Alfalfa cubes

[Kayla's Lunch]

I read about feeding alfalfa to chickens in winter. TSC has cubes that are plain alfalfa, with timothy, or with oats. Is the plain alfalfa the only one that should be fed to chickens or can any of those be fed? And should it be only fed when they don't get outside to eat grass and weeds and leaves?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I give mine plain old grass hay to forage through and to stand on in winter. Any source of greens is welcome in winter. As long as there are fines or leaves to eat they will work it. Stuff like straw is mostly stems so it's good for putting on the ground and insulation, but is poor for foraging through.

I personally haven't tried alfalfa cubes but many use them. I would think any of your options is fine and would add variety. Try some and see how your birds like them.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks for the reply. I am very new to all this .... what is grass hay and where do you get it? I have TSC and Southern States (feed store kind of place) near me. If I go there and ask for that, will they have it?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks for the reply. I am very new to all this .... what is grass hay and where do you get it? I have TSC and Southern States (feed store kind of place) near me. If I go there and ask for that, will they have it?

We make our own hay which is a mix of grasses and various weeds. Some farm stores sell hay, so it's possible you can find something locally. Otherwise the bagged cubes will work.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

Thanks!

 

[50-45-1]

Cubbed alfalfa for chickens? Never heard of it.
The bennifit to alfalfa hay is that alfalfa has alot of small nutrient rich leaves. This is why it is more expensive than grass hay and sought after by dairy farmers. I look far and wide to even find it in square bales as most farmers put up large round bales. And i buy two bales for winter use when my flock of guineas and chickens canot go outside. Someone let me know how they eat a cube. I never have concidered it as it seams like it would be to hard.

 

[aart]

Cubes are packaged for rabbits at TSC.
I soak them in water before giving to chooks.

 

[Morrigan]

Cubes are packaged for rabbits at TSC.
I soak them in water before giving to chooks.

+1. I add them to my fermented feed in the winter. It's amazing how much that one cube swells up when wet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cubbed alfalfa for chickens? Never heard of it.
The bennifit to alfalfa hay is that alfalfa has alot of small nutrient rich leaves. This is why it is more expensive than grass hay and sought after by dairy farmers. I look far and wide to even find it in square bales as most farmers put up large round bales. And i buy two bales for winter use when my flock of guineas and chickens canot go outside. Someone let me know how they eat a cube. I never have concidered it as it seams like it would be to hard.

Cubes are compressed bits of regular alfalfa hay which the chickens scratch apart or as mentioned you can soak them open. They don't actually eat the whole cube at once.

 

[50-45-1]

For me part of the benifit of alfalfa hay is the time it takes the flock to scratch a flake apart and pick up all the leaves. This takes time. In the winter when they can not get out, this gives them something to do besides picking on each other. Im not sure a water soaked cube will have the same effect. Maybe if i only had 3 or 4 birds it would work.