# Alfalfa vs. grass hay for milkers...



## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

I know that feeding alfalfa hay to milking does ups their production. My question is - does it change the milk itself and make it a 'higher quality' milk when feeding alfalfa vs. grass hay?

My neighbor believes that feeding them alfalfa will give a 'healthier' milk for people to drink... is that true?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Hmmm....good question!

My nigies only ever got mixed grass timothy, it was about 2 years ago that I started them on the alfalfa cubes, then just a few months ago was able to get the pellets....never did see any jump in production.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I can see why it would make healthier milk -- milk is milk the hay doesnt add a thing to the milk - ie vitamins or enzymes


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I never really thought about it, but it could be true. 

Diet can make a difference. It's been proven that chickens with a free range diet produce healthier eggs (higher in vitamins A & E and lower in cholesterol) than chicken fed only layer rations. I don't see why the same priciple couldn't apply to goats and milk. 

I personally think that does fed alfalfa yield a better tasting milk, but I do not know if it is more nutritious. :shrug:


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## Laurel_Haven (Oct 20, 2007)

I would think different hays and feeds can alter your milk. I do know that feeding different kinds of hay will raise or lower butter fat and protein numbers so I would think it could change other elements of the milk. Not sure if it would be "healthier" but I can't say not either.


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

FunnyRiverFarm said:


> I never really thought about it, but it could be true.
> 
> Diet can make a difference. It's been proven that chickens with a free range diet produce healthier eggs (higher in vitamins A & E and lower in cholesterol) than chicken fed only layer rations. I don't see why the same priciple couldn't apply to goats and milk.
> 
> I personally think that does fed alfalfa yield a better tasting milk, but I do not know if it is more nutritious. :shrug:


Exactly! What you feed does matter. I know grass fed beef is higher in omega 3 fatty acids. . . I am not sure about grass vs alfalfa. Alfalfa is higher in calcium.


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## goathappy (Oct 5, 2007)

We feed a 50/50 alfalfa grass mix and our goats milk best on good quality alfalfa. We grow a finer stemmed leafy alfalfa though, so they eat most of it though. Alfalfa has more protein and energy in it than grass hay does. Our goats did the best on clover hay, but clover is hard to cure and therefore hard to find.


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## CrossCreekTX (Aug 10, 2009)

It depends more on the quality of the hay than on the type, IMHO. The alfalfa I can buy is poor quality and expensive. OTOH, I have plenty of excellent quality native Texas crabgrass that is irrigated and fertilized organically. That is equivalent to the best quality alfalfa, according to studies done here in TX. I cut my own hay for the short season that nothing is growing here.


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## Sweet Gum Minis (Oct 6, 2007)

I personally do not feed alfalfa hay. I do however give an alfalfa pellet to my milking does and pregnant does. We feed a coastal burmuda, timothy hay/orchard grass hay.


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