This document discusses strategies for improving whole farm forage utilization for sheep and goat production, including using annual forages. It notes that annual forages can fill deficits in perennial pasture production by extending the grazing season. Studies showed that annual forages like brassicas can produce high gains per acre for lambs as well as individual gains comparable to grain diets at lower costs. The document recommends including annual forages in crop rotations and as cover crops to improve forage quality and availability while providing benefits to soil and crops. Precise grazing management is key to optimizing animal performance on annual forage systems.

1. “Improving whole farm forage
utilization for sheep and goat
production”
Richard Ehrhardt
Small Ruminant Specialist
Michigan State University

2. Outline:
• Fundamentals of forage systems
Forage budgets
Annual forages to compliment a forage plan
• Annuals as part of a pasture improvement/rotation plan
• Annuals as part of a cover crop grazing program

3. How much forage do sheep and goats
need each year?
Key factors:
1. Size of animals (female base)
2. Production state (growing, pregnant, lactating, etc.)
3. Quality of forage:
• Determines intake
• Determines waste
4. Feeding system: grazing or stored feed
• Determines waste/utilization
5. How much concentrate is fed

4. Food intake
Food intake: expressed as pounds of dry matter consumed
per pound of body weight
Adult sheep/goats:
Maintenance: 1.8 -3.2% (2.4)
Late pregnancy: 2.4-3.0% (2.8)
Lactation: 2.5-5.5% (3.8)
Growing lambs/goats: 6% (early weaned) to 4% (finishing)
Forage intake:
• Dependent on forage quality (digestibility) for all animals in
all feeding systems (stored or grazed forages)
• Dependent on stand density and allocation (amount offered
and amount allowed to consume) in grazing systems

5. Summary on flock/herd forage needs:
Forage estimates vary according to production program
and female size (includes needs of lamb/kids <12 mo):
• Ewes: 1.0 to 1.7 tons DM per year
• Does: 0.7 to 1.4 tons DM per year
Forage budget for ewe/doe flock consumes a huge
proportion of the forage budget (67-85%)
• 40-60% of the total budget is for maintenance of
this group
Forage budget for late pregnancy and lactation:
• 25-30%
Forage budget for lambs/kids:
• 15-33% depending on finishing system

6. • Allocation of forages in your budget:
High quality (over 62% TDN)
40-60% of budget
 Growth, pre or post weaning
 Lactation
 Pre breeding (a.k.a. “flushing”)
Average quality:
40-60% of budget
Maintenance:
 pre breeding
 early pregnancy?
 mid pregnancy

7. Forage costs and quality according to source:
Pasture Silage
Dry hay
small
bales
Dry hay
large bales
Cost $/ DM ton $30-70 $100-200 $150-450 $80-300
Quality (TDN) 60-80 58-76 50-74 50-74
Cost of grain? $110-600/ton, TDN up to 90%

8. $$$

9. 0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
Jul-14 Aug-14 Sep-14 Oct-14 Nov-14 Dec-14 Jan-15 Feb-15 Mar-15 Apr-15 May-15 Jun-15
kgDM
Total Feed Supply & Demand
Trading
Total Supply
Total Demand

10. Methods to match animals needs to forage
availability in pasture-based systems:
1. Alter Demand:
• Change birth period
• Diversify system (add another animal species)
• Add liquidable animal units
• Strategic use of stored forage supplements
2. Alter supply:
• Alter grazing management
 Deferred grazing (mob, stockpile, etc.)
• Diversify perennial pasture base
• Substitute in annual crops
• Expand grazing area into land more dedicated to crops
3. Combinations of any and all of the above!!!!

11. Forage use on Ehrhardt Farm 2011/12 and
2013/14 (30 acres total land base):
Estimate of total forage need:
•2011/12: 150 ewes and 1.34 tons/ ewe= 200 tons
•2013/14: 155 ewes and 1.42 tons/ewe= 235 tons
Foragedrymatter(tons)
Foragedrymatter(tons)
Home farm vs. rental Forage Source
0
50
100
150
200
250
0
50
100
150
200
250
Home
Rental
Dry hay
Grazing
Silage
2011/12 2013/142013/14 2011/12

