Forage Quality Key Component to Success in Livestock Production

Forage quality often receives far less attention that it deserves. It is defined in various ways but is often difficult to understand.  Forage Quality represents a simple concept, yet encompasses much complexity.

Good forage quality is essential for high rates of gain, ample milk production, efficient reproduction, and adequate profits.  However, forage quality varies greatly among and within forage crops, and nutritional needs vary among and within animal species and classes.  Producing suitable quality forage for a given situation requires knowing the factors that affect forage quality, then exercising management accordingly.

According to a UK Extension publication Understanding Forage Quality, factors that influence forage quality include the following:
Palatability Will the animals eat the forage? Animals select one forage over another based on smell, feel, and taste. Palatability may therefore be influenced by texture, leafiness, fertilization, dung or urine patches, moisture content, pest infestation, or compounds that cause a forage to taste sweet, sour, or salty. High-quality forages are generally highly palatable.
Intake How much will they eat? Animals must consume adequate quantities of forage to perform well. Typically, the higher the palatability and forage quality, the higher the intake.
Digestibility How much of the forage will be digested? Digestibility (the extent to which forage is absorbed as it passes through an animal’s digestive tract) varies greatly. Immature, leafy plant tissues may be 80 to 90% digested, while less than 50% of mature, stemmy material is digested.
Nutrient content Once digested, will the forage provide an adequate level of nutrients? Living forage plants usually contain 70 to 90% water. To standardize analyses, forage yield and nutrient content are usually expressed on a dry matter (DM) basis. Forage dry matter can be divided into two main categories: (1) cell contents (the non-structural parts of the plant tissue such as protein, sugar, and starch); and (2) structural components of the cell wall (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin).
Anti-quality factors Various compounds may be present in forage that can lower animal performance, cause sickness, or even result in death. Such compounds include tannins, nitrates, alkaloids, cyanoglycosides, estrogens, and mycotoxins. The presence and/or severity of these elements depend on the plant species present (including weeds), time of year, environmental conditions, and animal sensitivity. High-quality forages must not contain harmful levels of anti-quality components.
Animal performance is the ultimate test of forage quality, especially when forages are fed alone and free choice. Forage quality encompasses “nutritive value” (the potential for supplying nutrients, i.e., digestibility and nutrient content), how much animals will consume, and any anti-quality factors present. Animal performance can be influenced by any of several factors associated with either the plants or the animals. Failure to give proper consideration to any of these factors may reduce an animal’s performance level, which in turn reduces potential income.

Analyzing forages for nutrient content can be used to determine whether quality is adequate and to guide proper ration supplementation.  In order to better assist producers with quality, we are holding a hay testing day at the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office on Wednesday, August 10th.  The Kentucky Department of Agriculture will be here to test hay samples during office hours free of charge.  This is a great opportunity to have your hay samples tested and know the nutrient value of it.
Also, on August 9th there will be a Beef Field Day at Cody Robertson’s Farm beginning at 9am and concluding with lunch.  Topics that will be covered include reproductive management, cattle handling, cattle facilities and updates on medication and application equipment.

For more information on forage quality or about the upcoming Beef Field Day, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.

Upcoming Ag Programs
August 4th Forestry Program, Noon
August 9th McLean Co. Beef Field Day, 9am at Cody Robertson’s Farm
August 10th Hay Testing Blitz
August 11th UK Hemp Field Day
August 11th CPH Sale