The safe amount of alfalfa cubes for horses depends heavily on the horse’s weight, activity level, age, and overall diet. Generally, a horse should consume between 0.5% to 2.5% of its body weight in total forage (hay and cubes combined) per day, with alfalfa cubes making up only a portion of this, usually no more than 1% to 1.5% of the body weight as a maximum replacement for hay.
Feeding horses correctly is vital for their health. Many horse owners turn to alfalfa cubes for horses because they are easy to store, convenient to feed, and pack a serious nutritional punch. However, just like any feed, giving too much or too little can cause problems. This detailed guide will help you figure out the horse feed quantity alfalfa cubes you should offer your equine friend.
Comprehending Alfalfa Cube Nutritional Value Horse
Before setting a feeding amount, you must know what you are feeding. Alfalfa, or lucerne, is a legume hay, different from grass hay. It is higher in protein and calcium than most grass hays. This high nutrient profile is why careful measurement is essential.
Protein and Energy Content
Alfalfa cubes are made by grinding alfalfa hay and compressing it into small, dense cubes. This process removes most of the water content.
- Protein: Alfalfa is rich in protein, often ranging from 14% to over 20% crude protein, depending on when it was harvested. This is great for growing horses, hard keepers, or those doing heavy work.
- Energy: Alfalfa is more energy-dense than grass hay. It provides calories necessary for work and weight maintenance.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Alfalfa is naturally high in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, calcium, and phosphorus.
Importance of Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio
A key factor in the alfalfa cube nutritional value horse diet is the mineral balance. Alfalfa tends to have a high calcium content and a lower phosphorus content. While this ratio is usually fine if the horse is getting grass hay or fortified feed, relying too heavily on alfalfa cubes alone can skew this ratio. Too much calcium can interfere with how the body absorbs phosphorus.
Establishing the Daily Alfalfa Cube Ration for Horses
Determining the daily alfalfa cube ration for horses starts with the horse’s total daily forage requirement. All horses need forage to keep their digestive systems healthy.
Total Forage Needs
A healthy adult horse should eat between 1.5% and 2.5% of its body weight in forage daily. This is the foundation of their diet.
- Low Work/Maintenance: Aim for 1.5% to 2.0% of body weight.
- Moderate to Heavy Work: Aim for 2.0% to 2.5% of body weight.
Forage intake includes hay (grass or legume) and any supplements presented in forage form, like cubes or pellets.
The Role of Cubes in the Total Ration
Alfalfa cubes should generally not make up 100% of a horse’s forage intake, especially for horses in light work or those prone to weight gain, due to their high nutrient density.
It is best practice to follow an Alfalfa cube feeding guide that suggests cubes replace only a portion of the hay ration.
- Light Work/Easy Keepers: Cubes should make up no more than 25% of the total daily forage.
- Moderate Work/Growing Horses: Cubes can make up 30% to 50% of the total daily forage.
- Senior Horses/Hard Keepers: Cubes might constitute up to 75% of the forage, especially if they have dental issues and cannot chew long-stem hay well.
How Many Alfalfa Cubes Per 1000 lbs Horse
To calculate the amount, we must first determine the target total forage intake, and then decide what percentage that intake will be supplied by cubes.
Let’s use a standard 1,000-pound (450 kg) horse as our baseline example.
Step 1: Determine Total Daily Forage Requirement
For a 1,000 lb horse in moderate work, a safe total intake is about 2.25% of body weight:
$$1000 \text{ lbs} \times 0.0225 = 22.5 \text{ lbs of total forage per day}$$
Step 2: Determine the Percentage Supplied by Cubes
Assuming this horse is in moderate work and we want cubes to provide 40% of the total forage:
$$22.5 \text{ lbs (Total Forage)} \times 0.40 (\text{Percentage for Cubes}) = 9.0 \text{ lbs of alfalfa cubes per day}$$
This gives us a baseline for how many alfalfa cubes per 1000 lbs horse should be fed.
Step 3: Convert Weight to Volume (The Practical Measurement)
Alfalfa cubes are sold by weight, but they are often measured by volume (buckets or scoops). The weight-to-volume ratio is crucial for accurate feeding.
- Standard Alfalfa Cubes: 1 cup of average alfalfa cubes weighs roughly 1 pound (0.45 kg). Note: Always weigh your specific brand of cubes to confirm this.
Using our 9.0 lbs calculation from above:
$$9.0 \text{ lbs of cubes} \approx 9 \text{ cups of cubes per day}$$
This calculation sets a guide for the horse weight alfalfa cube feeding rate.
