Strategically manage forage inventory

By Barry Visser, Vita Plus dairy specialist

Much of the Midwest is less than two months away from spring planting. How will the alfalfa make it through winter? Will corn be planted under ideal conditions, and what will disease pressure look like this year? We have plenty of unanswered questions at this point.

Fundamentally, all questions come back to having enough good-quality feed for your dairy cows. Forage quality and harvest strategies have been discussed in previous articles. My goal today is to share some forage inventory strategies to consider.

Producers may define adequate forage inventory in a few different ways. Storage structure can play a role in inventory management decisions. In the case of narrow bunkers with back walls and top-unloading upright silos, the goal might be to run out of feed the day you start chopping to maximize capacity for the new harvest. Some target a minimal carryover supply of four to five weeks to allow new feeds to partially ferment. A third group of producers have a goal of four to six months of carryover, at least in the case of corn silage. Although this inventory has a value, the cost of not having it can be more significant.

While some advantages come with allowing haylage to ferment and stabilize, the value of corn silage carryover can be much greater. Corn silage fiber digestibility will show some improvement through the ensiling process, but the greater impact relates to starch digestibility. A similar relationship exists with high-moisture corn, earlage and snaplage. Optimal harvest moisture and adequate processing are both key components in accelerating this process.

Through the work of Pat Hoffman at the University of Wisconsin and other researchers, we have learned a lot about the dynamic process of starch digestibility in recent years. Starch molecules are “locked in” by a matrix of proteins called prolamins. Prolamins will break down under ideal fermentation conditions which, in turn, significantly improve starch digestibility. However, the process may be slower than we realize. Research has shown starch digestibility continues to improve well beyond four to five months post-ensiling; hence the benefit of having multiple months’ worth of carryover. Although it increases storage space requirements, and carrying inventory comes with costs, improved starch digestibility leads to a smoother transition from one crop season to the next, resulting in improved cow health and greater milk production.

Many farms routinely monitor forage inventory, and now is a good time to assess your situation. If a farm is short on one forage source and long on another, farms and nutritionists still have time to adjust feeding rates prior to the respective harvests.

In some situations, total forage inventory is low. One option may be to purchase baled hay. While current prices are favorable, consistently finding the desired quality may be challenging. Incorporating higher-fiber byproducts — such as corn gluten feed, soyhulls, cottonseed or beet pulp — may also be an option. All can be fed at an aggressive level if sufficient physically effective fiber is maintained in the ration. Targeting these byproducts to differing stages of lactation can also be a valuable strategy to maintain milk production and moderate body condition.

As we look ahead to another crop year, take a hard look at your current forage inventory. Consider what you want for inventory 10-12 months from now. We have no idea what the 2026 growing season will bring. While most seed needs are allocated, you may still have time to modify if the need arises. Adjustments can also be made in the fields and at the feed center to make best use of your forage sources.

This article was originally published in the Feb. 26, 2026, issue of Dairy Star. Click here for the original article.