What type of hay are you feeding your mini?

[Bluerocket]

My minis don't particularily care for Timothy or Fescue. They PREFER Alfalfa -- I prefer to feed them an Orchard Grass -- sometimes an Orchard Grass/Alfalfa mix if it is light on the alfalfa. If I get the plain orchard grass I can always add soaked alfalfa cubes to the grain of the minis who actually need it.

When I lived in north Georgia we fed a bermuda hay to my horses (full size -- did not have minis then). My horses loved the bermuda -- however my vet remarked he was surprised that I did not have horses colicking -- as with his experience --- hays like bermuda tended to contribute to colic. Never happened to me (was there 5 years).

JJ

 

[CAM]

I've come to the conclusion that it all depends on where you live. 
Alfalfa in our area is SUPER hot stuff (24% PLUS protien) and would burn any kidneys. The best hay here is Orchard Grass.  That's what many of the hay farmers grow in Central Oregon and the region is known for the quality. It ranges between 14 to 16%.

Now, if you go to the western side of our state of Oregon, grass hay is awful.  The color and quality and protien is generally poor. So, to compensate, many horse breeders will either mix in locally grown alfalfa or feed all alfalfa.  Western Oregon alfalfa tends to be close in protien to our area's grass hay!

Another example is Texas -- more exactly -- the hill country in Texas.  Lots of folks there feed what is called "Coastal Hay".  ICK.  And we have friends down there that ask for some of our Orchard Grass hay so they can feed it to their minis AS A TREAT.

So, hay really does vary from area to area......

MA

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Same town, same program for us too. We stay away from the alfalfa for that reason as well.

 

[Jill]

We have two "batches". One is very soft orchard grass, and the other is soft orchard grass w/ some alfafla. We feed hay and now sweet feed (as opposed to Equine Sr.) at night and in the morning, they get Blue Seal Vintage Senior (a complete feed) and no hay.

In the past, we have used soaked hay cubes and beet pulp to stretch or in place of baled hay, and have been pleased. We may well do that again, or feed more complete feed and less hay depending on how much soft hay we can find and store for the winter.

One thing that's important to me is the hay we feed our minis be soft and not coarse. I just do not feel they do well on coarse hay that may be fine for the big horses, but not my minis.

 

[Shasta]

Wish my mother would post here and tell us about her issue. She was feeding grass in BC and now is feeding alfalfa. Anyone live in WA state? I'm in Tri-ciities.

My poor mini loves her alfalfa but eats it so fast I worry..Would be nice to get her more to eat and worry less about her gaining weight. )o;

 

[pepperhill]

We feed about half alfalfa and half hay. We put a big round bale of each in for free feeding starting in September and ending May 1st when they go out on pasture. We started out feeding only hay, but then after reading so much on the benefits of alfalfa, we started doing both. I guess I felt if I couldn't know for sure what the best way was, I'd just split it down the middle!

The queen of indecision am I! Actually, they have been doing very, very well on this blend. No colic or other problems. Our quarter horses seem to like it too. At first they would eat the alfalfa bale down to nothing and then grudgingly eat the grass bale, but now both bales run out at the same time. So far so good.

Linda

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

We feed the best clean, green leafy grass hay in our area. We also pay a high price for it but the horses do excellent on it and I store it in fall and come next summer it's still fresh smelling and green

I also feed a 12% pellet and a senior feed.

Tammie