• How much is in a bag of Chaffhaye?
  Both Chaffhaye Alfalfa and Chaffhaye Grass are offered in 50 pound bags. A 50# Bag of Chaffhaye Alfalfa will feed an average 1100 pound horse for 3 days. That is, you will want to feed about 1.5 pounds of Chaffhaye Alfalfa for every hundred pounds of horse. For smaller animals, such as foals, goats or llamas, feed about 2 to 3 pounds of Chaffhaye Alfalfa for every hundred weight of animal..  

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• Is the feed value for Chaffhaye higher than dry hay?
  Yes. Chaffhaye's feed value arises from a number of key factors, including its superior harvesting and packaging method; improved digestibility due to beneficial enzymes, yeast and microflora; and unmatched palatability. In the process of conventional hay making, a pasture is first cut and then typically left to dry on the field for several days after harvest. (The farmer then prays it doesn't rain during this critical drying period, lest the crop be lost). As the forage dries in the open air environment, it undergoes a respiration process that consumes and depletes its nutrients. Then, when nutrient losses from storage and transport are added, even a "Good Quality" hay can easily lose 20% to 30% of its nutrient value. The nutrient losses are exacerbated in the event of rain, mold, and leaf loss, to name but a few. By contrast, the harvest of Chaffhaye is closely timed to the optimal plant maturity. Then, within hours of cutting, it is chopped and compressed into air-tight packaging. Without oxygen in the bag, a beneficial fermentation is initiated, preserving more than 90% of the nutritional value of the crop. Because Chaffhaye retains a higher portion of its natural plant juices, its palatability is raised, resulting in higher feed intake. In addition to preserving nutrients, the fermentation populates the forage with beneficial enzymes and microflora that "pre-condition" the forage allowing greater assimilation (absorption) of nutrients by your animal when consumed. Finally, the Chaffhaye advantage is especially obvious when feeding 'finicky' eaters. Depending on the type of animal being fed, anywhere from 5% to 40% of dry hay can wasted by finicky eaters who prefer eating leafy matter rather than stem matter. Soft in the mouth and easy to chew, Chaffhaye fosters 100% feed consumption. For these reasons, a 50# bag of Chaffhaye equates to a nutritional value of 75 to 100 pounds of "Good Quality" hay.

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• Is Chaffhaye Alfalfa too rich for my horse (animal)?
  No, it is not too rich. Every animal has a different nutrient requirement, depending on its gender, growth stage, lactation, performance, climate, stress, etc. Generally speaking, Chaffhaye forage products are a superior source of fiber, the foundation for all equine ration programs. For animals that are weaning, growing, lactating, aged or are exposed to moderate-to-high levels of recreation or work, we recommend Chaffhaye Alfalfa as a complete hay replacement. Similarly, if you only need to meet the basic fiber requirements of an animal with periodic light work or recreation, then we would recommend a 50/50 mixture of Chaffhaye Alfalfa with a quality grass forage.

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• Is Chaffhaye too expensive?
  Chaffhaye is nearly twice as nutritious as "good quality" hay, and therefore, the amount of grain and expensive supplements can be significantly reduced. Chaffhaye is conveniently compressed down 2:1, leading to reduced storage and transportation cost. Chaffhaye squarely addresses common ailments that horses and other animals suffer, including digestive disorders, such as colic and impactions, respiratory ailments due to air-borne dust and mold spores, and other immune system disorders. Chaffhaye is particularly cost effective when offered to finicky eaters, such as certain horses and goats, that often sort out delicious leaves from the stems. With Chaffhaye, even finicky eaters will eat 100% of this soft-textured forage, substantially reducing wasted feed. Finally, as a main reason why we bought this company many years ago was that we were spending significant amounts of our own time trying to locate consistent quality forage for our horses and livestock. Many times, high quality forage was simply not available. For these reasons, we consider it far too costly not to use Chaffhaye in place of dried hay.

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• Chaffhaye contains molasses. Is this OK for my horse?
  A low-sugar molasses is added to Chaffhaye for the sole purpose of initiating a beneficial fermentation process in the forage. Applied in an amount of no more than three table spoons per 50 pound bag, its relative percentage with respect to the natural plant sugar is negligible. If fact, nearly all of the supplemented molasses is converted by the fermentation process into beneficial acids that preserve the forage quality. The Chaffhaye process results in a forage product with less than 5% residual sugars, far below conventional hays or growing pastures. So the net benefit to your horse is increased palatability and intake of high-quality forage leading to greater digestion and assimilation of its nutrients. This makes Chaffhaye perfect for overweight, insulin-resistant or laminitic horses who must watch their sugar intake.

