Effects of Rain Damage on Wilting Forages by Wayne K. Coblentz1 and Richard E. Muck2 1US Dairy Forage Research Center, Marshfield, WI 2US Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, WI Introduction One of the most common problems faced by hay or silage producers is how to manage production schedules around unfavorable weather. Inevitably, some wilting forage crops […]
Read More...
Italian Ryegrass as a Companion for Alfalfa Seeding by Nick Schneider and Dan Undersander Introduction Italian ryegrass is a high quality grass that has become popular as a companion crop for alfalfa seeding. Italian ryegrass is native to southern Europe and includes a range of types from non-winterhardy perennials to annual types. The entire category is […]
Read More...
What is the “Cost” of Seeding Low-Cost Alfalfa Seed? by Daniel Wiersma, Ken Barnett and Mark Feuerstein Introduction When milk prices are low, dairy producers begin to look for ways to reduce the direct input expenses of growing alfalfa. One option that growers have is to purchase lower cost alfalfa seed. Alfalfa seed of modern varieties can cost […]
Read More...
Relative Forage Quality by Dan Undersander, John E. Moore, and Nick Schneider Introduction Relative Feed Value has been widely used for ranking forage for sale, inventorying and allocating forage lots to animal groups according to their quality needs, as well as determining when to harvest. With the introduction of the new approaches to determining animal requirements […]
Read More...
Field Drying Forage for Hay and Haylage Dr. Dan Undersander and Craig Saxe University of Wisconsin How does forage dry? If we understand and use the biology and physics of forage drying properly, not only does the hay dry faster and have less chance of being rained on, but the total digestible nutrients (TDN) […]
Read More...
Potassium in Forages by Keith Kelling, John Peters, Mike Rankin, and Dan Undersander Introduction The potassium (K) content of harvested forage has become an increasingly important issue in recent years. As most dairy producers already know, a high level of K in forages has been identified as the causative factor for milk fever in […]
Read More...
Getting a Good Forage Stand by Dan Undersander Introduction Some farmers always get a good forage stand and some always fear seeding because of difficulty getting good stands. A good stand is crucial to profitability. If the stand is thin, it will never yield well and will be weedy. Additionally, if the stand is so […]
Read More...
Shrink is a Deceptive Term Brian Holmes, Professor Emeritus, UW-Madison The term shrink is used widely in the feed industry. It frequently is used to refer to the loss of feed during harvest, handling, and storage. Since it refers to the weight before and after a process, the moisture content and moisture content change can […]
Read More...
Estimating the Weight of Forage in a Forage Wagon by Daniel W. Wiersma and Brian J Holmes Introduction Most dairy farmers do not have a drive-over scale available on their farms. Frequently it would be useful to know the weight of forage harvested from a field. Measuring alfalfa or corn silage yield is necessary to adjust […]
Read More...
Rain Damage to Forage During Hay and Silage Making by Mike Rankin and Daniel Undersander Introduction Rain that occurs between the time forage is cut and harvested causes both yield and quality losses that reduce the value of the crop as an animal feed and a marketable commodity. Weather-induced losses can be caused by: Increased and […]
Read More...
