Opinions on alfalfa stand management

[The Big Cowhuna]

I usually rotate mine, but it can be time-consuming and perhaps unnecessary, so I'm considering leaving things alone since a good stand can last for a few years. I originally chose to rotate my stand often because I thought it would increase my yield and protect against autotoxicity, but then I have nothing to compare it to because I've always done it this way. What do you consider the gold standard here?

 

[MartyR]

It's just myself and two of my neighbors that rely on it in order to feed our goats and chickens, and we all settled on me keeping it going while it's productive. If I sold a bunch of hay, or we had more livestock between us, I'd probably do things differently.

 

[Henderson]

I follow a strict rotation plan. If I have an established stand that's looking sparse, then I'll overseed with rye or something else that's fast growing. But I've never tried overseeding with more alfalfa or attempted to plant it there again by destroying the first set of plants. I usually plant corn when I'm rotating the alfalfa out. I'm just thankful that I haven't had to buy hay in a long time. I've heard it's pricey.