Cattle Feed

Hay in stacks
Producers should be mindful of their hay feeding practices to reduce financial loss — with no restrictions, cattle can waste nearly 45% of fed hay.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Reducing Hay Losses, Understanding Relative Feed Value of Hay

November 21, 2023
Extension educators share insights on how to reduce fed hay losses and the differences between relative feed value and relative forage quality when testing grass hay.

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Loading corn silage
Silage harvesters can put out impressive volumes of chop, often overwhelming the packer with too many loads before they can get a proper pack. Remember, the speed of chopping should be determined by the packing speed, not the silage chopper.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Corn Silage, Last Cutting Alfalfa and Forage Inventories

August 29, 2023
Best practices for packing and covering corn silage, timing the last fall alfalfa cutting, and taking inventory of fall and winter feed supplies.

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Corn silage
Silage is the most widely preferred method of utilizing drought-stressed corn, as the ensiling process reduces nitrate levels by as much as one-half to one-third; however, proper technique is critical and testing before feeding is recommended. (Photo by Kristen Ulmer)

Drought-stressed Corn: A Feed Opportunity

August 18, 2023
When grain harvest of drought-stressed corn won’t be a viable option, it can be utilized in several other ways with careful management and care in feeding.

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Droughty corn

Forage Options for Drought-stressed Non-irrigated Vegetative Corn and Nitrate Concerns

June 29, 2023
UNL experts share recommendations for producers who are considering using non-irrigated drought-stressed corn as forage.

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Cattle grazing
The annual forage plan of insurance gives growers an opportunity to obtain crop insurance for protection against low precipitation. During this webinar, specialists will share insights on how growers can integrate annual forage insurance coverage into their programs.

Tips for Integrating Annual Forages into Your Production System

June 23, 2023
During a free webinar next Thursday, UNL specialists will discuss planting dates, seeding mixes, expected forage production and timing of forage availability for various scenarios of planting forages on cropland.

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Cattle eating hay

Pasture and Forage Minute: Inventorying Forage Supply

February 1, 2022
With increasingly dry conditions in Nebraska, now is a good time to take stock of remaining hay and forages to make timely adjustments on your winter feed strategy.

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Early Chill May Impact Sugarbeet Quality

November 7, 2019
Low temperatures in western Nebraska may have caused some sugarbeets to start decaying, making them unacceptable for sugar production for human consumption but an economical source of feed for cattle.

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Soybeans

Can Damaged or Discolored Soybeans be used as Cattle Feed?

October 24, 2018
Quality issues with soybeans this year are leading some growers to seek alternative markets. Damaged or discolored whole, raw soybeans can be a good protein source for cattle and provide a market option for growers.

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