Forage Types

No two dairy operations are the same. Differences in location, milk markets and individual operational goals, plus a wide range of forage options, means producers increasingly are tailoring rations and forages to fit their specific needs.

It is hard to believe the winter months will soon be upon us. This time of year can be challenging for cattle producers in the Southeast because of the fall forage gap experienced during the late fall and early winter months.

If corn is king and alfalfa is queen, then oats should definitely be in the royal family somewhere due to its ability to produce good yields of high-quality forage at a reasonable cost.

Forage is the foundation for all cattle and equine diets. The digestive systems in ruminants such as cattle, goats, deer and elk and the hindgut-fermenting species such as horses, elephants and rodents, all digest forages through a process called fermentation.

Being a forage producer is a pretty straightforward proposition: The goal is to turn the sun’s energy into high-quality forage as efficiently as possible.

Brassicas are cool-season annual forages that can be utilized as pasture during the spring, summer and late fall grazing seasons when cool-season perennial pastures may not be as productive.