Thread: Alfalfa hay

Originally Posted by vic n

Alfalfa may be the "cream of the crop" in the hay world, but anything will work. Fescue may not be quite as nice as the alfalfa, but it will produce the microorganisms and the zooplankton. Just not as much

You answered the questions perfectly...If you can get Alfalfa at a decent price, or one you are comfortable with, go ahead and use the best! Alfalfa has the highest nutritional valve (Sugars, proteins, etc) of any hay, and can supply a higher density of micro-organisms for a longer period.
I could find very little scientific research of aquatic uses of hay, except that it is used as a very large, super dense, feeding station...but it seems that aquarists are leading the charge and using alfalfa cubes to establish/feed beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms for a healthy tank and fry production...aquarium fry need all the micro-organisms for growth just like fry/baitfish in our lakes.

Confusing to people is the effect of certain kinds of hay to clear algae from ponds...the difference is the hay for this use has to be loosely bagged/etc, so it can decompose evenly...in this case it does not provide food and grow algae, it produces 2% hydrogen peroxide THAT KILLS ALGAE!

I think Bama will like his results...and I have plenty of chicken wire to reinforce my bales like he did!

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

I can still get it for $2.50 per bale around here SW Ohio!

It would be worth my while to drive to SW Ohio!!!!! I am paying $7 a bale here in SEMO and I have to feed it year around, sand SUCKS with no water on it and 5 head of horses munching on what pasture I do have.

This is the first ive ever heard of this. Where did you get the info on this? We are trying to remove a bunch of crappie out of my pond. If this help bunch up the crappie we can get more of them out. Trying to remove at least 1000 out of pond. just for starters

Originally Posted by johndeere5045

This is the first ive ever heard of this. Where did you get the info on this? We are trying to remove a bunch of crappie out of my pond. If this help bunch up the crappie we can get more of them out. Trying to remove at least 1000 out of pond. just for starters

JD
This is mainly to set up feeding stations for Baitfish/etc, then to draw Crappie in to feed on the Minnows/etc...the problem in your pond is that most, if not all, of the baitfish population (FOOD) has been eaten by the over population of Crappie....then the Crappie have no food and they stunt...the only real food they will have is fry from their own spawns (until they grow too big) or micro-organisms and insects, which will pretty much only keep them alive!

Once you get the Crappie Population thinned out, you will have to add minnows/etc...then you can add bales to feed the food chain (micro-organisms, minnows, worms, etc), but along with this, you will have to provide plenty of cover for baitfish/minnows/etc, so their population can get established and grow....or you will be caught in the same vicious CRAPPIE OVER-POPULATION STUNTED CYCLE!

Originally Posted by johndeere5045

This is the first ive ever heard of this. Where did you get the info on this? We are trying to remove a bunch of crappie out of my pond. If this help bunch up the crappie we can get more of them out. Trying to remove at least 1000 out of pond. just for starters

I've never heard of it either. I've heard of people baiting holes with dog food, etc. (not sure if legally or illegally) but never using Alfalfa bales. Wheat straw is pretty easy to come by around here. Would that work???

The benefits of using wheat straw would be so low as to be un-noticeable. Hay is cut at it's prime....very high in nutrients, vitamins, proteins, etc, while straw is just the leftovers from a wheat crop.....there is no food value in wheat and it is only used as bedding for animals or mulch in a garden. As it deteriorates, I'm sure wheat straw would have some micro-organisms, but nothing like the explosion of organisms from good hay. Is it baiting? Doubtful. It is baiting the bait of the bait's bait, wayyyy at the tiniest part of the food chain.

Interesting vic n. I had no idea this was used.

Originally Posted by INTIMIDATOR

I can still get it for $2.50 per bale around here SW Ohio!

We pay more for sage grass or straw a bale ! I hear Alfalfa is way past 10 bucks !