Not all forage is created equally, and not all cows in a beef cattle herd have the same nutritional requirements. Strategically matching forage quality to a herd’s nutritional needs throughout the production year can save a beef producer dollars and boost productivity. But here’s the key: you can’t do that just by looking at the forage.
Even though the forage may look good, it doesn’t mean it is good. Hay that smells sweet and looks green may still be short on protein. Silage that was harvested at the right moisture and maturity may not ferment properly if inadequately stored. And when forage quality is poor, it impacts your herd long before you notice.
Start With a Feed Test
Forage quality will vary depending on species, maturity, weather conditions and harvest methods. Whether you are feeding grass forage, alfalfa, silage, or a mix of these, a simple feed test will let you know what you are working with for nutrients such as crude protein (CP), fibre, energy, moisture and minerals. More specialized tests may also include results for pH, undegradable protein, nitrates, toxins, relative feed value (RFV) and other parameters.
While feed testing is an important tool when tackling feed management, it is only as good as the sample you collected. Therefore, it is critical to follow recommended sampling methods to ensure the sample is representative of the forages you are testing.