Forage Crops

Forage crops offer an excellent solution to filling the forage gap in the autumn and winter months when grass growth slows down.  They integrate well with grassland and livestock, aiding in controlling a surplus of spring and summer grass and offering a high yielding, quality feed for the autumn and winter months.  These crops offer a low cost solution to rationing livestock throughout the winter period, while reducing the pressure on housing, labour and bedding costs.  In addition to these advantages, there is also a benefit for the land in that forage crops are an excellent break crop for grassland renewal.  The forage crops can be grazed in situ, meaning there are also benefits to the ground in terms of increased organic matter and return of the grazed nutrients to the soil.