AgTalk Home
AgTalk Home
Search Forums | Classifieds (115) | Skins | Language
You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

Horses on Alfalfa
View previous thread :: View next thread
   Forums List -> Stock TalkMessage format
 
Hay Wilson in TX
Posted 9/18/2009 08:30 (#851223 - in reply to #850124)
Subject: From one who sells hay.



Little River, TX
I try to discourage my horse owning customers from feeding alfalfa to the casual family pet horse.
There just is too much energy in alfalfa compared to grass hay. Therefore to keep them from becoming fat you have to limit feed the critters. A horse feels deprived if it is not eating 18 hours a day, so when you limit feed hay they will take to eating what ever else is around. Straw is good, boards, tree bark, tree leaves are not so good.
If the horse is a wet mare, or is in daily training for the track or rodeo then alfalfa is appropriate.

I have told this before:
There is at least one horse breeding farm in KY that instead of using high dollar special Ohio wheat straw for bedding, uses low quality grass hay. Something in the 6% CP range. After the alfalfa has been finished, the horses will nibble on their bedding. At least until it becomes too soiled for their liking. This, now soiled, hay is fed to the farms stocker cattle who thrive on it.
I took the man at his word.
Top of the page Bottom of the page


Jump to forum :
Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

(Delete cookies)