Small-grain crops are used extensively in some areas for various types of forage production and animal feeding operations.

Small grains used to the greatest extent are wheat and triticale; however, rye, barley and oats are utilized also.

All of these species have the potential to fill gaps between summer crops to supply year-round, high-quality feed to meet the constant and high nutritional demands of lactating dairy cows.

Faced with dwindling forage supplies in silos and questionable alfalfa stands, dairy and livestock producers are looking for ideas about growing an early silage crop.

Several alternatives are available for growers looking to stretch forage supplies until after corn silage harvest.

When exploring your options, there are several key things to know and factors to think about.

With high corn prices and increasing input costs, farmers are looking for ways to maximize yield potential while keeping costs in line.

Increasing plant populations is one option to move yield upward but comes at a cost with high price seed.

The plant density that maximizes corn grain and silage yield has been increasing through time.

With feed often accounting for more than half of a cattle operation’s costs, producing a higher quantity and quality of forage on-farm is increasingly critical to success.

The best way to control these costs is by maximizing home-grown forages, and with volatility and tight margins, there is little room for experimentation.