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.

How many alfalfa pellets should I feed my horse?

Usually 15-20 lbs per day of alfalfa or timothy pellets for a 1000# horse. pellets daily over 2-3 weeks. Put the pellets in a bucket, cover with warm water, and then dump them into a large muck bucket and feed immediately.

Are alfalfa pellets or cubes better for horses?

Alfalfa cubes overall are better than pellets for our purposes. Pellets can't be a substitute for alfalfa hay, but cubes can. Alfalfa cubes are convenient, provide high nutrient value, and have little waste.

Will alfalfa pellets put weight on a horse?

Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.

Is alfalfa hard on horses kidneys?

Alfalfa (lucerne) products, whether hay, cubes, or pellets, are not known to cause kidney problems in horses.

Ask the Vet - Should I feed alfalfa cubes or alfalfa pellets?

Can alfalfa cause colic?

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.

Can alfalfa pellets cause laminitis?

Alfalfa hay can cause horses to founder and develop laminitis due to the excess nutrients provided by the high quality hay if too much is fed.

Are you supposed to soak alfalfa pellets?

Here are some tips I've learned along the way for feeding a soaked pellet: I have found alfalfa pellets need to be soaked in between five and six hours to fully break down. In the winter months, I soak them overnight so they are ready to be fed the next day.

What happens if a horse eats too much alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay can cause diarrhea in a horse that overeats it because the hay is rich and full of nutrients. Overeating alfalfa can also cause a horse to have excess gas, develop laminitis, and founder.

Can alfalfa pellets replace hay?

These pellets do not have particles big enough to stimulate the horse's digestive tract. This means that alfalfa pellets, while good for the horse, do not promote a healthy tract. They lack long-stem fibers and cannot replace hay. However, they can replace the calories that hay provides safely.

How do you use alfalfa pellets on horses?

You can add alfalfa pellets or cubes to a grass hay diet for the same effect. Alfalfa is also suitable for horses prone to gastric ulcers, because the extra calcium acts as a buffer against stomach acid.

What are the benefits of feeding alfalfa to horses?

Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.

How much alfalfa should a horse eat a day?

Horses can normally eat 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay, which equates to 18-24 lbs. of hay per day.

Is alfalfa good for older horses?

Therefore, the key to feeding older horses is to use high quality protein from sources like alfalfa, soybean meal and canola meal without oversupplying their requirements.

Can horses choke on alfalfa pellets?

Choke can occur when a horse consumes it's food too rapidly, tries to swallow food without chewing it, has reduced or impaired salivation, cannot properly chew its feed because of dental issues and when eating food items that are large like carrots or alfalfa cubes.

Can you feed alfalfa pellets dry to horses?

The pellets can be fed dry, but many horses prefer them to be soaked in water and fed as a mash. For young horses, old horses, and those with dental issues, soaking the pellets first may be a necessity. Horses can be sensitive to diet changes, so always make any diet change slowly.

Are alfalfa pellets as good as alfalfa hay?

A 1991 study compared horses that were fed long-stem alfalfa hay vs alfalfa pellets. The study showed there was no differences in digestibility for energy, protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and the trace minerals copper, zinc and manganese.

Does alfalfa make a horse hot?

Alfalfa hay will make a horse hot, or crazy.

Not so, if fed appropriately. Alfalfa provides a significant amount of calories; however, an excess of calories in any form, whether from alfalfa, grain or oil, without the exercise to burn them, can result in an excessively energetic horse.

Does alfalfa cause inflammation in horses?

THREE RISKS OF FEEDING TOO MUCH ALFALFA TO HORSES:

Horses that are on high protein diets become overly acidic which can cause inflammation in various body systems including the joints and hooves. They may get “hot”, anxious or agitated, or show signs of liver or kidney stress.

Do alfalfa pellets have a lot of sugar?

Alfalfa Has Low Starch and Sugar Content

When oil is added as a coating to alfalfa, sugar levels are typically less than 5%. Feeds are rarely (if ever) sugar free, as even straw contains some sugar, but the low-sugar and starch content does highlight the alfalfa health benefits for your horse.

Does alfalfa make horses pee more?

Because alfalfa is high in protein and because excess protein will normally be converted to urea, a horse that gets more than its share will urinate more than usual.

Does alfalfa make horse gassy?

High-quality alfalfa can cause excess gas in some horses. Given her history, it may be worth cutting back the alfalfa in the diet.

Does alfalfa cause a horse to tie up?

Feeding straight alfalfa to horses with RER is not advised, as this may lead to excess energy, which may manifest as nervous behavior and trigger an episode of tying-up. Reducing nonstructural carbohydrates (starch and sugar) in the diet by limiting cereal grain intake can help manage RER.

Can alfalfa make horses itchy?

We often find that Barley, Molasses and Alfalfa are ingredients that can cause unwanted reactions in some horses. For some horses, allergies and intolerances can take weeks, months or years to develop, meaning that their once favourite food could begin to cause unwanted and adverse reactions.