Hay for horses

[Anonymous]

I have an 8 month old Appaloosa colt and am having a hard time locating any alfalfa or timothy hay to feed him. We have had an extremely hard winter here in Kentucky so most of the hay is gone or being kept for personal use. I found one source for alfalfa hay today and he is asking $5.00/bale - ouch!. Is it healthy to feed a young horse wheat hay that you feed your calves?

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[Anonymous]

>In my opinion, alfalfa straight is to hot for a colt. A decent grass hay should suffice. If anything, you can put supplements on the hay if needed. I wouldnt feed the wheat hay, wheat is a grain, and you dont want to much grain in a horse. I really dont know much about the wheat hay either, so, thats about all I can tell you.

I have an 8 month old Appaloosa
> colt and am having a hard time
> locating any alfalfa or timothy
> hay to feed him. We have had an
> extremely hard winter here in
> Kentucky so most of the hay is
> gone or being kept for personal
> use. I found one source for
> alfalfa hay today and he is asking
> $5.00/bale - ouch!. Is it healthy
> to feed a young horse wheat hay
> that you feed your calves?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey! Don't complaign about $5. horse quality alfalfa...lol. We're in Texas Panhandle and have good source of alfalfa with average of $4.50 bale over 4-6 cuttings a season. In Dallas/Ft Worth area, horse quality alfalfa goes for $5.50 to $9.00 a small 60-70# bale, depending on the season.

Anyway, cost of hay is cheaper than a horse. We feed about 3" flake of alfalfa 2X day, mixed with about 6" bermuda grass hay in winter. In rest of time on pasture grazing, feed about 2" flake of alfalfa 2X day. Also, feed small "pork & bean" can of either Purina Strategy or Moorman's PowerGlo supplement 1X day. (these are for each horse, obviously).

Agree with other post...watch or avoid grain hays and especially don't feed any of the Sorgram (species) hays. Also, be extremely careful of lush new growth on grasses and/or fescue grasses. Colic and/or foundering can occur. Never feed any moldy or dusty hay...check each piece before put out. Pregnant mares may require more food, depending on their weight status and condition. We don't ever feed any bagged type grains. We raise registered Peruvian Paso and Tennessee Walking Horses (as well as registered Longhorn cattle). Finally, make darn sure any hay doesn't contain even one or two Blister Beetles (can get into alfalfa crop during flowering)...blister beetle toxin is deadly to horses.

In sum, there is no substitute and peace of mind for QUALITY hay..."when you care enough to feed the very best". Bill

 

[Anonymous]

> @ 8 month. your horse is still growing so an alfalfa MIX is OK. however most people mix up the terms quality for horses. I sell hay and feed 1/6 dz horses of my own. Beef cows get moldy round bales stored outside, MY horses get same hay baled dry and stored inside, mixed grass(some fescue, not more than 10 or 20%)little bit of legume in it. any grass is ok for horses. mine will even pick over the occasional bramble and ironweed. Also dusty: mold makes spores that look like dust. lots of hay baled last year (drought) ended up dusty looking because guys raked with the rake tines touching the ground and raised a bit of dirt. Pull a handful from the center of the bale and smell it. a faint smell of a dry gravel road is OK , a cloud is not and definitly nothing that is musty or clumped,clumps mean that it was baled damp and that causes mold.