Seasons Magazine
Annandale's Lucerne Chaff & Forage, A Better Choice...
For many years lucerne (alfalfa) has been used to supplement the feeding of horses and other animals. It is chosen in the equine industry for its high nutritional values and its ability to provide the protein and energy requirements of horses, from growing yearlings to horses in hard work.
In many plants, the majority of these nutritional properties are contained in the leaves and in the case of lucerne this is especially true. The harvesting of lucerne hay is a specialist skill to ensure the moisture levels of the leaf are just right to minimise leaf shatter (dust) during harvesting, handling and processing.
ANNANDALE'S LUCERNE CHAFF
Annandale’s steam processing within the production of their Lucerne Chaff reduces leaf shatter and maintains high levels of leaf retention, ensuring high nutritional value’s.
As in all lucerne chaff processes there is some extraction of the fines (dust), which can be sold on as a protein lucerne meal for use as an additive within meal manufacturing as the high protein levels make it a valuable additive.
Some would argue that this dust in your chaff is bad. If it is not managed properly it can cause respiratory problems, just as excess protein in the diet of work horses can cause an increase of urinary ammonia production, which may then result in respiratory problems for horses confined to a stable.
These aspects can be managed quite easily if you know the risks. Dampening feeds is quick and easy, just as monitoring the protein levels you are feeding is an easy way to ensure excess protein is not being feed.
Another great advantage with our steam process is its ability to kill dust mites which are a major cause of feed refusal and allergies in horses.
Mould spores and dust mites are invisible but are part of our every day life, even in our homes and fridges. Most of the time they do not cause issues but Annandale’s steam processing within our chaffing process eliminates this risk.
We have done extensive testing on the process with a major compound feed producer in New Zealand and have demonstrated conclusively that 100% elimination of any mites is achieved with our process. This is why for most producers of compound feeds in New Zealand, we are now the number one choice for the supply of lucerne chaff used in their meal production.
In addition to reducing leaf shatter, mould spores and mites, our steam process has also been proven to increase the digestibility of all the products we process this way. This means your horse is going to get more out of less as well, which is also great for your pocket.
ANNANDALE'S LUCERNE FRESH FORAGE
If dampening down is inconvenient or you want added hydration or like the high nutritional fibre of a moist feed Annandale’s Lucerne Fresh Forage is the ideal feed for you.
Moist feed is an ensiled or fermented product which will deteriorate once exposed to the air and should be fed within a 3-7day period depending on the weather and storage conditions. So if you are not going to get through the product within this timeframe a dry fibre feed like chaff is the best option for you.
Annandale’s Lucerne Forage is specifically blended to a moisture content of 57% to ensure the product is outside the danger zone for mould and toxin risk, therefore it is a lot more stable both in the bag and once opened than similar products on the market.. At Annandale we believe any defect in a product is unsatisfactory, including white “yeast” mould and we produce our products to reduce this risk.
Annandale’s Fresh Forage packing process ensures feeding is easy. Packed and pressed in layers from the top of the bag means you can feed straight from the top of the bag by simply lifting out the desired feeding amount. Our double bag packaging has a focus on freshness, giving you the ability to fold over the inner bag to keep air away from the product, minimising waste.
THE FEEDING ARROW
We know every horse has their own energy requirements and individual needs to maximise health and performance.
Whether it’s fresh forage or chaff, we have developed a range of fibre products each with their own feeding benefits.
Click on the image below to view a larger version of the Feeding Arrow.
Chaff
Feeding Out
