A Quick Guide to Understanding Forage Test Results by Patrick Hoffman and Randy Shaver Introduction Laboratory testing of forages for nutrient content and digestion characteristics is an important management step in the process of formulating dairy rations. In recent years, there have been numerous changes in forage analysis by commercial testing laboratories. These changes are sometimes […]
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Heat Damaged Forages: Effects on Forage Energy Content by Wayne Coblentz, Patrick Hoffman, and Dan Undersander Introduction Traditionally, the effect of heat damage within forages has focused on reduced bioavailability of crude protein (CP) to ruminant animals as a result of Maillard reactions. The products of these reactions are the result of complex, multi-step pathways. Typically, the initial […]
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Pasture Species Selection for Sheep by Dan Undersander, UW-Extension Forage Agronomist Pasture and hay forage crops generally fall into four categories: Legumes Cool Season Grasses Warm Season Grasses Alternative/annual forages The last category includes many perennials crops, such as rape, kale, comfrey, and all annual forage crops, such as sudangrass, sorghum, and various millets. None of […]
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Working Successfully with a Custom Operator Joe Stellato and John Biese, Crops and Soils Agents Shawano and Outagamie County UW-Extension, respectively Introduction The economics of farming today requires that dairy operators invest only in capital assets that produce a high rate of return on investment (ROI). Large, expensive pieces of farm machinery which […]
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Equipment to Rake and Merge Hay and Forage K.J. Shinners and R.T. Schuler Today, hay and forage producers have a wide variety of equipment options for raking and merging swaths or windrows. Selecting the proper equipment and operating it correctly will help to ensure high quality forage and a cost effective harvesting system. Several studies […]
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Silage Preservation: First Things First by Brian J. Holmes bjholmes@wisc.edu Harvest at Correct Stage of Maturity Why? High levels of readily available carbohydrate are needed to ferment into acids. What Stage? Alfalfa – early to mid bloom, Corn – 1/3 – 1⁄2 half milk line Harvest at Correct Moisture Why? Too dry… high porosity (oxygen penetration) reduced acid production […]
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Microbial Inoculants for Silage by Francisco Contreras-Govea and Richard Muck Introduction Ensiling is an important means to preserve forage quality. Although silage fermentation occurs naturally under anaerobic conditions due to the native bacteria on plants, the speed and efficiency of the fermentation (pH drop) is variable, depending on the numbers and types of lactic acid bacteria […]
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Silage inoculants: What the research tells us about when and how to use them With all of the variables – crop varieties, weather, packing density, speed of covering – no two silage crops are ever the same, which is why scientists are reluctant to give blanket statements regarding when and how to use silage inoculants. […]
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Propionic Acid Preservatives for Hay by Wayne Coblentz1, Dan Undersander2, and Michael Bertram3 1US Dairy Forage Research Center, Marshfield, WI 2Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison 3Superintendent, University of Wisconsin Arlington Agricultural Research Station Introduction Hay producers working in humid environments are well-acquainted with the consequences of baling moist hays, which include heating, molding, losses of dry […]
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Minimizing Wheel Traffic Damage to Alfalfa by Dan Undersander What damage is caused by wheel traffic? Wheel traffic is known to increase soil compaction which, on some soils, reduces macropore air permeability, soil water infiltration and root development of alfalfa. All of which reduce yield. However, our research has indicated that the largest effect of wheel […]
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