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[RC] TEFF not high in protein - Patti KuvikThe Purdue article inidcated a range of 9 to 19% for Teff forage, depending on location and stage of maturity. While this is higher than other grasses (and lower than legumes) it might seem to be one of the reasons it is chosen for cultivation. The generalized concept that all grass hays are low in protein (and calcium) just doesn't hold up when looking at a large number of tested samples. The DairyOne library shows crude protein for grass hay ranging from 6.8% to 14.2% (20,000 samples with an average 10.5%) and protein in Bermuda grass hay ranging from 7.8% to 13.3% (4,902 samples, average 13.3%). http://www.dairyone.com/Forage/FeedComp/MainLibrary.asp What I also might find bothersome is the reference in the article to the possibility of Teff being high iron. This might be fine for people but a growing awareness of possible iron overload in grazing animals would have me testing this forage before trying it. There are so many factors that influence nutrient uptake in plants (species, geography, climate, rainfall, soil acidity, crop rotation, fertilizing) that, unless you grow and manage your own fields, I consider $24 for a complete hay analysis to find out what I'm actually feeding my horses pretty cheap insurance. http://www.dairyone.com/Forage/services/Forage/forage_Price_List.htm Patti K Vail AZ I must disagree with the previous post. Teff hay is not high in protein. In fact the protein level is very similar to any other grass hay (around 5-6% protein). Obviously this can vary slightly in different areas but will NEVER be anything close to the protein levels in Alfalfa. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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