Lucerne chaff is commonly used as a supplementary feed to resting and lightly worked horses, or mixed with cereal chaff as a bulking feed in grain based rations.
Lucerne chaff has the same nutritional value as Lucerne hay on a weight basis, but because of the small fragment size, it is more bulky. It can therefore be used to increase the bulk and fibre content of a grain based concentrate feed.
Dry Lucerne chaff is usually more palatable and consumed more readily than dry cereal chaff when mixed into a hard feed, although all dusty chaff should be dampened prior to feeding.
Major Disadvantages:
Dusty and poorly cured samples that contain fine particulate moulds can increase the risk of airway disease, unless the chaff is dampened with oil or water when mixed into the feed.
Selection and Quality of Lucerne Chaff
The highest quality Lucerne hay is green in colour; has a high proportion of leaves with thin evenly flattened stems; contains minimal dust and bleached leaves; has well attached non-fragmented leaves and is free from mouldy or musty odours, weeds or grass contamination.