12. Major strategies to improve whole farm
forage utilization:
1. Improve grazing management of perennial pastures
2. Improve harvest management of perennial excess
3. Include annual forages in perennial rotation to improve
forage availability (quality and quantity) for grazing or
machine harvest

13. How can annual forages improve a
forage budget?
• Fill in deficits in perennial pasture production
 extend the grazing season
 reduce reliance on stored forage
• Improve forage quality at times of need
 replace grain for finishing
 “flush” females pre breeding
 late gestation nutrition
• Provide “safe” forages, low in GIN infectivity
• Improve productive capacity of the land
 Replacement of low productivity pastures
 Addition of soil amendments (manure, lime, etc.)
 Replace with more productive and/or palatable species
 Rests perennials to improve productivity and resilience
 Annuals can out-yield perennials if strategically planted
 Allows in increase in total forage output including stored forage
• Add value to product (forage finished premiums?)

14. Efficient pasture-based systems strive to match
animal needs and forage availability
Year
Seasonal pasture
growth
Flock
Requirements
Harvest Excess
(Hay/Haylage and/or deferred grazing)
Feed Stored
Excess
Feed Stored
Excess
Lambing
&
Lactation
May & June

15. 0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
J F M A M J J A S O N D
2003 Bristol Pasja/IRG
• Ave. 2000 LGD/A
• $70/A seed & fert.
• $.035/LGD
• .58 lbs. gain/day
Cost of $0.06/lb gain!!
Pasja forage rape in central MI
Pasja @
2,000 LGD/A
Total

16. Annual forage systems:
• Part of a perennial pasture rotation
– Use a series of annuals to either graze or
machine harvest for stored forage
– Allows land improvement opportunities
– Can be planted strategically to maximize use of
land
• Double crop with perennial pasture
• Long season annuals to stockpile for winter grazing
• Part of a rotation with crops on your own or
neighboring land
• Cover crop grazing or machine harvest for stored
forage

17. Step 1 of annual/perennial rotation:
How do you get it started?
Considerations in replacing pastures with annual forages:
• Best time for tear-up or burn-down?
After major spring/early summer growth (2/3 of total
yield achieved)-late June?
Lowers risk if annuals fail
 Soil moisture may be low, need crops that can
germinate under limited moisture
Soybeans/sudan
Forage brassicas
Can add bi-annual(s) or shorter persistence perennial(s) like
Italian ryegrass to start phase 2 of the rotation
No-till seeding will limit moisture loss

22. Teff grass

23. ”Graza”
”Goliath””Winfred”
“Calvin”
60 days after planting

24. Step 2: Annual options to consider
for year 2+ of a rotation:
• Getting started:
Option A: Add more manure/compost and add or
introduce new species with no till drill
Option B: Add manure, till field and seed with
conventional drill to add new species
• When and what type of forage do you need to
optimize your budget?
 Long season annuals to stockpile for grazing late fall/winter?
 Annuals or perennials that can provide quality forage for grazing
continuously over the summer and fall?
 Annuals that can provide stored forage needs?
 Combinations of the above!

26. Leafy Brassica (Turnip x Chinese cabbage)

28. BMR sorghum sudanBMR sudan

30. Ok, great but how do animals
perform on these crops!
Issues to consider:
• Optimizing gain per acre vs. individual gain, can
you have it all?
• Grazing management is a key component that
dictates performance (individual and group)
Stage of plant maturity at start of grazing
Density/amount of forage in the paddock at start
How much you allow animals to remove
How much you leave to allow for regrowth
Grazing duration/intensity: how long animals are left in
paddock and at what stocking density

31. 0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
2 3 4 6 7 8
Dailygainperlamb(pound/day)
Dailygainperacre(pound/acre/day)
Pasture allowance (pound of dry matter/lamb/day)
Gain/acre/day (lb/acre/d) Daily gain (lb/d)

