What is Alfalfa?

wendi · #1 19th Jun 2002, 11:43 PM

Hi All,

From reading UK Magazines, I see that Alfalfa is talked about alot. It's not something we have here in NZ by that name, so was just wondering exactly what is alfalfa??

Cheers, Wendi

Aly · #2 20th Jun 2002, 04:26 AM

Correct me if I am wrong everybody, but isn't alphalfa hay know as Lucerne hay in NZ, Australia etc.???

#3 20th Jun 2002, 07:46 AM

Aly is right its called Lucerne here in Austraila. Comes in Hay and Chaff

Lucy J · #4 20th Jun 2002, 08:09 AM

it is higher in protein and calcium content than normal chaff although is much coarser. You can also het alfalfa in pellet form which is excellent for old horses as you can make it into a mash with warm water so they still get their fibre content if their teeth aren't up to much.

virtuallyhorses · #5 20th Jun 2002, 09:22 AM

Hi Wendi, yes its Lucerne

But if you're a Chaffhage buyer - check out the label - they list 'alfalfa' .... oh no we'll be posting and loping next...

Tina J · #6 20th Jun 2002, 10:18 AM

.... and for any Brits visiting the antipodes, they pronounce is loosn (as if it was just one syllable) rather than the two syllable loose-earn we say over here. I took a lot of teasing in Australia last year for my pommy-speak!

Its a member of the pea family. Latin name Medicago sativa which is why it makes a coarser chaff than grasses. Good to grow as a crop though, as it is nitrogen fixing, so puts goodness back into the soil.

Probably more info. than anyone wanted to know there!

Aly · #7 21st Jun 2002, 02:17 AM

Hahaha Tina J, too much info but I certainly appreciated it...You a botanist by any chance??

Tina J · #8 21st Jun 2002, 08:48 AM

Hi Aly, nope, not a botanist. I do environmental research which requires some botanical knowledge though. I'm actually a biochemist.

virtuallyhorses · #9 21st Jun 2002, 10:57 AM

Oi! Don't lump us in with Aussies! We speak gooder english than them

and have 2 syllables in our luc-erne

Tina J · #10 21st Jun 2002, 11:30 AM

sorry Mate!

Now I know how to tell an Aussie from a Kiwi - you lot obviously don't swallow the ends of your words (the way they say Melbn springs to mind, instead of Mel-bourne). Great country though, and to any Aussies reading this, I'm only taking the mick to get my own back on all the teasing I took over there.

Aly · #11 22nd Jun 2002, 01:40 AM

Hahaha, and I thought you could tell an Aussie from a Kiwi by the company they keep. Hahahahahahaha....

Very cheeky of me I know, just couldn't help but throw it in....

wendi · #12 23rd Jun 2002, 07:37 AM

Hi Guys,

Thanx for all the info on lucerne, and how to tell a Kiwi and an Aussie apart!!

Unfortunately for my boy, he can't have tasty lucerne/alfalfa due to the higher protein, as he's tied up on it prior to my getting him, so he has to make do with plain old meadow hay and straw chaff!!

Thanx again, Wendi