Stored Forage Inventory
by Rachel Teller
As the calendar keeps changing, it’s time to prepare for when the lush green pastures are dormant and the animals are in the barn. From late fall through early spring, most farmers need to rely on stored forages that were harvested throughout the summer. In order to make sure there is enough forage to last until next season, now is the time to take inventory. How many animals will you be feeding over the winter? What are the feeding requirements? What are your goals for the winter?
Obviously, the most important factor for how much forage you need is how many mouths you are going to feed. Now is the time to really look at your herd and overall performance. Are there any animals you are on the fence about keeping? Anyone not putting milk in the bucket? Any trouble makers? How many new additions do you expect over the winter, either births or new acquisitions? Having an accurate count of the total amount of feed needed will keep you from having to make any unexpected purchases.
Another factor is the level of performance you expect from your animals. High production animals will require more feed. Same for growing animals and youngstock. However, if you use the winter as a time to rest and reset, you may not need as much forage put away. It’s always better to overestimate than underestimate when it comes to stored forages.
Whether you are a novice or seasoned farmer, Fertrell’s Livestock Nutrition Team can help you plan what you will need for this winter. We can help you figure out how much you already have stored and if you will need to take advantage of one last cutting. Whether you are feeding from a silo, Ag Bags, wrapped bales, dry hay, or a mixture, we can calculate the amount of forage you have on hand. Combine that with the amount of animals you have and we can determine if you will have enough dry matter to last until pasture is available or first cutting.
Another helpful tool Fertrell offers is half price forage testing in the month of October. To take advantage of this special, all you need to do is get your forage sample to Dairyland Laboratories between Oct 1st-Oct 31st and they will take care of the rest! Fertrell’s Livestock Nutrition Team will then contact you with the results and go over the quality of the forages you plan on feeding. We will make recommendations on feeding strategies and if buying in higher quality forage would be beneficial.
No matter what type of operation you run, the more you can prepare the better off you’ll be. Reach out to Fertrell to help you with this task and get ready for the weather to change.