Alfalfa Cubes Feeding Chart Example
This chart illustrates the alfalfa cubes for horses feeding chart based on a moderate work level, keeping cubes below 50% of total forage intake for most horses.
| Horse Weight (lbs) | Total Daily Forage (2.25% BW) | Recommended Max Cube Intake (40% of Total Forage) | Approximate Daily Cubes (lbs) | Approximate Daily Cubes (Cups) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | 18.0 lbs | 7.2 lbs | 7.2 lbs | 7.2 cups |
| 1000 | 22.5 lbs | 9.0 lbs | 9.0 lbs | 9.0 cups |
| 1200 | 27.0 lbs | 10.8 lbs | 10.8 lbs | 10.8 cups |
| 1400 | 31.5 lbs | 12.6 lbs | 12.6 lbs | 12.6 cups |
Important Note: These are estimates for a horse in moderate activity receiving adequate nutrients from other sources. Always adjust based on body condition score.
Feeding Instructions for Alfalfa Cubes
Simply pouring dry cubes into a trough is risky. Alfalfa cubes swell significantly when soaked, and feeding them dry can lead to choking or digestive upset. Following proper feeding instructions for alfalfa cubes is non-negotiable.
Soaking is Essential
Always soak alfalfa cubes before feeding. Soaking helps prevent esophageal obstructions (choking) because the cubes expand dramatically when wet.
- Ratio: A general rule is to soak cubes using a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of water to cubes by volume. For example, soak 2 cups of cubes with 2 to 4 cups of warm water.
- Time: Allow the cubes to soak for at least 30 minutes until they completely break down into a mash or a soft, mushy consistency resembling cooked oatmeal. If you are in a hurry, using hot water speeds up the process significantly.
- Consistency Check: The final product should not hold its shape. If you can squeeze a cube and it retains its form, it is not ready.
Feeding Schedule and Frequency
Horses thrive on routine. Feed the soaked cubes in small meals rather than one large dose.
- Divide the total recommended alfalfa cube serving size horse into two or three meals spread throughout the day.
- If feeding a large volume (e.g., 8+ cups per day), three feedings are better than two.
Supplementation Considerations
Because of the high calcium in alfalfa, if you are feeding a high percentage of cubes (over 50% of forage), you may need to balance the diet by providing a ration balancer or grain that is high in phosphorus or fortified with appropriate vitamins and minerals to ensure a 1.5:1 to 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio overall. Consult your equine nutritionist before making major dietary shifts.
Safe Amount of Alfalfa Cubes for Horses: When to Limit Intake
While nutrient-rich, alfalfa cubes are not suitable as the sole feed source for every horse, nor should they be overfed.
Risks of Overfeeding Alfalfa
- Obesity: Alfalfa is calorically dense. Feeding too much can easily lead to weight gain, increasing laminitis risk, especially in easy keepers.
- Digestive Upset: Rapidly changing the diet or feeding large volumes of soaked cubes in one go can disrupt the hindgut flora, leading to colic or diarrhea.
- Urinary Calculi (Bladder Stones): The high calcium content, if unbalanced by sufficient phosphorus and water intake, can contribute to the formation of stones in some horses over a long period.
Horses That Benefit Most from High Cube Intake
The daily alfalfa cube ration for horses can be higher for specific groups:
- Growing Foals and Weanlings: They need high-quality protein for development. Alfalfa cubes are excellent for supplementing protein in their diet.
- Lactating Mares: Milk production requires massive amounts of energy and protein.
- Performance Horses (Heavy Work): Cubes provide highly digestible energy that is less likely to cause digestive upset than large amounts of grain.
- Horses with Poor Dentition: Cubes, when properly soaked, are easy to chew and digest, making them ideal for older horses or those missing teeth.
Horses That Should Receive Limited Cubes
- Horses Prone to Laminitis/Insulin Resistance: Alfalfa is relatively low in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) compared to grain, but its high energy content still requires portion control. Stick to the lower end of the daily alfalfa cube ration for horses (0.5% to 1% of body weight maximum).
- Horses on High-Quality Grass Hay: If the horse is already eating excellent grass hay (like high-quality Timothy or orchard grass), adding excessive alfalfa may provide too much protein and calories unnecessarily.
Balancing the Diet: Cubes Versus Hay
The best management strategy involves mixing alfalfa cubes with grass hay. This mimics a more natural foraging pattern while providing controlled nutrition.
