Forage Types

Optimizing net return from pasture integrates forage and animal production, cost control and marketing.

Do you know how to waltz?

Ah yes, you answer. You remember the time when you took a dance lesson and learned the box step.

Pasture forage for grazing can offer several benefits. If managed properly, it is the most cost-effective source of feed for cow-calf producers and other livestock operators.

To effectively condition hay or haylage, we need to understand the forage drying process:

Having the correct amount of moisture in harvested alfalfa at the time of baling is critical to maximizing economic return. In many of the areas of the western U.S., moisture levels of alfalfa hay in the windrow can dry to the point that leaves and stems will shatter during the baling process.

Baled silage, or baleage, is forage baled at a higher moisture content than dry hay and then stored in sealed plastic wrap. The high moisture level and air-tight environment create favorable conditions for anaerobic fermentation and production of lactic and acetic acids that preserve the forage.