Hay vs. fresh alfalfa and timothy

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MaggieJ

MaggieJ

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I've fed an alfalfa/grass hay ever since I quit feeding pellets several years ago. I have a nice patch of alfalfa and timothy growing here and I'm wondering if it is necessary to feed hay during the summer when I can cut as much fresh alfalfa and timothy as they can eat, plus a good assortment of other fresh weeds and edible tree twigs and leaves. They also get a small quantity of whole grain.

Is the fibre in fresh alfalfa and timothy the same as in alfalfa/timothy hay? How about the protein content? Can they eat enough fresh to satisfy their protein need?
 
Alfalfa and timothy are both HIGH in fiber whether fresh or dried.
check out this research: http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/a45/01600086.pdf, which, for a research paper is pretty easy to understand. They're using fresh to obtain the stems/leaves.

I'll ask Mike to get some info from the research guys at work on Monday. This is the thing they do for a living, so one of them will have the info at their fingertips.

Basically, from what I've found out from them over the years, the alfalfa is chosen when you need the protein..whether fresh or dried. Timothy is chosen for fiber and to "fill time" for the animal. Or like with horses...when you don't want them to get bored and destroy the stall :D There is some degradation of the nutrients when it's dried, but fiber is fiber.
 
That's what I thought, that the fibre should be the same. Both the alfalfa and timothy here are really good this year and it seems to make sense to use what we already have. Also, June has been very wet so the hay may not be the best quality... I'd sooner wait a bit and get second cut, I think.

Thanks for the link... Off to read it now. :)
 
from personal experience.... feeding hay two times a week in the summer will keep any hair/fur/gut issues at bay. No need to feed daily, but twice a week basically a good idea unless you are feeding twigs and what not along with the greens.
 
shouldn't be an issue - I transition to all home produced grasses at this time of year and there are plenty of days when there is nothing dry for them

they love it all :)
 
Thanks, everybody. Always good to get other people's takes on a situation. If I can get a few days where I cut extra, I can make a certain amount into hay for them. I can't swing a scythe, but there is a nice antique sickle here. I may just try that. Right now I just use a knife.

I'd just rather not buy hay that has likely been rained on. They say we are going to have a hot, dry summer so second cut should be a better bet.
 
yup - our guys timed pulling hay perfectly for the big stuff - my own collected hay will be rained on a little from this weekend but I store it loose so can really tell if it isn't in good shape - I will only pull up enough to make sure I can get through til the next cut - and may do less than that - my hay guy left a lovely chunk of timothy alfalfa standing (perhaps the rain started when he was in that field) so I can also just cut and dry as needed likely :)
 
A patch of alfalfa, timothy and perhaps red clover is one of the best things for natural feeding! :D We planted ours before we had rabbits, just to improve the soil which we felt had been depleted in the former owner's kitchen garden. Not only has it provided feed for our rabbits for the past five years, it has also helped keep the wild cottontails away from the veggies. They can pig out on alfalfa instead.
 
I've been meaning to plant a patch of alfalfa for a while--maybe even our entire back acre (for soil improvement as well as for the buns). What exactly is timothy? Botanical name? I can't get timothy hay here except in the little, bitty, EXPENSIVE bags. I do give them grass hay for their nest boxes, but my buns don't seem to care for it otherwise.
 
It's especially good for those naive cottontail youngsters... provides forage and cover. Last year was the only year that we had real problems with the cottontails... Not sure why, except sheer numbers.

Hardly any about mow after a winter of mink/weasels and feral cats. No rats either! :bouncy:
 
trinityoaks":1lkoun2d said:
I've been meaning to plant a patch of alfalfa for a while--maybe even our entire back acre (for soil improvement as well as for the buns). What exactly is timothy? Botanical name? I can't get timothy hay here except in the little, bitty, EXPENSIVE bags. I do give them grass hay for their nest boxes, but my buns don't seem to care for it otherwise.
Click to expand...
Phleum pratense

Tall grass, tougher than all getout when it's grown. Grows almost everywhere. You should be able to grow it. Often sold for horse hay since it's not terribly high in protein like alfalfa is.
 

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