Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My dad just had a nutrition analysis done on the alfalfa from our farm. He feeds it to his cows and I feed it to my dragons. The results showed that it was 21% protein. That is higher than numbers I have found for crickets and just as high as superworms. I knew it was "high in protein" but I did not know it was that high.

I did some searches and found that alfalfa is high in calcium and other nutrients also. I think alfalfa could be an excellent food source for bearded dragons. I had been offering some fresh cut along with other greens but I think I am going to start offering more.

I will post more specific results from the analysis after I look at it.

Does anyone else feed fresh cut alfalfa to their dragons? What do you guys think?

I do not currently but Wendy and I were just talking about starting to, today!! I am glad that you posted that info thanks!.

As i know nothing about farming what does it look like when it is fresh? Is it the same kind that you can buy for guinea pigs and such animals in the little bales?

M
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Cool!

It is the same stuff that you can buy in bails for rodents, but I doubt that it is good for dragons when it is dried.

Alfalfa kind of looks like skinny clover when it is growing/fresh cut. When it is fresh cut the dragons really seem to like it.

Also, when I was researching I read that the alfalfa looses nutrition content as it grows and matures. I feed my dragons the new shoots and leaves so they are probably even higher in nutrients.

Sweet thanks for the info! I live in a farming community so there has to be a feed store or something that i can buy it from.

M
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Mike, the only place I know you can get fresh alfalfa is to raid the hay fields before they cut it

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

Im game man!! lol
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Mike & Wendy

1.0.0 Siberian Husky
0.0.1 RTB
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.1.0 Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Beardie
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Fresh untreated alfalfa is ok to feed to dragons. It is not ok to use it as a substitute for insects. Dragons need to have insect protein not just vegetable protein. But because of the high protein content, it is also not good to feed alfalfa in excess, especially to adult dragons.

forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1274678,1275261
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks for the links.

I just wanted to say that I was not trying to imply that alfalfa could or should be used as an insect substitute. I like to give my dragons a widely varied diet so nothing really is suitable as a substitute for anything. I was just suprised at how nutritious the alfalfa was.

It makes cows grow fast and it really seems to be making some of my juvie dragons grow fast. Plus I think it is probably great for gravid and post laying females.

It is just another good tool that dragon keepers have at their disposal along with roaches, supers, silks, greens, veggies, etc.

Yes, I didn't think you were hoping to use alfalfa as a insect substitute but other people reading may think they can do it. So I try to cover all basis.
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PHLdyPayne