FEED & NUTRITION

Ongoing red clover research is showing that, in comparison to alfalfa, red clover can benefit growers and livestock producers in several ways.

Forage may be stored for winter feeding when pasture production is limited, for use in confinement feeding systems or for cash hay. 

Hay is one of the most versatile of stored forages in that it can be kept for long periods of time with little loss of nutrients if protected from weather; a large number of crops can be successfully used for hay production; it can be produced and fed in small or large amounts.

More milk and components from each kilogram of feed is the basis for the feed efficiency equation. In countries where production caps have not been set, this idea resonates well since maximized production most often translates to additional revenue for the dairy.

With rising commodity costs, it is increasingly important to protect and preserve feed quality from harvest to feedout.

After surviving several months of high feed costs and stagnant milk prices, uncertainty still lingers over how all of us in the dairy industry will contend with 2011.