Ten Keys to Developing a Profitable Forage Program
2009
Garry, Lacefield, University of Kentucky, Princeton, KY, USA | Don, Ball, Auburn University, AL, USA
Forage typically accounts for over half the cost of production of forage-consuming livestock and provides most of their nutrition, thus having a major impact on both expenses and income. While forage programs vary greatly due to differences in soils, topography, climate, type of livestock, and producer resources and goals, there are certain approaches taken by, or characteristics exhibited by, producers who have the most profitable livestock operations, and these are the focus of this paper. Producers who have the most profitable operations: (1) know their forage options and the nutritional needs of their animals; (2) exercise attention to detail during forage establishment; (3) soil test, then lime and fertilize as feasible; (4) use forage legumes when feasible; (5) emphasize forage quality; (6) prevent or minimize pests and plant-related disorders; (7) strive to improve pasture utilization; (8) minimize stored feed requirements; (9) try to keep storage and feeding losses low; and (10) continually strive to improve their operation. This paper provides a discussion as to why each of these key points is important, and provides insight as to how they relate to each other.
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