Practical Forage Evaluation

Abstract

Forages provide the foundation upon which productive and economical dairy rations are built. However, there are a variety of forage types, harvesting, storage and feeding systems utilized on dairy farms.
 A key component in the evaluation of a feeding program is an index of forage "quality." The term quality covers a broad spectrum of characteristics including visual appraisal, smell and chemical characteristics. All of these must be integrated into an overall framework to determine whether or not the forage is of acceptable quality and palatability to support the desired levels of productivity.