anyone feed alfalfa hay?

[eggboy]

Is it safe?

 

[eggboy]

No bumping your threads, please.

 

[chookchick]

I was concerned about feeding them hay, as I have heard so many stories about impacted crops, and most of them seem to involve hay or straw or grass. But many here have given them hay, and they really enjoy it, many others have free-range chickens that have access to hay. So I do give my girls a flake of alfalfa every other day or so. It really gives them nice orange yolks, and keeps them occupied. I make sure they always have other food available, and plenty of grit, and I have never had problems (@ 6 months?). So it is pretty much up to you whether or not you feel it is safe.

 

[houndit]

Kelly Klober recommended it to me as a good way to get their fertility up in the spring.

 

[Imp]

Here's a thread with discussion

Imp


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=123657

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

It is perfectly safe to feed alfalfa hay to your chickens. I feed if all the time. I'm pretty sure it's good for the laying hens as well.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yes, I feed it and grass hay. My birds have free grit, plus lots of sand to peck thru. I also have horses, and the birds clean up the scraps left by the horses.

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

What about soaked alfalfa cubes?

 

[fiberart57]

I feed my girls top quality horse alfalfa and they pick around the stems and eat the leaves. I've not had a problem with impacted crops or the like. They also get the dollar bag greens from the store so that it's not their only source of vegetables.

I have six birds, bought this bale of hay in November and it's just now almost gone. It doesn't take much to keep them happy.

Mary

 

[randomchick]

I do have a con that comes with my hens eating alfalfa hay. That being that the hay is in the pig pen and sometimes the chicken jumping in to get a mouth full sometimes gets mistaken for the pigs lunch.