There are a variety of interests in promoting healthy deer and elk populations. These interests include promoting wildlife preservation and welfare, increasing enjoyment of ownership and maximizing profitability of quality stock for venison, velvet and hunting. Regardless of the objective, the greatest barrier to the development of healthy herds is a lack of quality nutrition. In fact, most experts consider malnourishment as the most common disease among antlered herds. The malnourishment is especially acute during late winter and early spring when many herds become overwhelmed by extreme habitat change, forage quality fluctuations and high mortality.

The Solution? Feeding Chaffhaye Alfalfa as the foundation of any highly nutritious feeding program. For antlered animals, Chaffhaye Alfalfa represents a viable feed solution with its balance of digestible fiber, high-quality protein, energy and essential vitamins and minerals. Benefits include:

• Improved weight gain and body scores 
• Unmatched antler growth
• Improved resistance to CWD
• Higer reproductive rates, lower fawn losses
• High quality bi-products, venison and velvet
• Lower feed costs via reduced hard feed intake
• Ease-of-handling. Convenience of product.
• Long 2-year shelf life
• Savings in storage space of 60% vs. hay  

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. If you are feeding Chaffhaye Grass, feed approximately 2.0 pounds of grass for every hundred pounds of horse, and between 3.0 to 3.5 pounds of grass to the smaller classes of grazers and browsers.

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.

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.

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.'

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.