Perennial Peanut Hay vs. Alfalfa for Horses: An Honest Comparison
Most horse owners in the Southeast end up asking the same question: "Should I be feeding peanut hay or alfalfa?" We grow perennial peanut hay in Cottondale, Florida, so we have a bias — and we're going to tell you up front when alfalfa is the better choice anyway.
The short answer
For most horses in the Southeast, perennial peanut hay does what alfalfa does — at a lower delivered cost, with less risk, and with a forage that grows in your own climate.
For very high-performance horses, growing foals, and broodmares in late gestation, alfalfa still has a slight edge on raw protein and calcium.
Nutritional comparison
Numbers from typical UF/IFAS and Auburn forage analyses:
| Metric | Perennial Peanut Hay | Alfalfa |
|---|---|---|
| Crude protein | 14–18% | 17–22% |
| TDN | 58–65% | 58–65% |
| Calcium | 1.0–1.5% | 1.2–1.6% |
| Phosphorus | 0.18–0.25% | 0.20–0.28% |
| Ca:P ratio | 4–6 : 1 | 5–7 : 1 |
| Digestibility (NDF) | 38–48% | 38–45% |
Perennial peanut hay sits just below alfalfa on raw protein and matches or beats it on digestibility. For 90% of horses — pleasure horses, light competition, seniors, hard keepers — that's already plenty.
What perennial peanut hay does better
Climate match. Perennial peanut is grown in Florida, South Alabama, and South Georgia in soils alfalfa struggles in. Local hay means fresher hay, lower delivery miles, lower price per pound delivered.
Lower waste. Horses tend to clean up perennial peanut. Alfalfa stems get refused; peanut hay leaf-to-stem ratio is naturally higher.
Lower risk of blister beetle. Florida alfalfa is rare; most alfalfa in our region is trucked in from out West, where blister beetle contamination is a real (rare but fatal) risk. Perennial peanut has no blister beetle issue.
Cost. Delivered to a Florida barn, perennial peanut typically runs $0.20–$0.30 per pound. Alfalfa trucked in from the western US often runs $0.40–$0.60 per pound after fuel surcharges.
What alfalfa still does better
Highest absolute protein. A broodmare in the last 90 days of gestation, a yearling in heavy growth, or a hard-working performance horse may need the extra 2–4% CP that premium alfalfa delivers.
Familiarity. Many veterinarians and barn managers default to alfalfa simply because they've used it for decades. There's no harm in that, just no advantage.
How to switch
If you're switching from alfalfa or coastal to perennial peanut hay, do it over 7–10 days:
- Days 1–3: 25% peanut, 75% old hay
- Days 4–6: 50% / 50%
- Days 7–10: 75% peanut, 25% old hay
- Day 11+: 100% peanut
Watch manure consistency for the first two weeks. If anything looks off, slow the transition.
The honest bottom line
If you're in Florida, South Alabama, or South Georgia and your horse isn't a peak-performance athlete, perennial peanut hay is the smarter choice on protein-per-dollar, digestibility, and supply chain risk. Ask your hay supplier for the forage test on every cut — that's how you know you're actually getting what you're paying for.
Want to try a sample bale? Order one bale → or call the farm at (850) 573-0470 or (850) 573-0471.