32. Study Species Date
planted
Grazing
period
(days)
Yield
(lbs
DM/acre)
Intake
target
Gain per
lamb
(lbs/day)
Gain per
acre
(lbs/acre)
Cost of
gain
($/lb)
1 ‘Graza’ radish June 30 66 10780 60% 0.340 507 0.44
1 ‘Goliath’ rape June 30 66 7920 60% 0.284 443 0.49
2 BMR sudan June 4 86 11548 60% 0.302 703 0.44
2 BMR sorghum June 4 86 15110 60% 0.203 669 0.46
3 ‘Hunter’ turnip and
BMR sudan mix
June 2 112 8154 45% 0.683 709 0.41
3 ‘Hunter’ turnip June 2 112 9793 45% 0.683 729 0.37
3 ‘Hunter’ turnip and
BMR sudan strips
June 2 112 9123 45% 0.612 751 0.38
3 BMR sudan June 2 112 7850 45% 0.454 454 0.68
4 Red clover and
Italian ryegrass
April 22,
Biennial
153 8887 45% 0.612 1275 0.20
5 Orchard grass, tall
fescue and alfalfa
Perennial 194 11890 50% 0.190 630 0.35

33. Summary on lamb growth studies:
• Optimizing gain per acre and individual animal
performance requires careful selection of forage
species and grazing management
• Annual forages consisting of pure brassica stands or
brassica mixes produced the highest gain per acre
as well as individual gain
• Red clover and Italian ryegrass offer high individual
performance and the highest gain per acre
• It is easy to “beat” permanent pasture in individual
animal performance but harder in gain per acre

34. Cost comparison of finishing
lambs on forage vs. grain
Rape forage Grain finishing diet
Feed/gain 6.5 5
ADG (lb/day) 0.7 0.8
Feed cost per lb DM $0.047 $ 0.14
Feed cost per ton DM $94 $280
(1.75 tons utilized/acre)
Cost per lb of gain $ 0.30 $0.70

35. Comparison of annual forage lamb
grazing systems:
Corn Sudan Brassica
ADG, lb/day 0.32 0.32 0.60
Feed:Gain 11 10 7
Dry matter intake,% BW/d 5 5 5.8
Gain potential per acre
(lbs) 720 700 750
Cost of crop per acre ($) 420 330 270
Cost of gain ($) 0.58 0.47 0.36

36. Comparison of annual forage systems for lambs:
Corn Sudan Brassica
Length of grazing season ***** *** ******
Yield ****** ***** *****
Lowest crop risk *** *** *
Lowest input cost * *** *****
Management ease ** **** ****
Ease of grazing * * **
Animal performance *** *** ****
Multiple graze * ***** ***
Energy ***** **** *****
Protein * *** ****
Lowest acidosis risk * **** ****

37. Summary on annuals:
• Annual forages when planted strategically after
spring flush offer an excellent opporunity to realize
high gain per acre and well as individual gain if
managed intensively.
• Performance on annual forages can rival that of
gain on a grain diet
• Cost per unit gain on annual forages can be less
than half of grain diets
• High performance (individual or acre) lamb grazing
requires precise management (parasite/health,
allocation/utilization, species selection, fertility
management and planting)

38. Annual forages can be part of a comprehensive crop
rotation/pasture renovation plan.
• Example:
20% of land is in permanent pasture
80% of remaining land in on a 8 year complimentary forage rotation
Year of rotation
Paddock 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
A Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
B Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial
C Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial
D Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
E Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
F Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial Perennial
G Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial Perennial
H Perennial Perennial Perennial Perennial
/Rape
Biennial Biennial Corn silage/
rye
Perennial

39. Perennial pasture can be stockpiled for
winter grazing if sheep are switched to
annual forages during early fall
•Quantity of forage
•Date of last harvest (machine or grazing)
•Fertilizer application (date and amount)
•Typical stockpiled yields without fertilizer
-1000-2000 lbs/acre.
• Hard to exceed 3500 lbs/acre with fertilizer
•Quality of forage
•Date of last harvest
•Weather conditions
•Forage specie(s)

40. 3,600 lbs DM/A Stockpiled
@ 16.1% CP & 63% TDN

42. Long season annuals for late season grazing:
• Common practice in New Zealand and other
countries
• Can we get enough yield, utilization and quality
to justify replacement of permanent pasture or
annual forages for machine harvest in Great Lakes
region?
• How long into winter can they retain quality?
• Examples used in rest of world: Kale, Rape, Rape
x Kale, Fodder beet, Swedes.
• Examples in USA and Canada-Corn!

