After many years of using corn silage to feed stocker cattle on a local farm operation, they wanted to transition their fields to a permanent grass and simplify their operation to a fall calving cow herd.  The problem was each year, the corn silage harvest was too late to plant forage grasses.

The Bracken County Extension Service help put together a plan to generate summer forage and allow for a fall seeding that would fill the need for future hay and pasture needs. 

The use of a warm season forage was recommended to fill the summer void so Teff was planted on the former corn silage fields.  Teff was preferred over other summer annuals as it is easier to make dry hay and vs. the larger stem sudan / sorghum type forages.  This would help create hay needed to support the herd through the winter and allow the fall seeding.

It was recommended to plant a novel endophyte type fescue in the fall so the fields could be used for both hay and pasture.  The plan is to stockpile a lot of the acreage which will allow the fall calving herd to have high quality forage, and clean conditions to raise calves on during the fall and winter.  

With less labor available, fall calving, and the nontoxic fescue forage will allow for easier management, more live calves born during fall months, and increased productivity using high quality stockpiled forage to feed the lactating cow herd.