Forage Types

When I do a Google search of the word noxious, three words typically come up: harmful, poisonous or very unpleasant. If we apply this to weeds forage producers fight, we often have some that are harmful, some that are poisonous and many that are just very unpleasant.

Living mulches fill the ecological niche of weeds in a far more intentional and systematic way than weeds ever could.

Harvest management can have a huge effect on both the yield and quality of harvested forage. Leaves have a relative forage quality of about 550, while stems have a relative forage quality of 70 to 80.

Early season weather forecasts suggest the 2018 summer could be a repeat of 2016, when many alfalfa producers discovered excessively high alfalfa hay nitrates. The question frequently asked is, “How do I prevent this from happening again?”

Summer brings both warmer days and more humidity, conditions that can challenge our livestock and the forages they graze.

Can beef cattle be finished efficiently on pasture? That was a question another extension specialist at the University of Kentucky and I had seven years ago when corn prices were soaring to unprecedented levels, and feedlot finishing costs were high.