The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Hay?

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Freemare 
#1 ·
After over 12 years I am finally getting my own place for my arab gelding to live with me on my property. Here is the thing, I have always relied on someone else to feed him in terms of hay. So I am wondering, what do you feed? He is on bermuda hay right now however with the hay prices the way they are I would like to put him back on alfalfa as it much cheaper.

Alfalfa is around $15 while bermuda is around $17 not including tax and everything else that get you with.

Alfalfa is also much easier to find here in AZ. He is around 900LBS and is 14.2 HH and 17 years old.

Also what cutting do you feed? 1st? 2nd? most places around her only have 1-2 and never any 3rd cuttings. Not sure why. Any info would be great. Also how do you go about feeding your horse if you have to work? What times do you feed?

Thanks guys ^^:runninghorse2:
 
#2 ·
I feed Bermuda even though it cost more. I like to throw a little alfalfa in, but don't feed a lot of it.
My horse is an easy keeper and doesn't do particularly well with a lot of alfalfa. Some horses do really well on it, just depends.
I'm not sure which cutting it is, but I don't like the real leafy alfalfa.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woodhaven
#4 ·
You can feed 1/2 alfalfa and 1/2 bermuda. When I lived in AZ, it was heaven for hay. When I fed, I gave about 10 lbs of bermuda/feeding and 5 lbs alfalfa/feeding. They'll go for the alfalfa first, then they'll snack on the Bermuda the rest of the day. You can see how he does and adjust as needed. For the Bermuda I'd use a slow feed net to keep him from wasting.
 
#7 ·
That's exactly how I feed here in Arizona. I used to feed nothing but alfalfa (and most of my neighbors do as well) but I have lost 3 horses to colic over the years and just felt I had to do something different. So now I'm giving them each 1/2 flake of alfalfa (twice a day) and pretty much free-choice bermuda.

But I do think that's an expensive way to do things. Back when I fed nothing but alfalfa, I fed each horse a flake twice a day and that was it. They looked great and were fat and shiny. Now I feel like I am feeding 4 horses instead of two, because they go through quite a bit of bermuda, but I think it's worth it for their health. At least, I pray I don't have anymore colics the way I am feeding now.

I suspect the main problem with alfalfa is that they keep so fat and shiny on it that you don't have to feed that much and so I suspect they aren't getting the bulk they need in their intestines. But then again, some people feed only pellets, which should be much worse, and their horses seem to do fine. So maybe I am just unlucky.

I tell my horses they don't know how good they have it, because most horses in Arizona get nothing but two flakes of alfalfa each day, but my current horses have hay in front of them basically 24/7. BUT, it's not a cheap way to go. They say horses will self-regulate, but I swear my guys eat enough for 4 horses. :icon_rolleyes:

I will say one thing though.....bermuda may not actually be more expensive than alfalfa, because in general I have observed that bermuda bales tend to be heavier than alfalfa bales. And if that's the case, then the extra $2 really isn't more expensive after all because you are getting more poundage. But I suppose that depends on your hay supplier. But in general, I think bermuda is bailed heavier.

The problem I have is finding good quality bermuda. The stuff sold up here (north-eastern AZ) tends to be dusty, musty, sometimes moldy, and lately full of weeds. Good alfalfa is found practically everywhere hay is sold. So that's the most frustrating part for me, finding decent bermuda hay. :x
 
#6 ·
I know I would rather him be on bermuda, but during the summer it gets so high in cost. One year it was $24 for a 100lbs. That was a lot and I am worried it will go up to that again. I have a super nice 3 horse barn and wash area with tack room. It has mats and all that. Super nice. So I know he can get all the hay if he needs. I was thinking of a hay bag of some sort. However I am not sure what one.
 
#9 ·
For the main hay we feed timothy, orchard grass, be sure it is cut and dried properly, no must, mold or dust. Then I get a few bales of alfalfa hay and feed a liitle of it along with the regular hay in the winter time for extra energy. I have never fed straight alfalfa hay as I think it is too rich and can cause a lot of problems, colic, high energy hard to handle horses.
 
#11 ·
I feed straight orchard grass, as much as they want, which appears to be a whole heck of a lot. They aren't fat. They eat all day and seemingly most of the night as well. It runs about $22 per 100 lb bale here, alfalfa is a couple bucks cheaper. I've heard too many bad things about alfalfa to feed it to horses though. I'm sure it is great for certain horses and certain purposes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top