Why Mix Alfalfa and Grass Hay?
Mixing provides bulk (which is important for gut motility) from the grass hay, while the cubes deliver concentrated nutrients that might be lacking in the grass hay.
A Common Mixing Strategy:
- Determine the horse’s total forage requirement (e.g., 22.5 lbs for a 1000 lb horse).
- Provide 50% of that requirement as long-stem grass hay (11.25 lbs).
- Provide the remaining 50% through soaked alfalfa cubes (11.25 lbs).
This mixing strategy ensures the horse gets enough fiber length to chew and promotes slower eating habits while meeting higher nutritional needs. When calculating the horse feed quantity alfalfa cubes, always factor in what the grass hay is supplying.
Interpreting Body Condition Scores (BCS) for Adjustment
The ultimate arbiter of whether your recommended alfalfa cube serving size horse is correct is the horse’s physical condition. Use the Henneke Body Condition Scoring system (1 to 9).
| BCS | Description | Feeding Adjustment for Cubes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Very Thin/Thin | Increase cubes (up to 2% BW total forage) to gain weight. Monitor protein intake. |
| 4-6 | Ideal Weight | Maintain feeding based on work level; monitor closely. This is the target zone. |
| 7-9 | Overweight/Obese | Decrease total forage intake; significantly reduce or eliminate alfalfa cubes, favoring low-calorie grass hay. |
If your horse is losing weight despite eating the calculated amount of cubes and hay, you may need to increase the total forage slightly, or introduce a concentrated, low-protein energy source (like beet pulp or rice bran, properly balanced). If gaining weight rapidly, cut back on the cubes first.
Making the Switch: Transitioning to Alfalfa Cubes
Never introduce a new feed suddenly. The horse’s hindgut bacteria need time to adjust to changes in forage quality, especially moving to high-protein alfalfa. This process is part of the feeding instructions for alfalfa cubes.
- Start Slow: Begin by replacing only 10% of the horse’s current hay ration with soaked alfalfa cubes.
- Monitor: Observe the horse for 3 to 5 days. Look for changes in manure consistency (it should remain firm but not cow-pie consistency).
- Gradual Increase: If the horse does well, increase the cube portion by another 10% every few days until you reach the target daily alfalfa cube ration for horses. This slow transition minimizes the risk of colic.
Measuring Accuracy: Why Weighing Matters
While many guides use cups (volume), the density of feed can vary. If you have five different bags of alfalfa cubes, the weight of one cup from each bag might differ slightly.
For precision, especially when feeding performance horses or those with metabolic issues, it is essential to use a kitchen or postal scale to weigh the cubes before soaking. This practice ensures you are meeting the exact horse feed quantity alfalfa cubes recommended for their specific needs.
FAQ About Feeding Alfalfa Cubes
Can I feed alfalfa cubes dry to my horse?
No, this is strongly discouraged. Alfalfa cubes expand significantly when they absorb saliva and water in the esophagus or stomach. Feeding them dry poses a serious choking hazard. Always soak them thoroughly until they become a soft mash.
Are alfalfa cubes a complete feed for horses?
No, alfalfa cubes are a forage source, not a complete feed. While they are high in protein and calcium, they are often deficient in certain vitamins and minerals (like Vitamin D and sometimes phosphorus) needed for a fully balanced diet, especially for horses not on pasture. They should replace hay, not replace a balanced concentrate or ration balancer.
How much should I feed my 1200 lb horse if it is in heavy work?
A horse in heavy work might need up to 3% of its body weight in total forage (36 lbs for a 1200 lb horse). If you decide cubes will make up 50% of that, you would feed about 18 lbs of cubes daily, split into several soaked meals. Always ensure they are receiving adequate calories from other sources too, as excessive fiber from cubes alone might not meet high energy demands.
What is the difference between alfalfa cubes and alfalfa pellets?
Cubes are generally denser and have a larger diameter than pellets. Pellets are compressed more forcefully. Some horses chew cubes better than pellets, or vice versa, depending on their teeth. Nutritionally, they are very similar, but because cubes are larger, they require more soaking time to break down fully.
Can horses eat too much protein from alfalfa cubes?
Yes. While alfalfa protein is high quality, excessive intake can stress the kidneys over time and lead to high levels of nitrogenous waste. If your horse is in light work, feeding too much alfalfa can also lead to unnecessary weight gain. Monitor your horse’s condition and adjust the daily alfalfa cube ration for horses accordingly.