High protein alfalfa question

[Hermein]

I live in dairy country, where the primary hay available is alfalfa. The dairy people like it very rich–high protein is evidently good for lactating cows.

I don’t know of any method of lowering the protein after it’s baled. I can soak much of the sugar out of it, but I don’t know if soaking will lower the protein content as well. I don’t want to feed my horses a hay that has a 26% protein reading. Might not hurt, but otoh, who knows?

Right now, I’m combining the high test alfalfa with Bermuda hay. Guess what they eat first! :eek::eek: And guess what they throw out of their feeders and walk on!

[mzm_farm]

Has your alfalfa actually been tested to be 26%?

A lot of really nice looking alfalfa tests at 18-22% and that is ok for many horses.

Ask around for low dairy quality non-moldy alfalfa - like first cutting usually has quite a bit of grass in it; cut past early bloom, rained on - all decrease protein quantity.

Only way to know is really to test.

Mixing in a lesser quality hay is the way to balance out for the superior quality hay; no “good” stuff until the “other” is cleaned up or the next scheduled feeding.

[Simkie]

FWIW, I feed alfalfa that tests at 18-22% protein. Free choice.

My hard keeping horses do great on it. No problems. And I don’t have to feed any grain, which is totally mind blowing for me.

[CHT]

Don’t they just pee out the extra protein? Is there actually a risk of higher protein values?

[Hermein]

Thank you. I got a stack of the stuff, and it was tested by the grower. I spoke to one of the people in the office who told me it was the “usual”–which I took to mean was in the high teens/low 20s. When it was delivered, I thought it looked especially nice, smelled good, horses loved it. Then, when I talked to the grower again, he told me that it was, in fact, 26%. He said I could return it, but I had already stacked it in the not-easy-access barn, and decided I would just deal with it, somehow.

The suggestion to feed the Bermuda first is a good idea.

The only one who’s had a problem is the cushings horse, and I’m not dead certain that it is the alfalfa that’s causing her sore-footedness*, but the episode seemed to coincide with the new hay. I took her off of it immediately, & am feeding her soaked Bermuda, and alfalfa/bermuda pellets and cubes along with it.

*Is “footedness” an actual word? :lol:

[Simkie]

It may be worth getting a copy of the test to confirm? Or testing it yourself, if you’ve got enough of it to make that worthwhile.

I can definitely see that it could be a problem for an easy keeping horse. Lots of calories! Great for the hardkeepers Trickier for the air ferns or those with metabolic issues.