regrowth for a leafy second cutting, while our shorter fall limits how reliably growers can bring in a third.
Weather at harvest time also matters. Hay needs several dry days to cure in the field, and a well-timed NY window produces bright, sweet-smelling bales. Buying from local growers means the hay matches your region’s conditions and hasn’t been trucked long distances, which helps protect quality and keep costs down.
How to Choose the Right Cutting
Match the hay to the animal, then judge the individual bale on its own merits. A few quick guidelines:
- Easy keepers, mature horses, cattle: lean toward clean first cutting for more fiber and fewer calories.
- Performance horses, hard keepers, seniors, picky eaters: lean toward second or third cutting for richer nutrition and softer texture.
- Any animal: demand green color, a fresh sweet smell, dry bales, and zero mold, dust, or heavy weeds.
- When in doubt: ask the seller about the cutting, curing, and storage, and consider a forage test for animals with special needs.
Mixing cuttings across the season is common too. Many owners feed first cutting as a base and add second cutting for animals that need the extra energy.
Find the Right Hay Near You
First and second cutting hay each have their place, and the “best” choice is the one that fits your animals and passes your quality check. Now that you know what to look for, you can shop with confidence instead of guessing from the label.
Ready to buy? Browse current listings from local growers on our hay for sale marketplace, filter by cutting and type, and connect directly with New York sellers near you. Empire State Haymarket makes it easy to find quality hay that matches your herd and your budget.
