Forage facts for kids

Forage is simply plant food that animals like cows, sheep, and horses eat. It's usually plants they eat right from the ground, like grass in a field. But it can also be plants cut and saved for them, like hay or silage.

When we talk about a forage crop, we mean plants grown especially to feed animals. These crops can be eaten directly by animals grazing in a field, or they can be harvested and stored for later.

Common Forages

Many different plants are used as forage. They can be grasses, leafy plants called legumes, or even parts of trees.

Grasses

A bull eating grass, which is a common type of forage.

Grasses are a very important type of forage. Animals like cows and horses spend a lot of time eating grass in pastures. Some common types of grass used as forage include:

• Ryegrass (like perennial ryegrass)
• Fescues (like tall fescue)
• Timothy
• Bluegrasses (like Kentucky bluegrass)
• Bermudagrass
• Orchard grass

Herbaceous Legumes

Alfalfa is a popular legume forage, often made into hay.

White clover is a common herbaceous legume forage.

Legumes are plants that can help add important nutrients to the soil. Many types of legumes are also great food for animals. Some examples include:

• Alfalfa (also called lucerne)
• Clover (like white clover and red clover)
• Bird's-foot trefoil
• Vetches

Tree Legumes

Some trees are also used as forage, especially their leaves and branches. These are often legumes too. Examples include:

• Mulga (a type of acacia tree)
• Albizia trees
• Leadtree

Silage

Sheep eating silage in the snow.

Silage is a type of forage that has been cut and stored in a special way to keep it fresh for a long time. It's made by fermenting plants, which means they go through a process similar to how yogurt or pickles are made. This helps preserve the nutrients. Common plants used for silage are:

• Alfalfa
• Maize (corn)
• Sorghums
• Oats
• Mixes of grass and legumes

Crop Residue

After farmers harvest crops like corn or soybeans, they often leave parts of the plant behind in the field. These leftover parts are called crop residues, and they can also be used as forage for animals. Examples include:

• Sorghum stalks
• Corn or soybean stover (the stalks and leaves left after the grain is harvested)

Less Common Forages

Sometimes, other plants are used as forage, even if they are not as common. One example is the Daikon radish, which can be grown as a "forage radish."

Images for kids

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  Sorghum grown as forage crop.

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  Horse-drawn transport of fodder in Romania.

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  A meadow of perennial ryegrass.