[Jacob-list] Hay woes

[ARTHUR PARTRIDGE]

--Linda wrote:

>I was wondering if "rich" is high protein, high carb, high whatis. 

=========
Yes, rich means high whatever.  It is nutritionally-rich or calorie rich. 
I googled a few words and found the following (see below).  I also googled
'overweight Jacob sheep on alfalfa diet' and didn't get anything.

In fact, alfalfa is so rich in (??) that the horse people (people who own
horses) refer to it as "hot".  It can kill a horse, or give it a bad
stomach ache, I forgot which.  The recommendation for feeding horses is to
always dilute the alfalfa with grass hay.  This doesn't affect ruminants in
the same way, it's not considered 'hot' for sheep, goats, etc  I found the
following, I haven't read it yet. 

Myth: Alfalfa is too rich for horses. Reality: As with any feed, the
nutrient. 
content of hay should be matched to the nutrient needs of the horse.Early-
...
http://www.alfalfa.org/pdf/Alfalfa%20for%20Horses%20(low%20res).pdf 


Hope this explains why some feeds, esp. alfalfa, are considered "rich". 
Are Southern grits considered a rich food??  If not, could explain why you
are curious about the word (just joking).

Cathy
Moscow, Idaho

>

Alfalfa is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and is a main component
in 
livestock rations. It has a higher yield potential compared to other forage
...
http://darwin.nmsu.edu/~molbio/plant/alfalfa.html 

>

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is considered the queen of forage and is the most
.... 
with protein and energy rich feed ingredients available in these markets.
...

>

Alfalfa is a cattle feed intended to fatten animals for slaughter. When
feeding 
alfalfa to cattle there ... Good, rich alfalfa will make young horses grow
...
http://www.pelham-saddlery.com/horse_column/alfalfa.html