Can You Over Feed Alfalfa To A Horse?

Overfeeding of alfalfa hay and other feeds can lead to excess energy intake, but the high levels of protein and calcium of alfalfa hay by themselves have not been shown as individual factors in developmental orthopedic disease.

Can you overfeed a horse alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay can cause diarrhea in a horse that overeats it because the hay is rich and full of nutrients. Overeating alfalfa can also cause a horse to have excess gas, develop laminitis, and founder.

How much alfalfa can a horse have per day?

Alfalfa Hay Feeding Limits – Alfalfa hay (bale, cube, or pellet) should not exceed more than 50% of the total forage consumed per day. Alfalfa is high in protein and calcium however, if fed as the only forage source will adversely influence the relationship of these nutrients to energy.

How much alfalfa should I feed my 1000 pound horse?

15-20 lbs per day
For a horse who eats little hay, however, you will need to feed his entire ration as pellets. Usually 15-20 lbs per day of alfalfa or timothy pellets for a 1000# horse.

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.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

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

Can too much alfalfa cause laminitis?

Alfalfa hay can cause horses to founder and develop laminitis due to the excess nutrients provided by the high quality hay if too much is fed. If switching from grass hay to alfalfa, generally less alfalfa is required to provide the same nutrients present in the grass hay.

Can you overfeed your horse on hay?

But it’s easy to go overboard when feeding them with the wrong hard feeds or hay that is too high in sugar or protein. Overfeeding leads to problems like obesity, laminitis, and colic. Healthy horses need a very simple diet of good pasture or hay.

How often should I feed my horse alfalfa?

Because of the limited capacity of its stomach, a horse should be fed small amounts of feed often. Unfortunately, domesticated horses are fed once or twice a day and if stabled, spend much of the day not eating.

How many bales should a horse have per day?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

Can a horse colic on alfalfa pellets?

Any feed material can cause a digestive impaction if it is consumed rapidly. Many horses are safely fed diets consisting solely of alfalfa pellets without problems. However, poor quality alfalfa pellets or a rapid change to an alfalfa pellet diet can contribute to colic symptoms.

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.

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.

Is alfalfa high in sugar for horses?

Alfalfa Has Low Starch and Sugar Content
When oil is added as a coating to alfalfa, sugar levels are typically less than 5%. Feeds are rarely (if ever) sugar free, as even straw contains some sugar, but the low-sugar and starch content does highlight the alfalfa health benefits for your horse.

Why does alfalfa make horses hot?

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. Protein metabolism creates more heat than fat or carbohydrate metabolism. This added heat can impair the horse’s ability to dissipate heat.

Does alfalfa gain weight 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.

Can horses colic from too much hay?

Too much forage, especially in the form of fresh grass, might cause colic or other metabolic problems.

What happens when a horse is overfed?

Overfed Horse
Overfeeding can lead to a host of physical problems, ranging from excess weight that contributes to degenerative joint disease to equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis. Some horses develop hay belly, especially if they consume a large volume of lower quality feed.

What happens if horses overeat?

It very well may be a critical and time sensitive, life-threatening emergency. Possible consequences of this grain overload are diarrhea, colic, colitis, endotoxemia, metabolic acidosis and laminitis (founder). There are several factors that will influence the progression of events after such an overeating incident.

Can a horse survive on hay alone?

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.