Feeding Alfalfa

[Big E]

I read somewhere that one can soak alfalfa overnight in water and feed the water logged hay to your chickens. We are in the middle of a severe - 3 years so far - drought and my chickens are starving for something green.

Has anyone ever done this? I know alfalfa is very rich and horses must be feed this hay slowly until they acclimate. Suppose the same must be true for chickens.

Let me know.

Ellen
Burned up central Texas chicken woman

 

[Sebrightmom]

During last winter I gave my chickens alfalfa hay. They loved it. I never soaked it. They all seemed to do great on it. I only gave it like twice a week.

 

[cassie]

We keep alfalfa in front of our chickens. They love it!! I used to just put it in but my brother put in a little hay rack. That works too.

 

[Chris09]

Most feed mills sell alfalfa meal in the 50 pound bag.
What I do is soak the alfalfa meal overnight in water and then I feed about 1 to 2 cups per 5 birds ( Large Fowl ). You can feed it to them when it gets real hot out for extra moisture or in the winter for extra greens..

Chris

 

[Renee']

Plain alfalfa hay can be fed as-is. It's the alfalfa cubes and pellets that need to be soaked.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

My chickens love Alfalfa hay. I do not soak it.

 

[NakPakChick]

Since we have horses we have hay (usually an alfalfa mix) around all the time. The chickens love scratching through it, looking for leaves and seeds. We don't soak ours, the chickens just help themselves. They even follow me out into the horse pasture and pick through it with the horses!

 

[Tonopah Pati]

You can buy small bales at Walmart, and the pet stores. I get them for my chicks and feed dry.