Do yearlings need to be fed alfalfa?
Our hay has some alfalfa in it, but is mostly an orchard grass. I do not go out of my way to feed a yearling alfalfa, but do tend to watch his weight to avoid problems that over feeding can cause. Your yearling sounds like he’s at a good weight right now and your program sounds reasonable. You want your yearling to grow slowly so as not to cause contractions of tendons in his legs or joint issues. If he’s glossy and has good energy and you can just barely see his ribs but not his other bones in his back or hindquarters, he’s where he should be. Also, be sure he’s on a good deworming program. A lot of yearlings have quite a worm load and get a potbellied, meager look. A good yearling has a healthy look with no pot belly, not a lot of excess fat, his back bone is not sticking out, nor are his hip bones and his ribs will be barely showing or just able to be felt under the skin.. I am not familiar with coastal hay, but if it is quite similar to what we call orchard grass [a blend of a vari
