Alfalfa?

[littlecowfl]

Does anyone have any experience using alfalfa pellets to supplement low nutrient grass on steers? I dislike milk from cows fed too much alfalfa so I am specifically concerned about taste of the beef or possible calcium deposits in the meat. Anyone know?

Our bahia grass down here in Florida is low nutrient due to our sandy soil. The cattle look great when supplemented with a half pound each, per day, of alfalfa pellets. But what will our steers taste like?

[copperhead]

I tried using the alfalfa pellets on one calf last year, but he didn't like it. I wound up finishing him on grass hay and alfalfa hay. He was wonderfull tasting and very tender. I didn't notice any off taste at all.

[littlecowfl]

Thanks, copperhead! They really are filling out nicely.

[littlecowfl]

I hear you, Gene. When I lived in Virginia, my cows were always fat on their orchard grass/native grass/clover pastures, LOL! Florida is whole new ballgame. Lots and lots of rain, but the sandy soil means the nutrients drain right out of it. We really noticed a difference in our cattle and our vegetable gardens when we moved down here. Hope to start fertilizing the pastures next year but you have to be very careful and give three small doses of fertilizer with 30 days in between or you'll burn the grass. The bahia can grow on morning dew but it doesn't offer much protein or nutrients. Clover just doesn't grow down here so alfalfa makes up for what the grass lacks. They make a range cube for our area, but you have to feed much more of it than alfalfa pellets so the alfalfa is actually cheaper. Tried the protein lick too, but I didn't like the way they looked with it. Not specific enough for our area, I suspect.

Our horses do quite well with supplemental alfalfa pellets, too. None of the commercial horse sweet feeds or pellets do a better job than straight alfalfa.

Everybody gets loose mineral mixed into their feed as well as plain salt in the summer.

[littlecowfl]

We're kind of an anomaly, even for Florida. We are higher and drier than most other regions in the state. We are actually the highest point in our county and the low points are spring-fed lakes. Ocala has much better soil because they have a mix of clay and sand. The good news: no alligators and few mosquitoes. The bad news: the only grasses that grow are bahia and alligator grass (so called because it never gets higher than about 1/2 an inch). With fertilization, we could add bermuda, which would save us feed costs.

The best news, however, is that, unlike most of our neighbors, we don't have to raise brahma cattle crosses to utilize the pastures. Our Dexters do remarkably well. Each one gets less than 1/2 pound of alfalfa pellets per day. That's quite good, actually. Even our donkey needs more than that!