What Does Alfalfa Do For Horses?
“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).
Should you feed your horse alfalfa?
Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.
Can alfalfa put weight on a horse?
Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.
How much alfalfa should a horse eat a day?
The daily dry matter intake of an adult horse performing light work should be about 1.8% of its body weight each day. At least 65% of this amount should be forage. In other words, a 1,000 lb horse should be fed 18 pounds of dry matter each day.
Can horses eat alfalfa every day?
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.
Is grass or alfalfa better for horses?
Overall, grass lacks in nutrients, but it is a very common choice among horse owners. Some horses can be allergic to Alfalfa and so grass is the better option.
Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?
Answer. Alfalfa (lucerne) products, whether hay, cubes, or pellets, are not known to cause kidney problems in horses.
What’s the best feed to fatten up a horse?
If increased amounts of hay aren’t enough, try offering a higher quality hay such as alfalfa or an immature grass hay. Alfalfa tends to be higher in energy and protein and lower in sugar. Alfalfa can be fed as hay or as cubes/pellets.
Not enough calories
- Rice bran.
- Flax seed.
- Vegetable oil.
- Dried granular fats.
How much alfalfa should I feed my 1000 pound horse?
Usually 12 to 15 lbs of a complete feed are needed to meet the average 1000 lb horse’s daily needs, which, if split into only two feedings, will overwhelm the horse’s digestive capacity.
Is timothy or alfalfa better for horses?
Alfalfa hay is typically higher in protein and essential nutrients than timothy hay, making Alfalfa a better option for more active animals that need a high-protein diet. Alfalfa also has more calories per pound than timothy, so it’s generally the preferred choice of sport horse owners.
Can you feed a horse too much alfalfa pellets?
Alfalfa cubes and pellets can cause colic.
If allowed, horses eat more alfalfa cubes and pellets than is healthy. And pellets are concentrated in alfalfa hay, increasing the risk of colic. A horse will likely eat all the alfalfa cubes they have available, but when fed alfalfa hay, they are picky and often waste some.
Should horses have hay all time?
Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they’re asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that’s a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.
Does alfalfa have more sugar than grass hay?
Horses that have Equine Metabolic Syndrome (insulin resistance) and are prone to laminitis may be sensitive to alfalfa, most likely because alfalfa has more sugar and is higher in starch than most grass hays.
Does alfalfa make horses thirsty?
Yes. Horses that are fed alfalfa have a tendency to drink more water. As a result, horses being fed this high protein and mineral rich legume have wetter stalls.
Does alfalfa make horses pee more?
The excess nitrogen in high protein feeds will be excreted in the urine, so horse owners that feed alfalfa to adult horses may find that the horses drink more water and urinate more than when they use a grass hay. It is a common myth that excess protein causes bone and joint problems in growing horses.
Should I feed my horse alfalfa in the winter?
Do not be afraid to feed alfalfa! Alfalfa is a great way to increase the protein level of most forage sources. Feeding an alfalfa/grass hay mix is a great source of hay for that ‘
What keeps horses warm in winter?
“A full winter hair coat is perfect for insulating the horse against the cold winter weather. However, that insulation is lost if the hair coat gets wet. Providing shelter allows the horse to stay dry on wet, snowy days and, ultimately, allows them to stay warm.” Another way to keep horses warm is to feed them hay.
Is Clover better than alfalfa?
Clover also has polyphenol oxidase enzymes that inhibit protein breakdown for more bypass protein — 25-35% — than alfalfa — 15-25% — thus enabling lower-cost rations as they have less added, very expensive bypass protein.
What can I feed my horse instead of hay?
Six Hay Alternatives for Horses
- Bagged chopped forage. It can replace all of your horse’s hay, if necessary.
- Hay cubes. Chopped cubed hay (usually alfalfa or timothy or a combination) is another 100-percent replacement.
- Hay pellets.
- “Complete” feed.
- Beet pulp.
- Soybean hulls.
What are the cons of alfalfa?
Feeding Alfalfa is an excellent alternative to feeding excessive concentrates to get more calories into a horse’s diet. Cons: Alfalfa can be difficult to grow as it requires good drainage and soil fertility to grow well. Alfalfa cannot survive close grazing and tramping so is not as hardy as grass for your pasture mix.
What are the risks of alfalfa?
Long-term use of alfalfa, especially the seeds, has an immune-stimulating effect and can worsen autoimmune conditions such as lupus and multiple sclerosis. Weak estrogenic effects make use of alfalfa in patients with risks for breast or uterine cancer inadvisable.
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