nutritional value of alfalfa hay for horses

For example, providing a nutrient-dense forage like vegetative alfalfa hay to ‘easy keepers’ can create obesity issues; however, that same hay would be good option for a performance … Most nutritionists agree that exceeding the protein and calcium requirements is not harmful for normal healthy horses. If pasture is a feed source, horses with a mature weight of 1,000 to 1,200 pounds generally need the following amount of pasture: mare and foal, 1.75 to 2 acres; year-lings, 1.5 to 2 acres; and weanlings, 0.5 to 1 acre. “The biggest benefit of alfalfa for horses is that it tends to be more nutrient-dense than most grasses when harvested at the same stage of maturity,” says Martinson. It typically contains more digestible energy, more crude protein and calcium, and fewer nonstructural carbohydrates (sugars and starches). In some parts of the U.S., a small percentage of horses fed alfalfa hay have developed intestinal stones. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. Legume hay, specifically alfalfa, tends to contain up to three times more calcium than grass hay. Horse Nutrition: Alfalfa hay for horses is a very rich horse feed containing ample protein, beta carotene, chlorophyll and trace minerals. Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. The average adult horse requires 10-11% crude protein in their overall diet. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. “So we often mix the horses who receive legumes and look for a low sugar grass hay to go with it. What are the pros and cons of choosing teff hay for horses? Pregnant and … The simple answer is “no,” since alfalfa hay is an excellent source of protein, calories, calcium and Vitamin A for horses. A fortified grain concentrate can be used to supplement the ration, increasing its energy, protein, vitamin and mineral content. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it’s also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses. Alfalfa forage is moderately high in protein, calories, and digestible fiber and is low in sugar. Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of highly available calcium, but unfortunately is often a poor source of phosphorus. If Bermuda grass is harvested in a mature state, it also becomes harder to digest. Even the timothy hay overdose is not harmful, the high fiber dose, balanced protein, and high energy content make it easily digestible. U.S., with Arizona hay producers contributing about 1.3 million tons of this alfalfa. Mature horses require 10 to 12 percent CP (crude protein) in their diets. However, grass hay meets the nutrition needs of the majority of horses while also making them feel full without excessive calories or energy. Understanding Harvest Stages on Nutritional Value Alfalfa hay is high in good-quality protein. “Pure alfalfa hay, as found in second cut hay, can have protein levels up to and exceeding 18 percent protein. Hay of the third cutting is thick, green, and very nutritious, containing more legumes and high protein and fat content. Protein is essential for both the growth and repair of … of hay per day. This blog post is courtesy of Jennifer Earing, PhD, University of Minnesota. So a 500kg horse would need to eat, per day, roughly: 15.25kg of hay 31.25kg of haylage 50kg of grass*. Yes they are 35% Teff Grass and 65% Alfalfa. But some farmers do use alfalfa cubes to feed horses. Alfalfa is also rich in … Alfalfa contains between 15 – 22% crude protein. Alfalfa had the highest yield at 6.9 tons per acre in comparison to perennial ryegrass (3.2 tons per acre) and teff (2.8 tons per acre). Alfalfa is a high protein forage, so it makes an excellent supplement for horses that are protein deficient or for horses that have higher protein requirements such as senior horses or pregnant or lactating mares. Next, the young horse requires calcium and phosphorus in the correct ratio to one another. Hi, Horses need a minimum of 1.5% bwt/day in forage. Alfalfa is an excellent source of protein and energy, according to Wright. The quality of the hay will determine how much is needed and if supplemental grain should be added. Good alfalfa can be 18-20% protein and 55% TDN or energy. But in general, Horses consume approximately 11/2-2 lbs of alfalfa pellets per day, depending on their size, body, and capacity. But alfalfa also isn’t for every horse—when making a decision about whether to incorporate alfalfa into your feeding program, it’s important to be informed about its strengths and weaknesses. Alfalfa is a legume hay and is possibly one of the most well-known types of legume hay. Table 1. Alfalfa cubes provide horses the same nutritional benefits as alfalfa hay in a much more convenient form; their high protein content and palatability make them an excellent choice for horses in many stages of life and at different workload levels. This means that alfalfa plants can take up more calcium than grass – chopped alfalfa contains between 30 and 50% more calcium than grass forages. “Adult horses require 10 to 11 percent crude protein in their overall diet, while growing horses require 12 to 14 percent,” he says. It is not unusual for mid-bloom alfalfa hay to have a crude protein content of 17% or greater. "The nutritional value will be depended on the stage of maturity the crop was at harvest" Coleman said. Martinson says that a horse with insulin resistance or overweight needs to eat a lower-sugar