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RE: [RC] Attn: Susan Garlinghouse,need advice on afalfa for pastures. - Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.========================================== I hope Susan can help. Or possibly anyone else on the east coast who has had same situation. We are thinking of purchasing a property which has approx. 28acres of alfalfa feilds. We need to build a barn and put the horses their as soon as we get there. What can we do about putting horses on alfalfa pasture who have NEVER even been given alfalfa hay. How do we manage or how can we change a portion of the fields for pasture. I know this sounds stupid of me, but I have never been in the situation of having alfalfa fields. I have 4 horses. 2 in the 20's, 1 4yr old and 1 8yrold. Any help would be greatly appreciated. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Those aren't dumb questions. I sure wouldn't suggest putting horses out onto an alfalfa field that weren't used to it, sounds like a great recipe for colic. Put up their barn or corrals or something, but don't put them into the field for the time being. I would contact the local extension agent to get suggestions for grass hays suitable for your area, and plant that. The first year you'll get an alfalfa-grass mix to cut for hay (and you'll get much more yield if you cut it rather than allow the horses to graze, as they damage almost as much as they'll eat. Next year keep planting the grass, each year it will out-compete the alfalfa and eventually you'll get primarily a grass hay field with a stray bit of alfalfa here and there. Does that help? Susan Garlinghouse, DVM, MS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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