If the hay has an NDF above 65% and an ADF above 45% it will provide little nutrient value to your horse. Common grass hay includes orchard grass, timothy and coastal Bermuda, less common are bromegrass and fescue. “For forages, I like to make sure the forage is under 12% NSC. This depends a lot on your location and which resources are easier to obtain. Horses and ponies in their natural environment are grazing animals - they spend many hours a day eating grass. Alfalfa contains higher concentrations of protein and calcium compared to timothy hay (Table 1). Depending on where you live, timothy hay can be hard to get a hold of. It’s not. What kind to buy? One reason horse owners often avoid clover is its propensity for mold. The most productive and popular legume hay is Alfalfa as it is a highly nutritious and a high yield crop. 3. Id like to hear the pros and cons for each choice. We now understand, however, that excess protein in alfalfa is converted into energy compounds, and the nitrogen produced in this conversion must be eliminated as ammonia. People once thought that feeding alfalfa hay to horses caused kidney damage because of increased urination and ammonia production. Full bloom alfalfa hay 24 0 0 8 Mature timothy hay 0 0 0 7 Commercial concentrate** 0 0 8 13 Salt Free choice Free choice Free choice Free choice * Note that diet B for a recreational horse provides feed intake below 2 lb /100 lb of body weight. The difference between Alfalfa and Timothy hay is one that often confuses many rabbit and guinea pig owners, especially first-timers! First, cut hay also has a lower fat and protein content. It can replace all of your horse's hay, if necessary. Myths typically develop from a seed of truth. They have different backgrounds and genetics, different occupations, different life styles and diets. ... Includes loose beet pulp, contains no oats or alfalfa for horses with allergies. Timothy Grass is the traditional favorite among horse owners. The Differences Between Timothy and Alfalfa Hay. (Free from Restricted Ruminant Protein Products per Title 21, CFR 589.2000/2001) Different Types Of Hay For Horses Timothy Horse Hay. This is the cut that’s taken before the hay blooms and is a good, solid, hay! Getting clover to dry quickly in the field is challenging for growers, and premature baling of damp hay is the primary reason clover hay is sometimes moldy. Hay hay and more hay. However, the high-energy content may lead to overfeeding and to a fat horse. Coastal hay is a grass hay that is very common in Texas and other states along the gulf coast. Of particular import is NSC content. I often recommend feeding it because it boosts the overall protein quality of a grass-hay diet and, in general, enhances the horse’s muscle tone, immune system and overall health. seed hay, which is made from immature plants and is packed with protein and energy, so it’s best for performance horses; alfalfa hay, also known as lucerne hay, which is a nutrient-packed legume hay with a high protein content, suitable for poor-doers, youngstock and horses in hard work; TOP TIP . Contains fiber sources to replace some or all of the hay and/or pasture in a horse’s ration. Grass type horse hays have a lower nutritional value than legumes, but are considered ‘safe’ hays, because it is harder for a horse to over eat or have a reaction to grass hay. The tests covered five cuttings across three years. The Diet. Therefore, feeding Timothy Grass has a well-established comfort level with horse people. In this case, the reality is that the maturity of the grass at harvest is the single most important contributing factor to the nutritional value of hay. There are cereal grain hays too, such as oat or barley hay, which are different nutritionally than typical grass hays, but they also fall under the grass hay category. You can slowly add later, if needed. Timothy hay is classified as grass hay. Alfalfa hay has been both heralded and maligned as a feed for horses. Hay pellets. Hay cubes. Digestibility data were obtained by using acid‐insoluble ash to estimate apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients. Higher-calorie and highly palatable premium product with excellent-quality fiber sources and superior nutritional balance. When faced with a metabolic horse, hay selection is critical. High quality Timothy Grass contains a moderate amount of protein, usually testing at approximately 8% protein. Alfalfa can be an excellent addition to most horses’ diets, even for those that are insulin resistant (IR). That means these pets should eat a portion of hay the same size of their own body every day! The four dietary treatments were 0AA (timothy hay only), 33AA (0.33 alfalfa: 0.67 timothy hay), 67AA (0.67 alfalfa: 0.33 timothy hay) and 100AA (alfalfa only). Although predominantly fed to horses as hay, alfalfa can also be fed chopped (as chaff), cubed, or pelleted. Alfalfa and/or alfalfa grass hay is palatable and is often a hay of preference for horses. Here’s an article from UC Davis about why horses should not have alfalfa. NO OAT. Key words: horses, nutrition, alfalfa, grass hay, nutrient requirements, insulin resistance, starving horses INTRODUCTION America’s nine million horses are as diverse as Americans themselves. Quality alfalfa hay has high protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals. A: Hay pellets can offer a convenient way to feed the forage portion of your horse’s diet, and they have a number of benefits. Choose forage sources such as Timothy instead of Alfalfa to reduce the calorie content of the diet. Hay Choice: Alfalfa hay should definitely be a part of Polly’s ration. Protein in hay varies depending on the type and maturity level of the hay when it is cut. Legume Hay for Horses. One of the reasons why alfalfa hay is so much richer and higher in calcium than Timothy hay is because it’s a legume hay and Timothy belongs to the grass family. If cured correctly, vitamin C content will be high. While alfalfa is the most well-known legume hay, clover hays are appropriate for horses, even if they are not as popular with horse owners as alfalfa. Timothy Hay: What Cutting is Better for Horses? The stems are thin and flexible, and it has a high fibre content. Alfalfa hay is a good source of vitamins and minerals. It offers some additional benefits for performance horses living a high-stress lifestyle—its higher calcium content compared with other hays has a buffering effect on stomach acids and can reduce gastric ulcer risks. Energy requirements: Generally senior horses that are in good body condition are less active than their younger counterparts and only have maintenance energy requirements. Tradition holds that timothy hay and oats are the best feeds for horses, and that alfalfa and corn spell disaster. If your horse cannot handle alfalfa, I’d cut the alfalfa mix pellets and get straight grass hay pellets. Nutritionally speaking, however, they are very different. Some are young and developing, full of promise for the future. However there are some important cons to consider. Packaged in 50 lb. Legume hays (alfalfa and clover) contain 12% to 20% protein. There are many types of hay harvested from grasses including alfalfa, timothy, clover and rye. ALFALFA — TIMOTHY CUBES Pre-bloom, dehydrated alfalfa blended with immature timothy hay and cubed to 1 1/4 inches in diameter.Contains 50% Alfalfa and 50% Timothy hay. Alfalfa and oats are hot feeds. We’ve never had our hay tested, but someone shared five of their alfalfa tests with me. Much of this tradition is due to the fact that Timothy was one of the first grasses cultivated for horse hay. Horse hay comes in two forms: grass and legumes. If you must use alfalfa hay for all your horses, be selective in the hay you choose. Horsemen often have to decide if they should purchase the first or second cutting of timothy hay for their horses. Alfalfa hay and timothy hay are both forage sources commonly used in rabbit and guinea pig diets. Alfalfa, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil are common types of legumes, with alfalfa being the most popular choice. Reduced protein and energy compared to 100% alfalfa. Timothy and Alfalfa Hay Blog. In some states it is considered to be an invasive species, as it is not a native north American grass. An additional benefit to grass hay is that is easier on the kidney's due to it's lower protein content and it tends to have finer stems, making it easier to chew and digest…..nice for senior horses. I think the biggest con about grass hay is its lack of nutrients. The first cut of hay is the first hay harvested from a field for that year. Now, you’re probably thinking, “Isn’t all hay the same?” Nope. Alfalfa and… Horse Hay Alfalfa + Orchard or Timothy - posted in Alfalfa/Hay: Ive always heard that the best horse hay is about a 50/50 mixture of alfalfa and grass, but which grass is best, timothy or orchard grass? Therefore, it takes less hay to meet a horse's nutrient needs when feeding alfalfa hay. Feeding on Timothy hay can help satisfy your horse's natural urge to chew and graze when they are confined to stalls for long periods of time. The draft in him may be very sensitive to hot feeds. Chopped cubed hay (usually alfalfa or timothy or a combination) is another 100-percent replacement. If it has to be shipped long distances, it can be quite pricey. While other feeds such as Alfalfa hay can meet energy requirements of horses in high levels of products, low nutritional concentrations of Timothy hay are ideal for many life stages. An ideal hay for easy keepers will be in the higher end of these ranges. As we come into spring here's what I have and why I have leftovers. Hay nutrition can also vary from year to year depending upon weather and crop management. Timothy, Orchard, Alfalfa, Fescue. Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. best hay for horses First Cut Hay. Kate of passage of the feedstuff was determined using chromium‐mordanted hay. But without any long-stemmed fiber, a horse's need to chew may lead him to … For all small herbivores – that’s rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and degus – hay should make up around 80% of the diet. Some people, though, just don’t want to feed alfalfa — they believe it causes laminitis. Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices. I am not a vet… but Teff hay is high in protein, low in carb. Posted on Feb 19, 2014 Tweet; Timothy hay is an excellent source of roughage for equine diets. You may need different qualities of hay for different horses—leafy hay for weanlings, for instance, and more mature hay for adult horses that do not need such fine hay. But, if you’re lucky enough to live close to where timothy hay is grown, it can be a great option for your horses. Forage that has been dehydrated, ground and cooked to make pellets can technically replace hay. “If you had a pile of teff, a pile of timothy, and a pile of alfalfa, the teff tends to have less NSCs—but not always,” she says. Many horse owners advise that Alfalfa hay is the best kind of hay to feed a horse. Make sure he gets his supplements on cold feed. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is about 6:1 and must be considered when feeding young, growing horses. Some nutritionists might go as low as 10%, but I feel there is little difference between 10 and 12% because forages have slow consumption rates. Some horses may be allergic to grass hay so alfalfa is the better choice. GrassThere are many different types of grass hay in the world. 2. The protein level varied from 19 to 26%, while calcium varied from .97 to 1.31%. bags. I planted my field in straight alfalfa last fall and the field is looking good so far this year. Soak cubes to reduce risk of choke. 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