Grasses and Grazing

Cattle producers are familiar with livestock nutrition. They need to know the animals’ nutrient requirements and forage test the hay fed to the animals.

Though it never was wildly popular, about a generation ago birdsfoot trefoil began being used even less frequently on dairy farms. Birdsfoot trefoil is a slow-growing forage legume and usually won’t persist when included in a mixed seeding with alfalfa and grass.

The greatest percentage of a cow’s annual maintenance cost is almost always allocated toward her feed bill, which can include supplement, mineral and hay.

Cover crops can provide many benefits to producers, from forage value to soil health improvements and beyond. With many species to choose from, it can sometimes be a challenge to know where to start.

This is a bit of a controversial topic: science versus practice. Dear Reader, if you feel comfortable with a passionate examination of a controversy, please read on. Because I’d like to visit about an emerging situation in the grazing world.

Historically, dairy and beef producers have been focused on maximizing animal outputs. This has been achieved through the adoption of new management systems, improved animal and crop genetics, and large-scale mechanization and automation of operations. However, new challenges face the 21st century producer.