Planning and managing forage inventory on the dairy can sometimes feel like playing Tetris. Like Tetris, we see things begin to pile up or disappear faster than our feed center is prepared for, with consequences more financially weighty than a fistful of quarters at the arcade.

Successful implementation of feeding programs on the dairy hinges on accurate assessment and effective management of forages in the diet. As we wrap up a year notable for the extent of weather challenges experienced throughout the growing and harvesting seasons, this focus on forages becomes even more critical.

Over the past couple of decades, advances in forage genetics, forage agronomics, forage harvesting and ensiling have enabled dairy farms to feed progressively more forages as a percentage of their total lactation ration. Feeding higher amounts of high-quality forage has resulted in improved rumen health, improved cow health and higher milk components. Another benefit of feeding higher levels of high-quality, homegrown forages is that it often translates to lower purchased feed costs and improved income over feed cost.

Forage may be in short supply this year, and one way to respond is to feed fewer mouths on the farm. Frankly, whether forage is short or not, it is always best to allocate your forage to the cattle that will return the most: the animals that are most productive. It is time to cull the animals most likely to be the least productive.

Many dairy producers are facing a critical forage shortage to feed their herds. Forage stands were damaged across Ohio this past winter, and the wet spring has further deteriorated the few stands that initially appeared they might recover from winter damage.

“Over the past decade, it’s now become common to have more replacement heifers than needed. Trying to balance those numbers all the time is not a simple equation,” says Leo Timms, dairy specialist and Morrill professor at Iowa State University.