y this point in the season, nearly
every cattle producer has rolled out
a bale or opened up the silage pile.
With feed already put up, there’s no
changing what’s in inventory, but
there is an opportunity to evaluate
what you have and build a forage
feeding strategy that makes the
most of it.
We often talk about alternative
feed sources and the role they can
play in crop rotations. Because
many of these feeds aren’t consid
ered “mainstream,” it’s common for
producers to be less familiar with
ideal harvest timing, storage meth
ods, and feeding strategies.
ANALYZE IN-SEASON FEEDING TECHNIQUES
Functional forage and pasture.
contributed article by Justin Fruechte, Product Expert - Ag
Millborn, Brookings, S.D.
millbornseeds.com
Seeds in Season
Making sure these feedstuffs
meet both palatability and nutri
tional requirements for the class of
livestock being fed is critical. Let’s
look at some common forages you
may have on hand and how to best
utilize them.
DRY HAY: LONG-STEM GRASSES
If you put up dry hay from long-
stem grasses such as millet, sudan
grass, triticale, or oats, there are
ways to improve how effectively
that feed is used. These crops are
often high-yielding and can offer
respectable feed quality, but their
coarse
stalks
can reduce pal
atability and in
crease waste.
Generally, the
larger the ani
mal, the better
it handles coarse
forage. As a re
sult, these hays
are best suited
for the mature
cow herd, par
ticularly during
mid- to late-ges
tation
when
nutritional
re
quirements are
more moderate.
Running
these
forages through a hay
grinder or bale proces
sor can further reduce
waste and improve in
take. If these feeds are
incorporated into a calf
ration, particle size must
be reduced to ensure full
consumption.
WET FORAGES AND
SILAGE
Wet feed piles may include
corn or sorghum silage, ear
lage, oatlage, pea-oatlage, or
haylage from various cereal
grains. These forages typically
increase ration palatability and
intake. And because they’re har
vested with grain, they also con
tribute additional energy on an
as-fed basis.
The higher the grain content, the
more effective the silage will be for
promoting gain. Proper nutrient
analysis and ration balancing are
essential to ensure the correct feed
ing rate for each class of livestock.
Once a ration is established, care
ful management of the silage pile
(maintaining face integrity, mini
mizing exposure, and preventing
spoilage) is key to preserving feed
quality and reducing losses.
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February 2026 | THE STOCKMAN AG-EXTRA