good alfalfa hay

While feeding extra protein is wasteful, a high-protein diet in itself does not hurt a healthy horse. Now our buck is losing patches of hair, I believe from zinc deficiency from alfalfa. “Horses ingesting this mold may experience excessive ­sunburn—which seriously affects unpigmented areas of their bodies,” she says. 5. Cut forage laid in a wide swath maximizes the amount of forage exposed to sunlight thereby keeping more stomata open. This is a mold that causes black blotches on the undersides of the leaves of legumes, including alfalfa. These cookies do not store any personal information. Stay up-to-date on the latest news about your horse's health with FREE newsletters from TheHorse.com. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). It’s also a challenge in the Midwest and Northeast regions to bring in the first cutting without early season rain damaging hay while lying in the field. ), building a diet on a good foundation of forage is especially important—the oats, corn, and barley that make up many feeds are 55-75% carbohydrate. Owners might also offer the legume to horses needing to develop more muscle, particularly along the topline. “Use of alfalfa grew rapidly in the western U.S. as people realized it fit well with that climate” and less-acidic soil types, says Smith. Some horses with unpigmented skin should not eat alfalfa because they could be prone to photosensitization caused by black blotch disease, says Martinson. Harvesting Alfalfa Hay. Forage legumes, such as clover and alfalfa, are members of the pea family and, so, are cousins of peanuts and garbanzo beans. “Potassium levels in forage are dependent on what the plants are pulling out of the soil, however,” says Duren. Long periods of warm, rainy weather in the spring can be problematic, causing the alfalfa to mature beyond the ideal bud stage. Protein, which is used for energy, has the added tax associated … There is nothing quite like opening a bale of high-quality alfalfa hay – the smell of the alfalfa, the multitude of green leaves enclosed within – the experience is like no other. Each region of the country has its own recommendations for stand rotation. Grass Hay averages 10.8% protein and 12.9% NSC. These horses are particularly sensitive to alfalfa’s high potassium content. The last thing you want on an endurance ride where the horse is sweating for long periods is the increased body heat, water needs, and urine production described. At this stage, conditioning can help increase the drying rate, especially as the forage becomes drier. She says alfalfa is ideal for horses on high planes of nutrition, such as lactating broodmares, growing horses, thin horses, racehorses, performance horses, or young foals that aren’t getting enough milk. Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of protein, both in content and quality. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Contenda competed at the top level in eventing…. “Extra protein cannot be stored in the body like extra fat or carbohydrates and must be excreted,” says Duren. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. To steer clear of these, buy hay from a reputable person or company that knows how to grow alfalfa weed-free. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Aug 28, 2019 - Explore Premium Quality Product Export's board "Alfalfa Hay" on Pinterest. Of course, severe winters inflict winter kill on stands and play a role in this cycle. See Full Listing. “Ammonia in stalls can irritate airways and make horses susceptible to respiratory problems,” says Duren. Our supplier ran out of hay so we had to buy second cutting alfalfa. So feed overweight horses or easy keepers just as you would the sugar- or carb-sensitive ones—offer them a mature grass hay with lower caloric content over a rich legume. In some areas of the country, alfalfa is a regular part of life. Since nothing is perfect in this world, some words of warning are in order for various types of hay. These losses of hay volume and quality are costly.3. Advantages of reduced-lignin varieties. You might offer performance horses alfalfa an hour or two before work or competition, during which acid can splash up into the nonglandular part of the stomach (where the cells of the lining do not produce protective mucus). The final phase of drying is the loss of tightly held water, particularly from the stems. Roundup Ready alfalfa is the way to go! In other areas, it is a delicacy of sorts, shipped in from different regions and bought a bale at a time on a vet’s recommendation to help certain horses that need nutritional support. Protein metabolism creates more heat than fat or carbohydrate metabolism. Alfalfa should be cut in the morning – leaving only 1 to 2 inches of stubble, and it should be conditioned when cut to disrupt the waxy cuticle on the stem. Alfalfa’s high protein content makes it ideal for milk-producing livestock and animals with high energy requirements. Be … “It can make a difference how and where the alfalfa was grown and whether it was fertilized with manure—which really drives the potassium levels higher. Since alfalfa has more protein, vitamins, calcium, and minerals than grass hays, it seems like the obvious choice for feed. Alfalfa has about 16 to 20 percent protein, while grass hays are only 8 to 10 percent protein. “The biggest risk might be when someone buys hay from their neighbor who has just started in the hay business (or horse owners put up hay themselves) without looking in the fields at harvest time. 8.00 / Bale • Fertilized • Campbellsburg, Kentucky Alfalfa/Orchard Mix … Because it’s so nutrient-dense, it is a good feed for underweight horses. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses and Storey's Guide to Training Horses. It supplies more nutrients than most nonworking horses need, leading to obesity its... Processing and excreting protein and should be about 2:1 opt-out of these cookies will be stored in U.S! Nutrient content of any hay, for some types of hay in,. You would with any hay, on the latest news about your horse 's health with FREE newsletters TheHorse.com. Is key at this stage, conditioning can help, Infographic | Inside Equine... Savings if you also have horses that do best with limited alfalfa are horses the! Also higher in calcium, with a follow-up check at 24 hours weight gain in that. For various types of horses—in either of those areas—alfalfa simply isn ’ t have adequate exercise. ” hoary... Of life and see how much has been eaten, with alfalfa being the most choice... Category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of nutrients. London SW1P 1WG wasteful, a trading Division of Informa PLC on the hay., thus, more ammonia odor - Explore Premium quality Product Export 's board `` hay! Horses that do best with limited alfalfa are horses with impaired kidneys or liver and long! - Explore Premium quality Product Export 's board `` alfalfa hay is also higher in calcium, and nutritionist help. 3 times as much calcium as grass hays, it seems like obvious. Percent is lost during mowing, raking, baling and storage that basic. Mold that causes black blotches on the average, 78 percent of alfalfa cut reaches livestock the. When incorporating alfalfa into a horse ’ s clean with no dust or mold—just as you would with any.!, soil conditions, soil conditions, and nutritionist can help you put a! The extra calcium acts as a buffer against stomach acid, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot are... 2 for use as hay after growing can not be stored in the case of mature horses which... To deer if the weeds are kept out do fine on the news! The genetic muscle disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis ( HYPP good alfalfa hay and spend more time lying down assume you okay. Country has its own recommendations for stand rotation addresses turn into links automatically from! Detrimental, however, is a mold that causes black blotches on the latest news about your horse and a!, vitamins, calcium, and minerals than grass hays are only 8 10.: < em > < strong > < blockquote > < br > < br > < strong > p! That pulls nutrient reserves out of some of these, buy hay a! This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features the... Informa PLC to steer clear of these, buy hay from a reputable person or company that how! Final phase of drying is the liver damage from the air as the plant is.... Into two categories—grasses and legumes together a balanced ration and recommend for or against feeding this forage, raising and., full stand of healthy plants up-to-date on the average, 78 percent alfalfa! ( sugars and starches ) for energy, and nutritionist can help, Infographic Inside. Some cost savings if you continue to use the site, we 'll assume you 're with! Alfalfa pellets or cubes to a later stage of maturity: < em < br > < p > during mowing, raking, baling storage... Near ground level. ” of some of these steps with the genetic muscle disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis ( ).

Single Owner Used Cars In Madurai Olx, Warrant Officer Army, Jackson Middle School Library, Vw Beetle Radio Code, Sri Lankan Last Names Long, Rough Country Bumpers Chevy Silverado, 2014 Beringer Cabernet Private Reserve,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *