Forage is Important Factor in Milk Production

Oftentimes, livestock are used for their dairy production. For people who do raise livestock for their dairy products, it is vital to get the maximum possible quality. Feeding livestock the best forage is one of the ways to get the best possible dairy output.

It might seem intuitive that feeding livestock more grain is the most important factor in milk production; however, it is actually forage quality that is ultimately most important. This goes not only for getting the best dairy, but the most dairy as well. Over 60 percent of dairy production is driven by the nutrients found in forage. Good forage also makes milk production incredibly efficient. A ton of forage can account for 3,000 pounds of milk produced—grains do not come close.

In order to get this high quality milk, livestock should be eat about three percent of their body weight in forage daily. Although this could be enough to get sufficient dairy production, supplementation with pellets can go a long way.

The fiber in forage is what is of the utmost importance. Any type of forage—for example, alfalfa hay—can be used effectively to help with milk production so long as some appropriate steps are taken. It must be harvested and stored with care.

Moreover, when one is examining how well his or her forage does in regards to dairy production, it is quality that should be considered over quantity. One should focus not on how much dairy is produced overall, but how much dairy is produced per animal and in relation to the amount of forage used. Focusing solely on the raw amount of forage primarily is a recipe for disaster—it will cause inefficiency. After all, the forage is a means to an end. A good statistic to use when considering this is how much milk is produced per acre.

Lastly, one should never become discouraged if a dairy goal misses the mark occasionally. While it’s true that incorporating forage into livestock’s diets is good for the bottom line over the long run, dairy production can often be fickle. Therefore, it is possible that livestock may produce less milk than one would want—not necessarily because the forage in the diet isn’t doing its job, but simply due to the variance of milk production. Overall, though, making forage the primary part of livestock’s diets will go a long way in optimizing overall dairy production.

One option that has been bantered about is interregional marketing cooperatives which focuses production in different regions. This would allow for the grazing season in each area to be capitalized on.

Another issue with grass-fed beef is the amount of time it takes to finish cattle. For example, if you take an animal off of pasture and feed it antibiotics and corn, you can harvest it in about 12 months. Grass-fed cattle take about double that time.

No matter what the issues, producers are scrambling for ways to resolve them. After all, if consumers are willing to pay more for grass-fed beef, producers and retailers are going to work hard to provide that type of beef.