Can i give my chickens alfalfa hay or alfalfa grass?

[TropicalBabies]

I add alfalfa to my nest boxes and the girls pick at it while sitting. Can also soak it like suggested. I heard it has calcium ?? I know my girls are alive and well after having years of it just in their boxes and of course raiding our stored bails.

 

[Onyxflock]

Well, there are a variety of products with alfalfa. I was wondering which one might be the best. I now know that the cubes wont be my #1 choice, so i was hoping someone might say - This exact product is what i use. I didnt mean Alfalfa OR hay, i meant, one of the products I seen was alfalfa hay, versus the cubes, or just the word Alfalfa on the bag. Any specifics about exact products would be helpful. Thank you! ! Girls are staying in the wrapped run today because it is WINDY here and my gals do not like getting their feathers ruffled at all! Lol. That term cracks me up. Trying to come up with healthy winter activities and supplements to grass besides growing my own. I think i will still grow the wheat grass. Its just a lot of work to keep up with the volume i would need through winter. Thanks again!

I buy from our local feed stores. Alfalfa or hay bales have greens for them to peck at. The Alfalfa has more greens but is sort of stiff for bedding. Avoid straw for feed purposes, but it makes goid bedding.
I lay the bale on a piece of plastic in their run to keep it off the ground. Untie the strings and the hens get on it and scratch it everywhere.
I rake out the sticky hay scraps every couple of days or if it gets wet.

 

[NevadaEmma]

My neighbor grows alfalfa for hay. I was going to see if my geese will eat it but after a quick look at the Internet it seems that alfalfa hay may not be digestible for the geese. I offered them some fresh alfalfa when it was growing. Initially they nibbled at it but did not seem to be their favorite.

The local feed store has both timothy hay and orchard hay. Does anyone have any experiences tithe either? They (and the chickens) are going through the scratch/COB mixture I usually use as treats during the rest of the year and it is getting pricey. Thanks