Sorghum–sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) provide adequate nutritive value for growing beef cattle; however, unlike millet, sorghum–sudangrass produces hydrocyanic acid (which is toxic to livestock) when frosted. Forage yield, value, weight gain of cattle grazing were compared during the frost-prone autumns 2013 2014, at...

Three 2.4-ha wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) fields were used to test the effects of maturity at harvest (boot vs. dough) and preservation method (hay vs. silage) on forage yield, chemical composition, and animal performance when fed in mixed diets. Forages were incorporated into 4 diets in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with hominy feed, soybean hulls, and cottonseed meal as the prim...

*Extension Crop Specialist, Professor of Forage Genetics and Research Associate in Forages, respectively, Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 Alfalfa—the most productive and most widely adapted forage species—is indeed “Queen of the Forages.” A grower’s initial decision to produce alfalfa and subsequent choice of varieties have long-term consequences...

*Extension Crop Specialist, Professor of Forage Genetics and Research Associate in Forages, respectively, Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 Alfalfa—the most productive and most widely adapted forage species—is indeed “Queen of the Forages.” A grower’s initial decision to produce alfalfa and subsequent choice of varieties have long-term consequences...

Fenugreek is a novel forage crop in Canada that is generating interest as an alternative to alfalfa for dairy cows. To evaluate the value of fenugreek haylage relative to alfalfa haylage, six, second lactation Holstein cows (5668 days in milk), which were fitted with rumen cannulas (10 cm i.d., Bar Diamond Inc., Parma, ID, USA) were used in a replicated three3three Latin square design with 18-d...

and Implications Forage mass and nutritional quality were measured in the total forage monthly from May through September and in live forage in the upper half of the sward in June and August and related to body weights, body condition scores and daily methane emissions in pastures grazed at a stocking rate of 1.98 cows per hectare by continuous, rotational or strip-stocking at a limited forage ...

Forage analyses are a valuable tool for determining the economic value of forages and for formulating efficient and profitable rations. To be useful, forage analyses must be determined accurately and interpreted correctly. The sample submitted must truly represent the feed being analyzed and the forage analyses must provide information that is relevant. There are reliable and repeatable methods...

A major challenge faced by alfalfa growers during the past 30 years has been the increased emphasis on forage quality. The need to produce high-quality hay affects marketing and price, as well as yield and stand life. Demands for high-quality alfalfa by the marketplace have been relentless. Although crop yield is still the primary economic factor determining forage crop value per unit of land a...

To test the accuracy of creatinine as a marker for estimating urinary volume and its use as a nutritional index, the possible interference of forage intake and forage quality over creatinine excretion was evaluated. For this, sheep were fed different levels of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L) Leeke) or Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam). The experiment consisted of a compilation o...