The Difference Between Timothy Hay & Alfalfa

When it comes to feeding your rabbit, guinea pig or small pet, we all know that hay is one of (if not, the) most important part of their diet.

And it’s easy to discover that the options available to us tend to be either timothy hay or alfalfa.

The stage of development of your pet will determine which type of hay he or she needs.  But what are the actual differences between the two?  Do they look different?  Feel different?  And why is it so important to feed the correct type of hay to my pet?

So, let’s take a look at timothy hay versus alfalfa, and see why they really are two completely different products.

Grass or legume?

The first thing that’s important to know is that these are essentially two different products.  Timothy hay is a grass hay (the clue is in the name…), but alfalfa is a legume hay.  They are both grown for animal feed, but have different nutritional value.

Visual & physical differences

• Alfalfa has small, clover like leaves.  Timothy hay has long leaves.
• Alfalfa has branching stems, whereas timothy has smooth stems.
• Alfalfa has clusters of small flowers that can often be seen in the hay.
• Alfalfa is much softer to the touch than timothy.

Nutritional differences

• Alfalfa is higher in protein and calcium than timothy hay.
• Timothy is higher in fiber than alfalfa.
• Alfalfa has a higher calorie content than timothy hay.

So, as you can see there are some quite substantial differences between the two different hays.  When it comes to feeding your small pet, in general he (or she) will require timothy hay for most of his life.  It will only be at times when an animal needs more energy (such as nursing mothers or baby animals), that alfalfa hay is needed.

Below is a good video that shows the visual differences between timothy hay and alfalfa.  And once you’ve seen this, you’ll never again be unsure as to how to identify the two.

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