6 more reasons to measure forage quality: decisions you can make as a result of forage analysis
Sciantec
Agriculture
Forage quality is one of the biggest drivers of livestock performance. Knowing the true nutritional quality of home-grown forage and fresh grass allows livestock farmers to balance rations and optimise productivity – and that’s only possible with analysis.
Last time, we talked about the impact of the weather and why forage analysis matters throughout the season. For 5 weather-related reasons why livestock farmers should measure forage quality, click here.
Today, we’re giving 6 more reasons to measure forage quality, and advising you on the decisions you can make with insightful data.
We’re here to help. For a limited time only, we’re offering 20% off our fresh grass (FN02) and grass silage (FN03) analysis packages. Click the link at the end of this blog to learn more!
The decisions you can make as a result of regular forage analysis
It’s not just the weather that affects decision-making around forage. By measuring dry matter, metabolisable energy (ME), digestibility (D-value) crude protein, fibre, sugars, and minerals throughout the season, farmers can make informed feeding decisions while protecting animal health, productivity, and profitability.
1. Mineral balance starts in the field
While weather affects mineral uptake by the crop, particularly potassium, magnesium, and sodium, it’s important to take samples for analysis, whatever the weather, to ensure your forage is on track.
Once data has been gathered through analysis, farmers can make the decisions required to manage mineral imbalances and the productivity losses they cause.
For example, forage analysis helps farmers:
- Reduce the risk of metabolic disorders e.g. grass staggers, poor fertility, or immune function) by alerting you to potential issues early
- Target supplementation based on animal need
- Avoid unnecessary input costs
- Improve soil and nutrient management
- Manage potassium input and high-risk fields
- Use the grazing strategy to protect vulnerable stock
- Match forage to livestock class.
By more effectively managing soil nutrients and improving slurry and fertiliser inputs in the field, farmers can safeguard performance, fertility, and profit margins while reducing unnecessary input costs.
2. Forage energy supply declines faster than yield
As grass matures, digestibility drops – even when grass cover and yield look strong. Measuring ME (metabolisable energy) and D-value (how digestible a forage is) helps prevent overestimating the actual energy contribution a forage can supply.
To minimise the rapid decline in forage energy as growth advances, farmers can use the data they receive from analysis to:
- Measure ME and feed D‑value to assess forage quality
- Shorten grazing and cutting intervals as the temperature rises in summer
- Harvest and graze earlier to prevent plant lignification
- Match high‑energy forage to high‑demand livestock
- Control stem and seedhead development
- Supplement energy strategically when analysis confirms a shortfall
By managing forage for energy rather than bulk, farmers protect performance, reduce concentrate dependence, and avoid the hidden cost of low digestibility.
3. Fibre digestibility determines intake and performance
Crop stress due to prolonged heat and moisture leads to increased structural fibre (cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose) and reduced Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) digestibility, thereby restricting intake in livestock. Measuring fibre quality supports accurate prediction of intake and ration formulation.
When crop stress reduces fibre digestibility and restricts intake, farmers can consider:
- Measuring NDF digestibility, not just total fibre content
- Adjusting the ration’s energy density to match intake limits
- Harvesting and grazing earlier to preserve digestibility
- Maintaining leafy swards and avoiding stem build‑up
- Allocating high‑digestibility forage to priority stock
- Using digestible fibre sources strategically
- Building longer‑term resilience into swards and soils
Measuring fibre quality with forage analysis turns intake from a hidden constraint into a managed variable, allowing farmers to protect performance and efficiency even under challenging weather conditions caused by climate change.
4. Unknown forage quality increases food costs
Without data – that is, when forage quality is unknown – concentrates and minerals are often added “just in case”. Forage analysis helps farmers:
- Target minerals and nutrients precisely with supplementation
- Improve feed efficiency
- Lower overall feed costs
5. Nutritional decline happens before visible performance loss
Declines in forage quality occur before visible losses in milk yield, growth rates, or body condition. Regular analysis therefore provides:
- Early warning and intervention, with the ability to detect trends early
- Proactive ration adjustments before output falls
- Better allocation of high-quality forage across stock classes
- Prevention instead of a cure
This is exactly where forage analysis provides its greatest value: prevention rather than cure.
The key principle is simple. Once performance drops, you are already late. Regular forage analysis allows farmers to stay ahead of nutritional decline, protecting milk yield, growth, fertility, and margins at a far lower cost and with far less disruption.
6. Measurement turns forage into a managed asset
Assumed forage quality is a risk, while measured forage is a consistent, predictable, high‑value feed. Ultimately, by measuring forage quality and acting on the results, livestock farmers can replace guesswork with precision, turning forage into a consistent, high-performance feed that supports animal health, productivity, and profitability.
Act now to get 20% off forage analysis
Forage analysis removes seasonal uncertainty.
In a season where timing is critical, testing gives you control. Because once quality declines, the opportunity to act has already passed.
For a limited time only, we’re offering 20% off our fresh grass (FN02) and grass silage (FN03) analysis packages.
Click here to sign up for your discount code.
Additionally, soil analysis is a key starting point for improving forage production, as it clearly shows which nutrients your soil can (and cannot) supply to your crop. Instead of assuming, your soil analysis results help you to manage your fresh grass or forage crops based on real data, matching nutrient inputs to crop demand.
Contact our sister laboratory, NRM, for more details.
For more information on our forage analysis packages, contact us today.
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