Someone not far from me is selling Peanut hay and I know nothing about it. They say that’s good for horses and cows. Anyone feed it? Anything one should know about it? Any information at all?
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/livestock/peanut_hay.htm
http://forum.equisearch.com/forums/p/44010/311527.aspx
It seems there are two different forms of “peanut hay”, one which is a perennial similar to alfalfa and one which is the baling of the plant from which the peanuts have been harvested. The perennial is worth using, the by product of peanut harvesting not so much.
Found the same links out of curiosity, yay google.
Interesting thread about it, link #2…
I had read those already, after making this topic, but thanks. Anyone here actually use it themselves? I don’t think this is the hay from leftover peanut plants, but the actual perennial peanut hay. I left a message to try and verify this.
I bought some of the hay from harvesting peanuts for my cattle. They are eating it well enough but it’s brown and dirty with huge stems that the cattle are not eating. I was told that it is NOT appropriate feed for horses and he tells people to not use it. Now the perennial variety is obviously different but in our area, it’s all a by product of the peanut industry.
Yes. I’ve used it off and on since 2005. My childhood riding buddy Sue, who used to have a tall black TWH and now has QHs, raises it at Tebeau farms in GA. They have a website with all the info that you need about peanut hay. And they are great people too. It’s the perennial peanut hay. It is NOT the same as peanut vines from which peanuts are picked.
I’ve used the perinneal peanut hay for many years. It’s the hay of choice for southern locally grown hay. Just fabulous. Will really put the weight on horses.
You cannot feed the true peanut vines (called peanut hay) to horses. It’s awful stuff.
I’m feeding perennial peanut this winter. The feed store got some sample bales in, I brought home a few flakes and Patrick eats it just as well as his Orchard/Alfalfa, and it’s a couple dollars less a bale, so it works for me.
I’m currently mixing it half and half with his O&A, but if that gets any more expensive he may just get the peanut! He was on straight alfalfa in Arizona, and AIUI the nutrition profile is similar.
It looks funny and smells weird, but it seems to be good stuff. Lots of leaves in the bales I’ve been getting. (I’ve heard some people complain that it’s mostly stems.)
My old hay man grew a field of it for a couple of years to see if there was interest in my area. This has been 10+ years ago. No one knew anything about it and weren’t buying it, so he brought me a few bales to try, and I loved it! Wound up buying all he had and was so disappointed when he didn’t continue to grow it.
Would love to find a source somewhere in SC. :no:
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Interesting! The local feed store was advertising it, but I was a bit skeptical and didn’t try it yet. (wsmoak… I think I’m pretty close to you!)
Sounds like it’s worth a try.
I have fed peanut hay for years… not the perennial either. The guy I get mine form is very careful of how it is baled… not a lot of dirt. only thing about it I don’t like as much is that it has some sticks in it. I feed it in piles out in a pasture, so any dust/dirt falls out or blows away. The horses love it and I get tons of compliments from my vet on their health and condition…they only get hay or grass, no grain.
Nutritionally it is like feeding alfalfa.
People at our barn feed the P. Peanut hay, but it makes our pony colic when he gets a bit of it (there was a gap between the stalls and he was stealing from a neighbor). Took me a while to figure out what was happening. Once we got that to stop he straightened right out. I thought it was just an adjustment thing but he’d been doing it (and having tummy aches) for close to a month.
They never have any problem with it, though - I don’t know what it is with this particular horse. My other gelding tolerates the odd accidental mouthful just fine.
If you want to see a good video about perennial peanut hay, go to youtube and search “perennial peanut hay TBO farm.”
That’s where my grammar school horse riding club drill team friend Sue Haupt Tebeau moved too when she got out of high school. When I came back home after retirement and heard about peanut hay, I found the website and called and bought some. And discovered my old friend was growing it.
My friend down in GA uses it. I had no idea it existed. She liked it for getting weight on her horse.
The perennial peanut is awesome hay. Almost as good as alfalfa. It’s a bit of a pain to move and to feed due to the leaves breaking off, but nothing you can’t handle with some care, a wheelbarrow, and feed tubs.
Where have you found it, and for how much? Anywhere near me?
When I lived near Savannah, GA, and ran my own barn, I got the perennial peanut hay from a nearby grower. My horses loved it! Several would eat it before their grain. It also puts weight on a hard keeper. I highly recommend it.
I have been using it for years. Our ponies LOVE it. I would buy the entire field of it every time it is cut if I needed it year round. Its just wonderful.
HB- I found some in Lake Charles listed on Craigslist. The price was almost 1/2 of what I’m paying for grass round bales, but no one ever answered my calls.
that sucks. maybe they sold it all that fast. where I am, it would be gone within minutes. our 40-ish lb bales of coastal are $10 now. it’s good coastal, but that’s insane. there are no rounds for horses available anywhere.
My horses love it. If I put a pile of timothy/alfalfa and a pile of peanut hay, they all will choose the PH first There isn’t a good supply here and it’s expensive, but I had a couple bales earlier this year and would have bought more if I could.