43. Osvaldos kale in North Dakota

44. Fodder Beet, a.k.a. Mangel

45. Swedes in NZ Rape x Kale
hybrids in NZ

46. “Grazing cover crops”
• Opportunity for synergy between crop and
livestock programs
 Within your farming program
 Partnership with neighbors
• Crop farmers use cover crops for nutrient
scavenging, soil protection, weed control.
• Cover crops provide quality feed that can be
stockpiled and can fill a hole in a forage program

47. •Growth during cool weather
•Erosion control following grazing until spring planting
•Complementary nutritional profile
•Nutrient scavenging from throughout the soil profile
•Maintenance of forage quality into winter
•Germination under limited soil moisture conditions
Rationale for cover crop choices:

48. •Brassicas and small grains:
Provide complementary nutritional profile
Combination lowers risks of crop failure
Small grains help control mud issues during wet weather grazing
• Brassica choice:
Bulb turnips
Bulbs stockpile well into february, tops are lost after extended
cold <15 ° F
Rape and Kale hybrids
Tops hold quality longer than turnips, loose quality after
extended cold at < 0 ° F
Radishes
Only top part of bulb available but tops hold quality longer
than turnip bulbs but less than rape
Perhaps a good compromise between land and livestock
benefits
Cover crop combinations:

50. Rape/kale
Leafy Turnip
Jan 15, 2013 Eaton Rapids, MI
Early winter cover crop grazing:
Oats, bulb turnips and forage rape

51. Rape/kale
Leafy Turnip
Jan 15, 2013 Eaton Rapids, MI

52. Brassica candidates for cover crops
:Rape, Turnips, Radishes
40 days post emergence, Sept. 28, 2012;
planted following break in 25 year drought

53. Cover Crops: Oil seed radish and oats

54. Forage water (oats plus radishes) in mid January = 76%

55. 115 lb lambs fed no grain, 7 mo. old

57. Cost per ton of forage ($)
No
seed
Turnips
and Oats
Radishes
and Oats
Turnips, Radishes
and Oats
No fertilizer 0 32 29.7 32.5
46 lbs N 102 37.7 42.8 35.6

58. No
seed
Turnips
and Oats
Radishes and
Oats
Turnips, Radishes
and Oats
Crude Protein (%) 21 12 12 12
ADF 1(%) 23 24 25 24
NDF2(%) 43 38 38 36
TDN3(%) 77 75 75 76
48 h dry matter
digestibility
93 90 90 91
1 ADF=acid detergent fiber
2NDF=neutral detergent fiber
3TDN=total digestible nutrients
Nutritional composition of the cover crop mixes.

59. Summary:
•Inexpensive ($35-68/ton of dry matter utilized) quality
forage (TDN >72%)
Energy content is high enough to meet the needs of late
pregnancy and/or finishing programs.
Low risk crop as poor yields are still economical (<$70/ton of dry
matter utilized)
•Fills a “hole” (forage quality and mass) in perennial based
grazing systems
Allows resting/stockpiling of perennial pastures
•Benefits crop production
Weed control, fertilizer credit, residue recycling, soil health
benefits (reduced erosion, increased percolation)

60. Contributors:
Kim Cassida
Santiago Utsumi
Joe Paling
Alan Culham
Tony Boughton
Jimmy from MSU land management
Thomas Yaros
Anna Makela
John Snider-PGG Seeds
Gerry Davis-Byron Seeds
Brian Haynes-Cisco Seeds

61. Richard Ehrhardt Ph.D.
Email: ehrhard5@msu.edu
Office: (517) 353-2906
Cell: (517) 899-0040

62. Does the value of planting annual forages exceed the cost?
• If replacing permanent pastures, the value must be that much
greater than pasture to cover the cost of establishment.
Must be high yielding, high quality and low risk.
• Example: Kill run-out pasture in July with glyphosate and seed
with forage rape
Pasture Rape
Forage dry matter utilized by lambs 1170 3500
(July to Dec, lbs/acre, 50% utilization)
Forage energy concentration (TDN, %) 64 78
Growth rate (lbs/day) 0.18 0.68
Feed / gain 14 6.6
Pounds of lamb gained per acre 84 530
Value of lamb gain per acre ($1.50/lb) $125 $795
Value of replacing pasture with rape: $670/acre
Will this pay for seed, fertilizer and planting ?
land, spray, seed, fertilizer, planting=50+10+25+50+30=$165/acre