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• I found white patches on my Chaffhaye. What is this?
  These patches have the texture and taste of yogurt, and are actually 'colonies' of yeast created as a by-product of the beneficial fermentation process. In fact, some of the most expensive probiotics on the market are yeast-based gels that are used to reestablish healthy digestion in animals and to bolster the immune system after stress, travel, wormers and antibiotics. These yeast cultures actually aid the digestion of certain nutrients and are generally readily eaten by the animal. If, however, the Chaffhaye bag has been torn for some period of time and air has been introduced into the product, mold can grow. Mold will have a brownish-gray look with a bad smell. There is no oxygen in a sealed bag of Chaffhaye. Mold can not grow without the introduction of oxygen.

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• What is the shelf life of Chaffhaye in unopened bag? Once opened?
  Unopened in its air-tight package, Chaffhaye will remain preserved and fresh for at least 2 years. In our own experience, we encountered no problems feeding our own horses using 10-year old Chaffhaye. Once opened, Chaffhaye acts like any fresh product. By opening the bag, the forage becomes exposed to oxygen and begins to lose its freshness. As a guide, Chaffhaye will remain fresh for between 7 to 14 days, depending on weather conditions. For this reason, an opened bag should be stored out of the sun and in an air-tight container to prolong freshness. Accordingly, we recommend finishing an open bag within the 7 to 14 day 'window of freshness.'

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• Chaffhaye Alfalfa seems high in protein. Is this OK for my horse?
  Chaffhaye Alfalfa is a high-fiber forage and excellent source of protein. As fed from the bag, it contains 9.5% protein. If all the natural plant juices were removed from Chaffhaye Alfalfa, it would then offer a 19% protein level. This makes it especially ideal for young or growing animals, gestating mares, lactating mares, senior horses, working horses, and as well as show and performance animals. Properly fed, the protein levels in Chaffhaye Alfalfa are not a concern for even the pleasure horse.

  Chaffhaye Alfalfa offers a better than average level of digestible protein and a high level of Total Digestible Nutrition (TDN). A typical maintenance horse of say 1,100 pounds requires a minimum of 656 grams of crude protein each day. At our recommended level of feeding, the horse would receive 815 grams of crude protein. This would be more than enough without overloading.
  
  If you prefer to reduce the amount of protein fed without sacrificing fiber intake, we recommend mixing Chaffhaye Alfalfa with qualty grass forage to attain the desired protein/fiber mixture.

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• Will Chaffhaye make my horse "hot" or "jumpy"?
  In some situations, "jumpiness" is simply a characteristic of the animal breed. Outside of this scenario, the most frequent cause of "jumpiness" is a high amount of starch in the diet. As discussed earlier, starchy grains pass straight from the small intestine into the fermentation vat of the hindgut, creating digestive disturbances and abnormal behaviors. In contrast, Chaffhaye's energy is derived from its digestible fiber and its level of protein is controlled for suitability to horses. Therefore, Chaffhaye is not likely to cause sudden spikes of energy. In addition, Chaffhaye's fermentation "pre-digests" the forage in the bag, and therefore lowers the subsequent amount of fermentation required by the horse in the hindgut. This is why Chaffhaye is often used as a buffer against incidence of starch overload and for preventing horses from getting "hot" or "high".

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• Will my horse readily eat Chaffhaye?
  In feeding our own horses and livestock, and from speaking with thousands of horse owners over the years, we have found that most horses will go to Chaffhaye immediately. Because it is their basic nature to be suspicious of any new feed, some horses may need help to get started on Chaffhaye. For finicky eaters, we suggest top dressing Chaffhaye with something like apple sauce to get them started. Any change of feed, including a change to Chaffhaye, should be introduced gradually over a week to minimize the possibility of digestive upsets. Once you have successfully introduced Chaffhaye, look out! Your horse won't want anything else.

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• Can I feed my horse Chaffhaye on a free-choice basis?
  Yes. Many horse owners are discovering success in free-choice feeding of Chaffhaye, demonstrating a viable option for many. 
  
  However, many horses have been raised on dry hay and processed feeds with little exposure to natural grazing on pasture. As a result, many horses have developed poor eating patterns, such as gorging massive quantities of forage in a few single sittings. Our experience has been that most horses on a free-choice feeding program will eat more than is necessary during the first few weeks of introduction. Once accustomed to Chaffhaye, their eating habits typically drop back to a more reasonable level. One explanation for the high compatibility of Chaffhaye with free-choice feeding is that it offers a more natural level of beneficial plant juice than what is offered by hay. Consequently, horses seem to exhibit an elevated sense of satisfaction from Chaffhaye. 

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• Does Chaffhaye reduce the risk of colic in horses?
  This is one of the best benefits of Chaffhaye. Animals with access to natural grazing consume forage that is naturally high in moisture and plant juice. However, most horses today have little opportunity to experience natural grazing. As a result, studies estimate that 11% of all horses suffer from colic each year. To address this issue, Chaffhaye provides a moderate level of natural plant juice, as well as beneficial plant sap, resin, gums, pectin and mucilages. Freshly preserved, Chaffhaye is also prized for its high fiber digestibility as well as its rich source of indigestible fiber that keeps the peristaltic motion of the horse's digestion moving at the proper rate. This significantly lowers the risk of impaction and gas colic.

