Forage Production and Utilization in Feeding Dairy Cattle

Modern concepts of livestock production revolve around growing and efficiently using farm-produced forage. The place of forages in the farm management scheme, in good land use practices, and in land conservation is established beyond doubt. Forages grown on efficiently managed land can be made to yield large amounts of essential feed nutrients comparable to those of other crops and at lower costs. On the other hand, poorly managed forage crops can be low yielding and expensive feeds. Unfortunately, too much of the land in forages is not as productive of feed nutrients as it could be, and there is opportunity here for farmers to increase their livestock feed supply.