Is Bermuda Or Alfalfa Better For Horses?

For horses with high protein needs, Bermuda hay is not the best option. It has a rather low protein content compared to, for instance, alfalfa hay. If Bermuda grass is harvested in a mature state, it also becomes harder to digest. This is because of an increase in fiber with its maturity.

Is alfalfa better than Bermuda grass?

But the primary difference between the two is that Alfalfa hay generally contains more protein than Bermuda hay. Higher protein content means that horses tend to feel full before they have absorbed all the necessary nutrients.

What is the healthiest hay for horses?

Alfalfa, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil are common types of legumes, with alfalfa being the most popular choice. Benefits: Legumes are higher in protein and calcium than grass hay, and may also provide more energy and a higher level of total digestible nutrients, such as vitamin A.

What grass makes the best hay for horses?

There are two primary types of horse hay: legume and grass. Alfalfa is the best variety of legume hay, and Orchard grass is the grass hay I recommend; however, Timothy, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are also excellent choices.

Is grass hay or alfalfa better for horses?

Grass hay typically has lower nutritional values than alfalfa hay, and is also lower in calcium, making it closer to a more desirable Ca:P. ratio (between 3:1 to 1:1). Also, grass hay is often less dusty than alfalfa hay, so it a good choice for horses that have respiratory issues.

Can you mix alfalfa and Bermuda grass?

“Alfalfa, interseeded into bermudagrass, will boost the relative forage quality (RFQ) of harvested forage by 25 to 40 units,” noted Jennifer Tucker, an assistant professor with the University of Georgia. “Adding legumes such as alfalfa to grass will both improve forage quality and enhance animal performance.”

Is Bermuda grass good for horses?

The soluble carbohydrates and protein of bermudagrass herbage are low and unlikely to cause nutritional problems in horses. There are no alkaloids or other harmful mycotoxins normally present in bermudagrass in Kentucky.

Which grass hay is not recommended for horses?

Hoffman said there are a few grasses to avoid in hay or forage if you are feeding horses. They include: Perennial ryegrass and rye.

What is the most popular hay for horses?

Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to horses. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content.

Is Bermuda or timothy hay better for horses?

For all of these reasons, timothy hay is an excellent choice for horse owners who are looking for nutritious and healthy hay for their animals. Bermudagrass hay is typically the cheapest grass hay for horses, so it’s a good option for horse owners on a budget.

How much Bermuda hay should I feed my horse?

When properly managed, bermudagrass has a high digestibility and handles overgrazing and treading fairly well. So why the bad reputation? Horses need to consume approximately two percent of their body weight daily. At least one percent of their body weight needs to be in some type of forage.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

Answer. Alfalfa (lucerne) products, whether hay, cubes, or pellets, are not known to cause kidney problems in horses.

Is alfalfa too rich for horses?

Alfalfa is not good for all horses.
Alfalfa will fatten horses not burning the excess calories in alfalfa. You shouldn’t feed horses with liver or kidney problems high protein diets, including alfalfa. It’s is also not a good idea to feed endurance horses too much alfalfa.

What is the best feed for horses?

Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

What pasture is good for horses?

Kikuyu
Kikuyu is the most common coastal NSW horse pasture because of its ability to persist. It contains an oxalate that inhibits the uptake of calcium. This deficiency can be overcome by supplementary feeding a calcium supplement (see below) or by overseeding ryegrass and clover into the kikuyu in autumn.

What is the best grass to mix with alfalfa?

Desired alfalfa/grass mixes can be maintained by picking appropriate grass species and varieties. Timothy and smooth bromegrass tend to produce too much forage in the spring but little the rest of the year so we recommend mixing either orchardgrass, tall fescue, or mea- dow fescue with alfalfa.

Is Bermuda grass good for hay?

Bermudagrass is productive from spring until fall and is well-suited for grazing or hay production. It is a high-yielding grass; 5 to 7 tons of hay per acre can be produced with good management and ample moisture.

Will Bermuda grass overtake other grass?

Bermuda grass will spread quickly and begin to choke out Centipede grass once the seed takes root. This is because Bermuda grass spreads both through aboveground stolons (runners) and belowground rhizomes (roots). Centipede grass spreads slowly in comparison.

Does Bermuda hay cause colic in horses?

Ileal-cecal impaction has been associated with diets consisting of Bermuda grass hay, which has led some individuals to advocate that the hay should not be fed to horses. Symptoms of ileal-cecal impaction include mild to sever colic with obstruction of the intestinal lumen at the junction of the ileum and cecum.

Does Bermuda hay make horses hot?

This particular ratio means horses feel full with a more reasonable amount of hay, compared to alfalfa, which can satisfy a horse’s nutritional needs without filling them up. As a result, horses can eat a lot of this hay without getting “hot” from an excess of energy.

Is Bermuda grass high in sugar?

That said, species that are lower in sugars and allow for longer grazing times include timothy, brome orchardgrass, bermudagrass, and teff.