Lucerne Hay

[Helicopter]

I've always been told that Lucerne hay is too rich for minis. That it was developed as a fattening feed for cattle.

This year we are expecting a mouse plague and my usual Oaten Hay would be party central for them....this year was bad enough.

If I bought Lucerne it wouldn't attract the same degree of mouse problems (I believe).

I know a lot of people do feed Lucerne Hay and have done so forever and some people are dead against it.

Could I have your opinions please.......and no fighting.....play nice.

Grass hay is really not an option here.

 

[Magic]

I've fed alfalfa (lucerne) for many years, and though I prefer a grass/alfalfa mix, my minis haven't had any problems with straight alfalfa. It's more calorie-dense so they can be fed less (definitely do NOT free feed!) and I actually prefer it for foals and heavily pregnant and nursing mares.

Sorry to hear about your mouse plague, saw a show about a past one in Australia and though I don't mind mice too much, THAT many is the stuff of nightmares. *shudder*

 

[cassie]

I feed my ponies a mix of oaten n lucern hay, my stock horse gets lucerne. I haven't had any problems will be interesting to see what others think... good topic

mice are the worst!!! we have a small plague around at the moment... and RATS!!! YUCK! lol

rat n mouse traps are out, we catch at least 3 a night!!!

 

[Riverdance]

I have fed alfalfa for years and prefer it. It helps prevent ulcers too. Now that I am in Florida, feeding alfalfa is not an option. I brought 30 bails down with me and will use it for weaning the foals. After that, it is costal grass.

 

[Helicopter]

We don't have access to meadow hay around here. If there is any it is probably someone who has just baled a paddock of rubbish. So my horses get Oat Hay which obviously attracts the mice to the grain. Hope they are wrong about this plague......horror movie stuff.

 

[mydaddysjag]

I feed alfalfa, or timothy, or a mix of both. In the winter, I feed timothy because my barn is a shed row barn, and its colder than a regular barn. I'll feed more hay in order to keep them warmer. I'll use timothy since it has less calories.

Come january, they will go on alfalfa. I'll start conditioning them in february, and when I do, I start monitoring their hay intake. Since they will be eating less hay, I like to give them a very good quality hay. The extra protein helps build muscle and gives them energy. If I notice that one is having any issues keeping fit on alfalfa, I'll mix it 50/50 with timothy to reduce the calories, while still getting benefits of alfalfa. I also like to feed it since it helps prevent stomach ulcers

 

[disneyhorse]

Oat hay is not high enough in protein for horses. It is just too much fiber and not enough nutrients...

That said, alfalfa IS kind of rich for horses... it is extremely high in protein. However, it does have some great qualities that make it good for horses...

Personally, I like to mix alfalfa with a good grass hay (Timothy, Orchard, or Bermuda)... mostly grass hay because you can give them more to chew on as it's far lower in calories than alfalfa. I give the alfalfa to provide the necessary protein to help fill in toplines. When I feed a lot of grass, I give a grass ration balancer for vitamins.

Andrea

 

[Jetiki]

I fed Peanut Hay and Alfalfa when I lived in Florida. I liked the peanut hay it was cheaper and the horses loved it. Not all "coastal" hay is the same, some is very very fine and some is quite a bit coarser the finer the coastal the more likely it is to ball up or cause problems or so I have seen when working at the vet hospital. I know there are a lot of people that feed it all the time and don't have problems but I am not willing to take that risk. Peanut hay is not the tops of peanut plants and is very similar to Alfalfa nutritionally.

Karen who's glad she doesn't live in Florida anymore.

 

[Riverdance]

Where I am here in Florida, Riverdance, I use the Florida coastal hay for bedding the stalls. My horses won't eat it at all. I have always been able to find alfalfa hay here -- although it is expensive by "other state" prices. I'm paying $18.00 for a 100 pound bale. But it's beautiful and leafy and worth every penny. It's been the same price for the past couple of years.

I am getting prices for hay. I can get costal 900lb round bails for $40. 55lb Alfalfa for $18.00. Peanut hay for 10.00 a bale, but I have found that if the hay is too corse they horses get plugged and colic. There is no way I can afford $18.00 a bale. I got it for $5.00 a bale at home and went through over 1000lbs a year, sure do not have that kind of money. i will continue to look around and will have to come up with something that will work for them. Still have to reduce my herd by about 10 horses. I am buying beet pulp and will mix with alfalfa cubes and perhaps pellets. But, they will need something to chew on. I tried 2 round bales of costal hay while I was flying back home, then driving back down. My neighbor kept an eye on the horses while I was gone. They are the costal hay, seemed to like it, but there was a lot of wast.

 

[LittleRibbie]

Even the big round Coastal is over 200.00 here...its crazy!!