Spring Forage Harvest Planning Checklist
By Joe Lawrence, PRO-DAIRY
Safety
• Prepare crew and equipment for a safe field season
Prepare storage area
• Flexible storage options to sort forages by quality and intended animal group
• Size storage to planned feed-out rate
• Clean and safe storage infrastructure
Field inventory and harvest mapping
• How many tons of lactating quality feed do you need? Get that first!
o Every field can be lactating quality feed if harvested at the correct time o Window for optimum hay crop quality is narrower than for corn planting
• Monitor fields for harvest timing starting in early May
o CCE and support industry weekly height monitoring programs
• Target harvest order
o Winter Cereals > Perennial Grass > Mixed Grass/Legume > Legumes
• Spring delays - skip fields already past their optimum, return later for non-lactating quality feed.
Harvest management
• Minimize time between cutting and ensiling of crops
o Wide swath - >80% of cutter bar width
o Avoid excessive windrow size - balance yield with quality potential
• Maintain a three to four inch cutting height (four inches for grasses)
o Reduce contamination (Ash)
o Keep windrows up off the ground to facilitate drying
o Encourages healthier and vigorous regrowth of perennials
• Avoid chopping at wrong dry matter - matching mowing to chopping speeds Rake/merge, chop before leaf material is too dry to avoid excess losses
Ensiling for efficient fermentation and minimal shrink
• Harvest at target dry matter for storage type
o Haylage: ~35-38% DM
o Baleage: ~40-55% DM
• Achieve target densities in horizontal silos
o Packing weight to match delivery rate
?-? minimum of 800 lbs. packing weight per ton delivered per hour
o Pack uniformly in thin layers (ideal: four-inch layers)
o Build piles to pack from any angle, 360 degrees around pile
o Minimize silage piled higher than bunk walls - compromises density and safety
• Cover piles immediately
o Use research proven inoculants and oxygen barrier plastic
Field Crops
Dairy
Business
Livestock
Grains
Upcoming Events
MILKING IT: Moving Milk Quality Forward
April 14, 2026
Springville, NY
April 14th from 11am-1pm
Education sessions by:
- CCE SWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops
- Springville Veterinary Services, P.C.
- Quality Milk Production Services
New York Application for Dairy of Distinction
April 15, 2026
Purpose of Program
Attractive dairy farms give the consumer greater confidence in the wholesomeness of milk and stimulate milk sales which encourages public support of the dairy industry. The award gives recognition to the dairy farmer for maintaining a well-kept farmstead.
Virtual Egg Count Training for Sheep and Goats
April 23, 2026 : Virtual Fecal Egg Count Training for Sheep and Goats
Amy Barkley and Rachel Moody, Livestock Specialists with Cornell Cooperative Extension, will take attendees through the why, how, and interpretation of fecal egg count testing for sheep and goats using the McMaster method.
Announcements
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