Cereal For Milk? New Study Evaluates Trade-Offs Of Winter Cereals For Dairy Feed

By Megan Wittmeyer

A recent study aims to help dairy farmers increase feed quality and quantity by adding winter cereals to their crop rotations. Researchers examined the interaction between forage yield, quality and harvest timing for barley, cereal rye and triticale. 

Cows produce more milk when fed high quality feed. On dairy farms, this feed is mainly forage (such as corn silage, grass, or alfalfa), which consists of the leaves and stems of a plant. Quality depends on harvesting at optimal maturity, but this can be tricky due to harvest disruptions and rapid changes in weather. Without timely harvest, forages will grow past their prime, leading to higher yields of lower quality feed. Although somewhat less valuable, this feed is far from useless as it can still be fed to non-milking cows, including younger stock. Winter cereal harvest timing presents dairy farmers with significant trade-offs to consider as they try to optimize feed and milk production for milking and non-milking cows. 

The findings

The data revealed barley has the highest quality and keeps its quality the longest without timely harvest. But barley underperforms in yield and winter hardiness. Consequently, farmers who prioritize the highest-quality feed and flexible harvest could use barley but only if winter hardiness is not an issue.

Cereal rye and triticale tied for highest yields, but cereal rye matured earliest in the spring while triticale matured the latest. This makes cereal rye the best option for farmers who want high yields and early harvest, which can provide more time to plant the next crop in a double-cropping system. 

Cereal rye’s quality declines faster and triticale can be harvested later without taking such a big hit on quality. Farmers seeking high yield and a longer harvest window should select triticale.