Cattle that consume forages with higher sugar content have higher rates of gain, improved performance, and better rumen health.
In a Beef Cattle Research Council webinar, two forage experts give tips for increasing sugar content in forage, such as cutting forages in late afternoon as sugar content peaks 11 to 13 hours after sunrise and why it’s better to move cows to new pastures in the afternoon instead of morning.
They also discuss forage species with the highest sugar content (tall fescue and red clover) and the lowest (alfalfa).
To view the webinar, go to the Webinars section at beefresearch.ca and click on How to Produce and Use Sweet Forages.
