Re: Perennial Peanut Hay

[Kim <kim@redhorsetech.com>]

Hi Susan, 

You wrote:
> The post regarding peanut hay that I sent the other day was in reference to
> Arachis  hypogaea, which is apparently different from the variety Deena was
> referring to.  I'm a little surprised that two species of plant within the
> same genus can vary so widely, but okay.


I know the Digests seem to be running a little slow this weekend, so
maybe you missed my earlier post on the perennial peanut hay (Arachis
glabrata Benth.).  The Department of Agronomy at the University of
Florida send me some "numbers" as well as other information for this
particular type of peanut hay months ago, which was one of the analyses
examples I posted on RideCamp.  The average calcium content was reported
to be 1.05%, and phosphorus at 0.35%.  DE (Mcal/kg) at 2.50, with a
crude protein averaging 15.9%. Unfortunately, I did not receive a number
of samples tested nor a standard deviation (must put on To-Do List), but
it does give an idea why it may be called, "The Alfalfa of the South". 

The common peanut forage (stuff left over after harvesting the peanuts)
is a bit different as far as pure numbers are concerned, and the
palatibility and digestability are not as good.  The 1989 NRC reported
the DE for sun-cured peanut hay (Arachis hypogaea) as 1.74 Mcal/DE (on
an as-fed basis at 90.7% dry matter content), crude protein: 9.9%,
calcium: 1.12%, phosphorus: 0.14% (N=18).   

Maybe the species difference is not all that much of a factor in
comparision to the plant use and harvesting.  The common peanut hay
seems to be more of a byproduct of peanut production, while the
perennial peanut hay used in horse feed was usually intended as hay in
the first place.  The perennial peanut hay is quite a nice legume crop,
and the grower can see a good return on his production if the horse
people recognize the quality.  It can get hard to find a few good bales
with such a high demand.  


You wrote:
> If someone has calcium-phosphorus levels for the "good" peanut hay, I can
> maybe give you some suggestions about whether the calcium is too high.

> Susan G


For the Ca and P, please see writing above.  Now, if they could only get
this wonderful stuff to grow in Northern Texas (too many frosts,
unfortunately)!  The cotton and tumbleweeds around here just don't taste
the same ;-).  

Kim (and Lee, whose slightly-tubby condition dictates no perennial
peanut hay for her)


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