Stockpiling Forages

Joanna Coles, Warren County Extension Agent for Agriculture talks with us about stockpiling forages.
Every day spent grazing can mean money saved. Using stockpiled forages are a great way to extend the grazing season and reduce the use of stored feed in the fall and winter months. Stockpiling is allowing vegetative growth to accumulate to be used at a later time. Using stockpiled forages can maximize the utilization of pastures. Other benefits may include decreased labor, equipment use, and possibly reduce overall cost. Tall fescue is an ideal grass for stockpiling. This high yielding, cool-season grass retains its quality and digestibility into late fall and early winter. Stockpiling should being in early to mid-August. At this time, fescue should be grazed or cut down to 3 to 4 inches to allow for new growth. Rain is an important part of the stockpiling process. If it doesn’t rain in the fall, forage growth will be reduced, and fertilizer efficiency will be impacted. Using stockpiling forages can have many benefits and using tall fescue can increase these benefits. The use for stored feed is reduced and the stockpiled fescue can be used as a high-quality feed. It is essential to look at all aspects of a specific operation and to consider current prices before deciding that using this practice is best suited for a farm.
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Warren County Cooperative Extension Service