Compare hay and alfalfa for Kunekune pigs, including when each may fit, how to feed forage, and how to avoid overconditioning.
For pigs, the more useful comparison is grass hay versus alfalfa hay. Alfalfa is itself a forage that can be made into hay. Either can contribute fiber and enrichment, but forage should be fitted into the pig's complete diet rather than treated as a nutritionally complete replacement for a balanced swine ration. [1]
Grass Hay and Alfalfa Hay Are Different Forages
Grass hays such as timothy or orchardgrass are generally lower in protein and calcium than alfalfa. Alfalfa is a legume forage with more protein and calcium, but it is also relatively high in fiber and lower in usable energy than grain-based feeds. The actual nutrient value of any hay changes with plant maturity, harvest, storage, and quality.
Where Forage Fits in a Pig Diet
Mature pigs, especially gestating animals, can make more use of fibrous feeds than young growing pigs. University of New Hampshire guidance notes that roughages such as alfalfa and pasture can be used in swine diets, particularly for gestating sows, while University of Minnesota guidance cautions that high-fiber ingredients such as alfalfa hay can dilute the nutrient density needed by highly productive lactating sows. [1] [2]
For young pigs, fast-growing pigs, lactating sows, or any animal that needs a nutrient-dense diet, do not assume that more alfalfa is automatically better. Start with a balanced ration for the pig's age and production stage, then use hay or pasture as a planned part of the overall feeding program.
What About Alfalfa for Male Pigs?
The old version of this article blamed alfalfa itself for urinary calculi and suggested that alfalfa phytoestrogens could disrupt intact-male behavior or breeding performance. Those claims are too broad to use as general feeding rules. The better-supported concern is overall mineral balance: swine diets need appropriate calcium and phosphorus together, and excessive calcium with marginal phosphorus can interfere with phosphorus absorption. [3]
If a boar or barrow has straining, blood in the urine, repeated unsuccessful attempts to urinate, or another urinary problem, treat that as a veterinary issue rather than assuming alfalfa is the cause.
Practical Feeding Approach
- Keep a complete, balanced swine ration as the nutritional foundation when one is needed for the pig's stage of life.
- Use clean, mold-free grass hay or alfalfa hay as supplemental forage according to body condition, season, and the rest of the diet.
- Introduce a new forage gradually and watch manure consistency, appetite, and body condition.
- For breeding animals, piglets, lactating sows, or pigs with medical concerns, have a veterinarian or livestock nutritionist review the whole ration rather than focusing on a single ingredient.
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About the Author
Mark Bengtson looks at hay and alfalfa as management tools, not interchangeable labels. The useful question is how a forage fits the pigs, season, body condition, and rest of the ration; the nutritional comparisons on this page remain tied to the cited sources.