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• What supplements should I add to Chaffhaye?
  Chaffhaye is designed to meet the forage portion of your horse's diet. In many cases, this alone will meet the nutritional requirements of your horse. Under certain circumstances, you may want to supplement with a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral. For horses under very heavy work, an energy supplement may be needed.

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• I've heard that moist feeds in general should not be fed to horses because of the possibility of mold. Is this true?
  Any feed, if not properly handled can contain dangerous molds. To make the very best haylage, one must achieve the right moisture level in the forage, shut the oxygen supply off as soon as possible, pack the forage tightly to prevent oxygen ingress into the forage until it is ready to feed. As you can imagine, if one were to process, for example, a 500 ton batch of haylage it would be very difficult to control the most important success factors to haylage making. In contrast, the Chaffhaye process ensures that each factor of production is strictly controlled with 100% certainty. With Chaffhaye in a 50 lb. bag, we can more than accomplish these objectives and produce a very high quality forage that is higher in available nutrients than most any other forage. Chaffhaye is harvested and processed within 14 hours of cutting. It is then vacuum compressed into an airtight bag to remove the majority of its oxygen. This initiates a beneficial fermentation process that drops the pH to below 4.5, a level very similar to the pH in the hindgut of horses. The fermentation process exhausts residual oxygen that may be in the bag. Botulism can not grow under these acidic conditions. With no oxygen, molds can not grow. In summary, pH under 4.5 - no botulism. No oxygen, means no mold. Like any fresh product, Chaffhaye needs to be used within a reasonable period of time once the bag is open and exposed to air. Under hot, humid summer conditions, the product should be consumed within about 3 days after opening the bag. During the winter, the product remains fresh for up to 3 weeks after opening.

• Will Chaffhaye freeze and does a freeze/thaw cycle effect the quality?
  Being a moist product, Caffhaye will freeze if t gets cold for long enough.  freezing will not affect the quality of chaffhaye.  so if it does freeze, it's OK.  Just thaw it out.  What most people do is bring in out of the cold whatever bags they plan to use in the next day or so.  That gives it a chance to thaw out before using.

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• How should open bags be stored?                                                                                              Like any fresh product, Chaffhaye must be used within a reasonable period of time once opened.  Keep open bags in the shade with the top rolled down and fastened.  Leave it in the original bag.  Chaffhaye is so compressed that in the original bag it is difficult for oxygen the penetrate into the product.  If Chaffhaye does go bad you will know it.  It will get a very bad, rotten smell.

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• Is Chaffhaye ideal for my Senior/Geriatric Horse?
  Chaffhaye is the perfect feed for older horses. The two main causes of body condition losses for older horses are poor teeth and reduced digestive ability. Being soft, Chaffhaye makes it easy for horses with few or no teeth to handle. Secondly and most importantly, Chaffhaye undergoes a sort of "pre-digestion" process in the bag. This "pre-digestion" is very similar to what occurs in the hindgut of the horse. So when your senior horse eats Chaffhaye it will absorb a significantly higher amount of the nutrition. Also, the "pre-digestion" allows the horse to absorb more nutrients in the foregut with less having to spill over into the hindgut. Examining the manure is one good way to determine how well your horse is digesting its forage. The presence of noticeable amounts of undigested stem and other plant matter is one sure sign that digestion is not proceeding efficiently. With Chaffhaye, you will notice not only a reduction in manure but the manure that is generated will have very little undigested plant matter. With a little bit of examination, one can quickly prove that a relatively high level of nutrient absorption occurs with Chaffhaye compared to dry baled hay.
  
  
  
  Many vets also recommend that senior horses be supplemented with a probiotic and another agent to help water retention. Chaffhaye contains natural probiotics in the form of yeast, digestive enzymes and other digestive bacterial cultures. These are produced during the natural fermentation that occurs in the bag. These all enhance the horse's ability to absorb nutrients. Also Chaffhaye's inherent moisture helps maintain the fluid balance in the digestive system and reduce the chance for impaction.

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• How can I achieve a targeted level of protein in my horse's ration?
  By mixing Chaffhaye Alfalfa and Chaffhaye Grass, you can create a custom blend having a desired protein level. Your horse's circumstances change, so why not her feed? Is your horse under heavy exercise? Increase the amount of protein by raising the proportion of Chaffhaye Alfalfa as compared to Chaffhaye Grass. Warmer weather has arrived? Increase the proportion of Chaffhaye Grass in the diet to increase the fiber content and reduce the amount of energy required for warmth. Use the simple chart below as a handy guideline for designing the forage portion of the diet to a targeted protein level:

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