hay (the Alfalfa). This feed has more fiber. The use of alfalfa hay in horse diets is usually touted; however, negative and incorrect information is out there. They contain twice as much protein, three times the calcium and have the highest vitamin content. Alfalfa hay can be used to provide energy, good quality protein and a source of fibre to the diet of a performance horse; however, it must be used in moderation. Published December, 2011. Grass Hay averages 10.8% protein and 12.9% NSC. Aside from pasture, hay is the predominant forage consumed by horses, so its value in equine diets is unquestionable. Alfalfa Hay is also higher in Calcium, with about 3 times as much as Grass Hay. Recently, there’s been minimal information regarding the effects of particle size and buffering capacity of alfalfa on the horse stomach lining. 1kg of dry matter forage would be approximately 1.22kg of hay, 2.5kg of haylage and 4kg of grass (from grazing, not a bag). In 17.5 pounds of grass, hay provides 15.75 mega calories of digestible energy, 14 pounds of crude protein, and 39 grams of calcium. A mixed grass/alfalfa mix is a good choice if your horse doesn’t require the high nutritional value of pure alfalfa. And the good news? To eliminate mold commonly found in hay bales, West Chester, Pa., equine veterinarian Frank Reilly suggests “flash soaking” — tearing pieces of hay off of the bale, putting them in a hay net and then under a heavy rock in a bucket of water for 10 minutes. Like Bermuda, it’s a good grass hay candidate for your horses. Due to alfalfa's high protein and mineral content, your horse will likely drink more water when being fed this legume. Blister beetles contain a toxin that can be fatal to horses. horse should be above 1 lb of hay for each 100 lb of body weight. Protein metabolism creates more heat than fat or carbohydrate metabolism. Alfalfa is especially helpful for a hard keeper because of its high caloric value and horses love to eat it. It sounds like you are watching body condition and would adjust the feeding rate according to the body condition. In a pasture setting, says Martinson, horses can graze alfalfa in … So, if you want to give your horse, rabbits, or other animals more roughage, then you should pick on Timothy hay. The roots of the alfalfa plant can reach 100 feet into the ground so it can reach minerals that are absent in shallow soils. Is It Okay to Feed Moldy Hay to My Horse? To avoid a big hay belly or to provide supplemental energy for work and protein, alfalfa cubes are generally available everywhere at the feed store. Third Cutting. nutrient value and palatability. During certain times of year, hay may be the only forage available to horses and therefore the selection of well-preserved hay harvested at the appropriate stage of maturity is critical. The price is the same as the Oat & Alfalfa and the straight Alfalfa Cubes. The nutritional value of hay is related to leaf content. Alfalfa hay that may be contaminated with blister beetles should not be fed to horses. Alfalfa is also a popular horse hay since it is widely available. Alfalfa is high in protein, calcium, and Vitamin A. Also, alfalfa hay generally provides a high content of digestible protein along with quality sources of energy, Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin A. Oat hay also has a higher Magnesium level, with low Calcium. When compared to alfalfa cut at the same level of maturity as oat hay, oat hay is lower in crude protein and lower in digestible energy. Alfalfa is a good source of nutrients for sport horses, but owners might want to avoid offering it when horses are working hard in hot weather, says Duren. The excess protein in alfalfa is broken down into carbohydrates and used as an energy source. It is clear that the nutritional value of quality alfalfa hay make it a valuable addition to equine diets. If you want her to gain weight, she needs more. To grow a sound skeleton, young horses first need adequate amounts of both calcium and phosphorus. Heavily pregnant or lactating mares, and young rapidly growing horses, benefit from alfalfa’s high protein content. The leaves of grass hay have more nutrients and are more digestible when the plant is immature and growing, and more fiber when the plant has reached full growth. Alfalfa hay is a very digestible feed source that is high in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. With the exception of milking mares, most 66- to 122- pound horses need from ¾ to 1 pound of digestible protein daily. Alfalfa is also rich in vitamin k and bioflavanoids. Clean, dust free alfalfa can be a useful hay for horses if it is fed with an understanding of its nutrient value and nutrient needs of various types of horses. Alfalfa contains between 15 – 22% crude protein. A horse’s need for protein is relatively low and is easy to meet with alfalfa. However, it lacks in terms of energy levels, calcium, and vitamin A content. Alfalfa’s nutritional value remains relatively constant whether a horse eats it two months or two years post-harvest. Horses fed to appetite consumed 17 to 25% more cubed alfalfa than long-stem hay. And, let’s face it - horses love the taste of alfalfa hay! Diet balancers, while very dense in their protein, vitamins and minerals, are lower in calories themselves. Calories Per Pound: Green Pasture: 245: Orchard Grass Hay: 872: Alfalfa Hay : 977: Timothy Hay : 804: Alfalfa Pellets : 970: Corn : 1,536: Premium Oats : 1,250: Beet Pulp : 1,059: Farr Maintain : 1,800: Compete : 1,500: Youth : 1,400: Equine Shine (Rice Bran) 1,600 It has a rather low protein content compared to, for instance, alfalfa hay. It is a blend of timothy, oat and alfalfa hay chopped really short for easier chewing and digestibility. Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Many different types of analyses are available, and the cost can range from $10-20 per sample to more than $100. An excellent source of protein and roughage for all classes of horses and large livestock. Expect your animal to get 8% of proteins but 32% of fiber content. This is the reasoning behind "alfalfa makes my horse hot." This change can lead to nutritional challenges for many horses due to: ... Alfalfa Hay for Horses. 2-2.5% is the general rule. It’s important to be aware of this possible deficiency when feeding horses hay that is more than a year old; a vitamin A supplement may be needed. Armed with this new information, adding more flakes of hay to the daily ration put the horse right back on track. The best way to know the nutritional quality of Timothy hay is to take a representative sample from the hay lot and send it to a laboratory for a guaranteed analysis. Should horses eat alfalfa? Underweight horses benefit from eating a higher percentage of alfalfa hay. It’s mixed with a little molasses to make it tasty and the fat is super low at 1.5% so the horse won’t gain too much weight. Alfalfa is nutritionally dense. It contains high levels of calcium, as well as magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, lysine, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid. Alfalfa helps slow down sugar absorption into the blood. This can make it a useful dietary addition to the feed for metabolic horses if they can tolerate it. Excess protein in the diet of working horses and particularly those that are stabled can be detrimental to their health and performance. When acreage is very limited (less than an acre per horse), exercise may be the main pasture use. Analyses of Timothy hay harvested at several stages of maturity are shown in Figure 1. Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. Generally alfalfa is a good hay to feed horses, but there are caveats: However, from a practical standpoint, it’s best to feed alfalfa hay mixed with grass hay. As long as your horse is working at light levels, it benefits from eating small portions of alfalfa hay. But too much alfalfa can cause serious health issues. Long-term storage does increase the dryness of hay in some instances. This can become important when considering the ideal Calcium:Phosphorus ratio for horses, which should be about 2:1. Smith says that many factors can impact the levels of protein, energy and minerals, including harvest conditions and maturity. 1. So, if Alfalfa … The net energy of milk production of alfalfa hay in the first and full bloom stages is 1.23 and 1.68 Mcal/kg, which is close to medium energy feed. Feeding alfalfa hay as half of a horse’s roughage will meet this need. the cubes than for long-stem alfalfa hay. It’s also higher in calories and lower in fiber than grass hay. Alfalfa is the most popular type of legume hay fed to horses, followed by clover hay. The nutrients provided by rhizoma peanut hay meet the nutritional needs of horses at maintenance, while resulting in less nitrogen excretion than alfalfa.”. Horses can graze legume pastures and obtain the same nutritional benefits as they would eating legume hay. It’s been thought that a long-stem forage source was a better form of forage to feed than a smaller particle size. If your horse is having digestive or metabolic problems, Teff Combination Cubes may be a good option for you. A good-quality grass hay may meet most of the adult horse's basic nutritional needs. Alfalfa hay has 120% the calorie content of most grass hay. Grass hay falls short of meeting the nutrient requirements of high production life stages, but is an excellent filler for horses that require bulk in the diet. However, it lacks fiber compared to first and second cuttings, and horses need a lot of fiber, plus it can be difficult for them to digest. The types of hay we work with that are the most common are: Grass hay and legume hay. Therefore, it takes less hay to meet a horse's nutrient needs when feeding alfalfa hay. Forage selection should be based on horse needs, as there is no one forage best suited for all classes of horses. Other hays grown in our state contributed in excess of 100,000 tons of annual production. These levels are a bit low for its daily needs of digestible energy, and to hit its daily requirements; you need to supplement its diet with grain, more grass hay, or alfalfa. These legumes make a good feed choice for growing foals, pregnant and lactating mares, as they have higher nutritional needs during this period in their lives. Alfalfa hay analysis will vary depending on the time of year the alfalfa hay was harvested, the soil conditions in which it was grown, etc., but an average alfalfa hay analysis will be around this range: Alfalfa Hay Analysis (average) Crude Protein – 15.0% – 22.0% Crude Fiber – 25.0% Non Structural Carb (NSC) – 8.75% – 13.25% Alfalfa Cubes are formed by coarsely grinding Premium Colorado Sun Cured Long Stem Alfalfa and forcing it through a large dye. Also, the ratio of calcium minerals to phosphorus is 2 to 1.

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