The best forage crops for dairy cattle are those that are considered the best for dairy cattle.
Growing greenery for your animals on your land is very important. Because it saves a lot of money and at the same time you can feed your animals very good quality feed.
Growing your own greens is essential to running a successful business and is also considered economical.
Most farmers are unaware of the importance of growing their own green fodder. Rather, they mainly focus on feeding their livestock with concentrated feed. And the use of only concentrated feeds requires large investments.
But feeding dairy cows green fodder grown on your land has many benefits.
Feeding green forage to dairy cows will help reduce the cost of feed concentrates and ultimately increase overall farm profit.
So, growing green fodder with your own hands has a lot of advantages. In this guide, we try to go into more detail on the steps to grow the best forage crops for dairy cattle.
The best forage crops for dairy cows
There are many types of feed suitable for dairy cows.
And these varieties are divided into 5 different types. These 5 species are Azolla, Grain Feed, Forage Grass, Legume Feed and Tree Feed.
And within each category, there are many different varieties. Here we try to describe these categories in more detail.
Varieties of feed grains
The feed grain category includes many different varieties. Learn more below.
Grass Co-4: Co-4 grass is derived from a cross between Napier grass and Bajra grass. It is considered a high yielding variety, producing up to or around 150 tons per acre per year. The average protein content of Co-4 grass is 8-11%. The seeding rate is approximately 17,000 stems per acre.
Corn food: Forage corn can be grown in a wide variety of soils under well-drained, fertile conditions. Maize is mainly grown as kharif in June-July. There are many varieties of corn that are grown for livestock feed. Among these varieties, African High, Jawahar, Ganga-5, Moti Composite and Vijay Composite are very popular in India.
Sorghum feed: Sorghum is also considered one of the best forage crops for dairy cattle. Forage sorghum is grown for both grain and green fodder and is very drought tolerant. You can plant sorghum all year round and there are many varieties. But it grows best at temperatures between 25°C and 35°C. Growing sorghum will require about 40 kg of seed per hectare. To use sorghum as fodder, the grass can be harvested after flowering. Any type of soil is suitable for growing sorghum.
Varieties of forage grasses
There are many other subspecies within the category of forage grasses. Here we will talk in detail about popular forage grass varieties.
Blue bison grass: Blue Buffalo grass grows well in dry land under rainfed irrigation. The two main varieties of this plant are C. ciliaris and C. setigerus. Calcium-rich, well-drained soil is considered very good for growing Blue Buffalo grass. Usually 6-8 kg of seeds are needed for cultivation on 2 hectares of land. For the first time, this herb can be harvested 1-70 days after planting the seeds. And you will be able to harvest 75-4 cuts per year with an average yield of 6 tons per hectare.
Sea grass: Guinea grass is a short, creeping rhizome that is very easy to propagate by seed or medium (requires about 2.5 kg of seed per hectare and about 66,000 shoots). It can grow in any type of soil with a very good drainage system. Seagrass is high in crude protein, which ranges between 14-75%. The first harvest can be expected 80-45 days after seed germination and about 175 days after planting. The average yield per hectare is about 8 tons per year for XNUMX cuttings.
Napier Hybrid: Napier hybrid grass has more leaves and is considered the best forage crop for dairy cattle. The plants are vigorous and can be grown in a wide variety of soils. Napier hybrid grass has a crude protein content of 8-11%. Propagation is by planting in buds and you will need about 40,000 stems per hectare. You can expect to have your first harvest around 10 days after planting the cuttings.
For the grass: Paragrass is best grown in flooded areas with humid climates. But it is also suitable for cultivation in arid and semi-arid areas, but cultivation is sensitive to winter weather conditions. Para has very poor seed production and this crop is mainly propagated by stem cuttings. Usually stems with 2-3 nodes are used as planting material. You will need about 800-1000 kg of stems per hectare of land. You can expect the first harvest 75-80 days after planting the stalks, and the average yield is 80-100 tons per hectare, with an average of 6-9 cuts per year.
Forage varieties of legumes
Some legumes are grown as forage crops to feed dairy cows. Below are some of the most popular types of forage legumes.
Cowpea: Cowpea grows in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. But you can grow a crop any time of the year throughout the year. The average crude protein content of cowpea is about 20 percent. To plant cowpea on 40 hectares of land, you will need about 1 kg of seed. You can expect to receive the first harvest 50-55 days after sowing the seeds. The cowpea variety of legume is commonly used for outdoor grazing and is also considered one of the best forage crops for dairy cattle.
Desmanthus: Desmanthus plants can be grown all year round in irrigated cultivation. But in the Indian subcontinent, it is grown in June-October in rainfed cultivation. For planting desmanthus per hectare of land, you will need about 20 kg of seeds. You can count on the first harvest 90 days after sowing the seeds.
Alfalfa: Alfalfa is also called alfalfa and is considered a rich legume. It is called the “queen of forages” and is considered the best forage crop for dairy cattle. It has a higher crude protein content of about 15-20%. Growing alfalfa helps add nitrogen to the soil and improve its fertility. It is mainly grown for green fodder, hay and silage. To grow alfalfa on 20 hectares of land, you need about 1 kg of seeds. Alfalfa is not suitable for open pastures, but is highly digestible and promotes better milk production.
Pen: The awl-shaped plant is native to Brazil and can reach a height of 0.6 to 1.8 meters. It is very suitable for cultivation in tropical regions, as well as in regions or lands with low fertility, drought, acidic soils and poor drainage conditions. Crude protein in needle leaves is 15-18%. You can expect your first harvest around 75 days after sowing the seeds.
Varieties of fodder for trees
Forage tree varieties are the varieties considered to be the best forage crops for dairy cattle. Let’s briefly talk about some popular varieties of woody fodder crops.
Gliricidia: Clericidia crops can be grown and endured in a wide variety of climates. It can be grown in a wide variety of soils, including clay, sand and rock, with a good drainage system. Wisteria trees are usually grown as ornamental trees or as shade trees in coffee gardens. Green leaf manure made from this type of tree is very popular as it helps fix nitrogen in the soil.
Sesbania: Sesbania trees can be grown in all types of soil and can be grown throughout the year. The average protein content of sesbania leaves is around 25%. Usually, you can expect to get the first harvest 8 months after sowing seeds with an annual yield of around 100 tons.
Subaboul: The Subabul crop is grown under rainfed conditions. It has many seasonal varieties. You can count on the first harvest when the trunk of the tree reaches 3 cm in diameter and has completed a cycle of seed production. Subsequent harvests are usually done 40 to 80 days after the first harvest. The average annual yield of Subabul trees is 80-100 tons.
These are the best forage crops for dairy cows. If you have land, you should consider growing one of these forage crops on your land to feed dairy cattle. Nothing can replace green feed for dairy cows. Because green fodder is very important to increase milk production. Good luck and God bless you!
