How do I feed alfalfa hay so that the mineral levels are balanced?

Question

Do to the excessive amounts of rain we're getting in Ohio my hay grower had a lot of trouble getting hay off as did everyone else in the area. Although it looks like some grass hay will come off this summer all he has available at the moment is first cutting Alfalfa that wasn't cut until the very end of June(normally it's cut late May). I know about the high calcium & protein levels alfalfa has but my options are really limited. The hay is clean but it is more like second cutting - lots of big stems w/minimal leaves(although the horses clean it right up). What kind of Calcium levels would this late cutting have? We have two horses that do medium/light work & a pony mare that is lactating, also the five-month-old filly to feed. How do I balance it out? Would feeding it with Timothy help(heard about some of that in the area although I don't know how good it is)? I've heard to feed oats but more energy is the very last thing the horses need:)! What can I do?

Answer 1

To be certain, you would have to send your hay to an agriultural lab for analysis.  Mixing with timothy or any good grass hay is an idea, but why not give them straight grass hay??  Or give them timothy with only an occasional flake of alfalfa.  Soaked beet pulp is a good alternative.  It is 100% digestible, is considered a forage food source with no huge amounts of carbs like grains, oats, etc.  Do not give any type of bran as it is too high in phosphorus for horses and will produce a serious calcium and mineral imbalance.    good luck.

Answer 2

I have fed pure alfalfa and alfalfa grass mix for 25 years and never, not even one time, had an issue with feeding it.

You do not have to worry about the calcium because a healthy horse will excrete, through voiding, what they do not use. The protein could cause issues with the horse being "hotter". I have not found that to be an issue for us..

You can always mix the alfalfa with grass hay if you are worried.

Answer 3

The risk of  calcium kidney stone formation is a concern since excesses of calcium are excreted in urine.  It would be a good idea to have the mineral content of the alphalfa checked, then decide if you need to mix it with Timothy.  I feed no more than 25% alphalfa to my two older horses who both have metabolic syndrome..you do have to be careful feeding it to some horses.

Answer 4

I feed solely alfalfa to my guys.  The only one its causing problems to is the donk because they are not made to take that level of protein.

You want to feed less , about 1/2, of what you were feeding of grass.

You can also have your hay tested for the mineral content etc.  Call your extension office to ask where.

Alfalfa is a great feed for ulcer prone animals, that calcium content is a buffer against the acidity in the stomach.  

Just work them onto it slowly, a flake of alfalfa and a flake of your old hay and then in a week they will be ready to go solo on it.

*if your horse is HYPP* then do NOT feed alfalfa, this is a fatal mistake with that protein level.  Just a word of caution.