Forage Inventory Planning

Forage inventory is a balance sheet for feed: what you have on one side, what the herd will eat on the other. Doing it before winter keeps surprises small.

Key points

List every feed source and test stored forage for quality.
Estimate needs by animal class, and include waste.
Build a month-by-month supply and demand plan.
Find shortfalls early and compare options before prices rise.
Repeat the inventory each season.

What forage inventory means

A forage inventory is a list of every source of feed on the ranch: standing pasture, stored hay, silage or baleage, crop residue and anything you plan to buy. Next to it sits your estimate of how much the cattle will need over the period you are planning for.

The goal is to find the gap, if there is one, early enough to fix it at a reasonable cost.

Do the inventory at least twice a year: once before the growing season ends and again in midwinter. Plans change when the weather does.

Counting what you have

For stored feed, count the bales or measure the stacks and pits, and note the type, cutting and condition. Record bale size and weight using your own scale or an average you have actually checked. For pasture, use the monitoring methods you trust and estimate what is likely to be usable.

Get a forage test on hay and silage. Tonnage means little without knowing the feed value, because a pile of poor hay can leave cows thin.

Record the lot, field and cutting for each stack so you can trace a poor-quality load back to its source and avoid it next year.

Estimating what the herd will eat

Start with the number of animals in each class: cows, heifers, bulls, calves and stockers. Each class has different needs, and lactating cows need more than dry ones. A nutritionist or extension specialist can show you how to turn animal numbers into feed needs for your herd, using your own weights and forage quality.

Include waste. Hay fed in the open, trampled or spoiled feed is lost, and the loss depends on how you feed it.

Include bulls, replacement heifers and any horses or other stock that share your feed, since they are easy to forget when adding up demand.

Building a simple plan

Lay out the months from now to the day you expect reliable grass. List expected supply and demand month by month, and mark where supply falls short.

Typical steps:

Write the plan down and put it where everyone who feeds can see it. A plan that lives only in your head does not help when someone else is feeding.

Count and test stored forage
Estimate pasture available and when it stops growing
List the animals by class and expected weights
Calculate monthly needs with your adviser
Mark the gap and decide how to cover it

Options when there is a shortfall

If you are short, the choices include buying feed, adjusting feeding methods to cut waste, weaning calves earlier, culling cows that are least productive and, in a bad year, reducing numbers. Each costs something. Compare them before the market tightens and before the weather forces your hand.

In dry years, ask your local FSA office, NRCS office and lender about programs and options. Terms change, so ask for current details.

Whatever you choose, tell your lender before a problem becomes a crisis. Lenders prefer plans to surprises, and an early conversation leaves more options open.

Storage and quality

Hay stored on the ground or uncovered loses quality and quantity. Plan storage so bales stay as dry as practical, and feed the poorest hay first to the cattle with the lowest needs. Keep a label or map showing which hay is which.

Keep fire safety in mind. Hay stored too wet can heat, and stacks near buildings or fuel are a hazard. Follow extension and fire guidance on moisture and storage.

Moving hay close to where it will be fed in fall, before mud and snow, also saves fuel and time.

What to ask and common mistakes

Ask your nutritionist whether your forage test results cover the needs of each class of cattle, and ask your lender early if a shortfall will need financing. Common mistakes include counting bales without testing them, forgetting waste, assuming pasture will grow when drought says otherwise, and doing the plan only after feed is gone. Repeat the inventory each season and compare it with the year before.

Rerun the inventory whenever something changes, such as a hay sale, an unexpected rain or a drop in herd numbers, so the plan always reflects what is really in the barn.

When to get help: A nutritionist or extension specialist can translate forage tests and animal numbers into a feed plan, and your lender, FSA or NRCS office can explain assistance and financing options for shortfalls.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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