Annuals

The Maryland Milk Moos (March 10, 2022, Vol. 3, Issue 1) is a quarterly newsletter published by the University of Maryland Extension that is focused on dairy topics related to Nutrition and Production, Herd Management, and Forage Production.

Forage Sorghum as an Alternative Silage Crop

This past spring, we initiated a study at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center Clarksville Dairy farm to investigate the effects of improved grazing management on bred heifer performance. The objectives were to determine the effect of improved grazing management on heifer growth characteristics and first lactation performance, as well as the economic feasibility of a using a grazing system to mitigate costs associated with the replacement program.

With the first freeze of the fall just around the corner, remember that a frost can result in potential hazards for certain forages. When a plant freezes, changes occur in its metabolism and composition that can cause toxicity issues for livestock. A few issues to be on the lookout for are discussed in this article.

Winter cover crops can be a good forage source for dairy cattle. Harvesting in the early boot stage will generate a quality forage that can be incorporated into the lactating cow diet. Here we will compare the nutrient profile for various silages produced from winter annuals with the more traditional corn and alfalfa silages.