Understanding Forages

Understanding Forages Karen Hutchinson Virginia Cooperative Extension This is a presentation from Virginia Tech and it has not been edited by the Georgia Curriculum Office.

Forage Defined • Forage: • herbaceous plants, generally referring to pasture, hay, silage, and green chop, utilized for animal nutritional requirements. • Provides protein and energy

Forages Defined, cont’d. • Protein • Quantified by taking the percentage of Nitrogen in a sample and multiplying by 6.25 • Energy • Measured as TDN (total digestible nutrients), or what the animal can actually take away from the forage

Importance of Forages • Provide roughage • Keep rumen working • Source of energy and protein • Can be less expensive than grain or other supplements

Typical Forages • Warm season vs. cool season • Cool season: • rye • fescue • bluegrass • orchard grass • timothy

Typical Forages, cont’d • Warm season: • alfalfa • pearl millet • red and white clovers

Rye • Winter pasture crop • Can be planted in late fall • Will germinate in temps close to freezing • Winter hardy • Can seed as early as August • Undesirable for dairy cattle • Good spring green manure crop • 14% protein; 53% TDN

Tall Fescue • Big root system • Tolerates drought and poorly drained soil • Good for late fall, winter grazing • Good for stockpiling for later grazing • Plant in spring to use in later summer • 10% protein; 59% TDN

Bluegrass • Shallow rooted • Tolerates close, continuous grazing • Very palatable • Unproductive during mid-summer • Best adapted to soils with limestone base • Plant in late summer to early fall for following year • 15% protein; 50% TDN

Orchard Grass • Deep rooted • Can’t graze closely • Good vigorous growth • Winter killed • 15% protein; 71% TDN

Timothy • Shallow rooted • Better for hay than for pasture • Adapted to cool/humid climates • Establish in late summer, early fall • 8% protein; 57% TDN

Alfalfa • Complements energy from corn with high protein content • High in Ca, P, Mg • Spring seeding Feb 1 - Mar 15 • Summer seeding after first good rain in Sep. • 17-22% protein; 57-67% TDN

Pearl Millet • Both a warm and a cool season crop • 65 day growing season • 600,000 acres grown in SE U.S. • Seeded after danger of last frost • Good VA summer pasture • Leafy and palatable • 18% protein; 67% TDN

Red Clover • Easily established • Short-lived (2yr. Max) • Comparable nutritionally to alfalfa • Seed in late summer to early fall for following spring

Selected Beef Cattle Nutritional Requirements

Forage Quality Indicators

Activity • Select an appropriate forage or forage mix for the following animals: • 1st calf heifer in high milk • 350lb stocker • Developing heifer • Dry cow

1st calf heifer in high milk • Requires 13% protein, 68% TDN • Orchard grass and clover mix • Orchard grass (15% protein; 71% TDN) • Red clover (17% protein; approx. 70% TDN)

350lb stocker • Requires 15% protein, 68% TDN • Orchard grass and alfalfa mix • Orchard grass (15% protein, 71% TDN) • Alfalfa (17-22% protein, 57-67% TDN)

Developing heifer • Requires 17% protein, 68% TDN • Orchard grass and pearl millet mix • Orchard grass (15% protein, 71% TDN) • Pearl millet (18% protein, 67% TDN)

Dry cow • Requires 8% protein, 50% TDN • Tall fescue and timothy • Tall fescue (10% protein, 59% TDN) • Timothy (8% protein, 57% TDN)

Summary • Important to be aware of forage nutritional value • Can either cost or save producer money • Values differ among species and years • Values change during different growing stages

Understanding Forages