Can you feed a horse just alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses. Grass hay falls short of meeting the nutrient requirements of high production life stages, but is an excellent filler for horses that require bulk in the diet.

Can a horse have too much alfalfa?

You shouldn’t feed horses with liver or kidney problems high protein diets, including alfalfa. It’s is also not a good idea to feed endurance horses too much alfalfa. Alfalfa provides high protein levels, and when this metabolizes, it creates heat, which isn’t good for endurance horses.

Can too much alfalfa kill a horse?

Beware of Blister Beetles These flying insects—dead or alive—contain the toxin cantharidin, which can kill a horse if consumed in large amounts. Blister beetles feed on alfalfa blossoms and might swarm fields during harvest.

How much hay should a 1000 lb horse eat?

In other words, a 1,000 lb horse should be fed 18 pounds of dry matter each day. Dry matter (DM) is the amount of feed that does not contain moisture; the DM content of hay is considerably higher than fresh grass.

Can you feed horses free choice alfalfa?

Alfalfa or grain hays (such as oat or rye) can be fed free choice too, and most horses will probably regulate their intake of these as well.

Is Stemmy alfalfa bad for horses?

However the nutritional value of coarse or stemmy hay may be low, leading to weight loss or nutritional deficiencies. Very coarse hays and straws can increase the risk of abdominal pain (colic) and intestinal impaction. For this reason, coarse hays should not be fed to older horses or horses with dental problems.

Is timothy or alfalfa better for horses?

Generally speaking, grass hay such as Timothy has less nutrition than alfalfa, and that can be a good thing for a grazing animal. Remember that horses are supposed to nibble continuously for good digestion and general contentedness. For this reason, it is better for forage to be lower calorie and less rich.

Does alfalfa cause colic in horses?

Rich alfalfa hay can also cause colic, so we recommend feeding a grass hay or grass/alfalfa mix. Changes in management or a horse’s routine can be stressful and contribute to colic risk as well. Intestinal parasites can lead to colic, particularly in the young horse.

Is timothy hay or alfalfa better for horses?

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.

Should I feed my horse alfalfa pellets?

Alfalfa pellets for horses usually come in fifty-pound bags and can be found at almost any feed store. When fed in conjunction with alfalfa cubes and beet pulp they are more beneficial. If you feed them with a long-stem fiber source, the pellets can replace calories lost when hay is unavailable or scarce.

Will alfalfa make my horse hot?

Horses with high energy requirements can eat enough alfalfa to meet both energy and fiber requirements. So while alfalfa does contain higher protein it is not the culprit when it comes to the increased energy levels that might make a horse “hot”.

How do you feed alfalfa cubes to horses?

Add alfalfa cubes to your horse’s diet gradually, as sudden dietary changes can cause health issues. If alfalfa cubes will be its primary feed, replace 1/4 of its old feed with alfalfa cubes. Mix the cubes with its old feed to get its digestive tract and taste buds accustomed to its new diet.

How many bales of hay should a horse have a day?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month). Always remember to take into consideration the quality of your hay. If the nutrient quality is poor, then the horse will require more hay (by weight).

Can a horse live on hay alone?

So to answer your question, yes, a horse can live on just hay and be perfectly healthy.

How many flakes of hay should I feed my horse per day?

horse five flakes every day. Remember to feed in as many small portions as possible.