Best Alfalfa for deer

[ANTLER VALLEY]

What is it? In terms of making hay...a nearby friend of mine is going to plant alfalfa and thinks he's going to get all my money in the winter, so I'd better have him plant the right thing. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Wooden acres]

If your going to feed your deer with it I'd have your buddy plant a good milti leaf for your area . I like the new breeds because they have a better leaf to stem ratio than the old varieties did . Find a meadium height with a fine stem , you might get a bit less volume but the quality will be much better . Have him find a home for the first cutting and you buy the rest , second , third and forth cuttings . Also cut it prebud !! If you see a flower your to late . Just my opinion !!

[stevel]

Roundup Ready alfalfa is the way to go! We get 2nd. cut alfalfa around here (Ohio) that is good enough to feed to deer if the weeds are kept out. Then when the 3rd. or even 4th. cut comes, it looks more like salad than it does alfalfa.

[ANTLER VALLEY]

Roundup Ready alfalfa is the way to go! We get 2nd. cut alfalfa around here (Ohio) that is good enough to feed to deer if the weeds are kept out. Then when the 3rd. or even 4th. cut comes, it looks more like salad than it does alfalfa.

SteveL, what's wrong with salad? I accidentally got some 4th-cut bales last year that was mixed with the load I bought. Looked like rabbit food but the deer cleaned every speck up.

Also, does anyone ever feed alfalfa cubes? Wondered if there was any reason, strategy, or benefit from them.

Phillip

[Four Seasons Whitetails]

I am new at this game but i bought some cubes at our tractor supply co and my fawns said no way!6 fawns and all said no thanks!Not sure on adults as i have none yet but they may be to hard for fawns!

[CurtisLloyd]

the cubes poke the roof of their mouth, too big . So why are you feeding alfalfa? deer are browsers not dairy cattle..... they need a more mixed hay.... with some grass,legumes,wild grains and even weeds, if deer ate only alfalfa they would be easy to hunt.

[ANTLER VALLEY]

Curtis, feeding alfalfa because the deer eat it better than everything else I've tried. I'm open to suggestions, but have to be practical at the same time. I usually don't have any trouble finding alfalfa around here (North Central MO). I'd buy baled chicory if I knew someone who could and would do it. I like the idea of weeds-I know they are often as high as 30% protein when consumed in the summertime. I have thrown some other types of hay out with way more wastage and the deer just seemed to be a lot more hungry. It did provide some decent bedding, though.

[CurtisLloyd]

I guess I'm in a little different situation with feed, in our full ration pellet we use weed screenings as fibre in the pellet. cost if a factor as well, we get out 14% winter pellet for $139.00 CDN/ metric tonne. we feed 14 % to get them to eat more volume, when their metabolism slows downin the winter they need less to eat but 14% makes them eat 20% more by volume,just trying to give them a balanced diet. I don't have trouble with hay. the cold in the winter means no mold and mildew , when the leftover starts to degrade next summer and get that sweet smell the deer clean it right to the ground.