NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF GRASS 

More and more research is showing that high quality grass is actually a better feed for high producing dairy cows than alfalfa.

#1. The protein in high quality alfalfa digests so fast that the cow's liver is overloaded by it. This may cause all kinds of problems, such as ketosis, fatty liver, twisted stomachs, etc.

#2. Because of the poor fiber digestibility of alfalfa (NOF digestibility), the energy values are low. This makes for skinny cows and reproductive problems.

#3. The NDFd (fiber digestibility) is higher in grass, even though the actual NOF is higher. Thus, the cow gets more energy and the protein is degraded at a slower rate.

#4. The sugars in high quality grass are very beneficial to the microbes and friendly bacteria in the cow's rumen.

#5. Adding grass to cow's ration helps maintain body condition, herd health and longevity.

#6. The key is to harvest it in a vegetative state. Do not wait until the Boot Stage. 

Ryegrass is the highest energy grass of all. We see great potential for conventional farms to use Italian Ryegrass in a double cropping system with BMR Sorghum Sudangrass or corn silage for a consistent supply of high quality Ryegrass balage. The real profit with high quality ryegrass is when you can cut back on the amount of grain in the ration without losing milk production. In a grazing situation where quality may be extremely high, you may need to add some fiber to the ration, and decrease the amount of grain to be fed. Corn silage and/or dry grass hay fits in very well in this situation. In a grazing setting, the most important thing is to get plenty of energy into the cows. Protein is not a problem because they get more than enough from the grass.

For high performance, it is important to plant the right kind of grass. Our mission is to help you find the right kind for your farm!

ORCHARDGRASS
Orchardgrass is an old reliable standby in many parts of the U.S. It is more heat and drought tolerant than most cool season grasses, and thus produces more feed during the summer. Some of the older varieties, such as Potomac and Pennlate have given Orchardgrass a bad reputation for getting diseased in late summer, being clumpy, heading out too early in spring, and not being palatable. Our varieties are far more palatable than most of the older varieties, and also later heading! 

When grazing a hay type Orchardgrass, be sure to leave at least 3 or 4  inch stubble or it will not persist more than a few years. Orchardgrass cannot be grazed as hard and as often as Ryegrass. Orchardgrass will do well in areas with less than ideal fertility and moisture, but is not adapted for very wet areas.

BYRON'S ORCHARDGRASS BLEND from Byron Seeds -Order Now-
This is a blend of two of the best orchardgrasses available. Its soft leaves and late heading characteristics make it an excellent choice to mix with alfalfa or for grazing. It is known for high yielding, establishment and disease resistance. Winter-hardy, less clumpy. 

INTENSIV from Barenbrug -Order Now-
Intensiv is a new release, European bred, orchardgrass from Barenbrug. It has fine leaves and is a healthy orchardgrass. Its heading date is about 3 to 4 days later than Baridana but is earlier than Baraula. We have had Intensiv in our test plots since 2002 and it is another impressive orchardgrass. Very winter-hardy and establishes well. Intensiv had the highest seedling vigor rating of 12 varieties in a University of Kentucky trial and was also one of the highest yielding.

BARIDANA from Barenbrug -Order Now-
This is a late-maturing release (winter-hardy) especially bred for intensive cutting or grazing. High digestibility and high tillering (less bunching) make this a desirable variety. It was the highest performing grass in Wisconsin grazing trials and the highest yielding in Canadian hay trials with 7.2 tons per acre! It's resistant to leaf disease and matures about 8 days later than Pennlate, and it's much more palatable. Baridana is drought tolerant and has very fast establishment for an Orchardgrass.

Baridana was developed and tested under severe conditions. It's proven to withstand severe winters, but is also capable of coping in dry and hot summers. This dense sward is rust resistant, late heading, and winter-hardy. It has higher TDN, higher yields, and is more palatable than standard Orchardgrass. Forage samples show Baridana to be high in digestibility and protein.

BARAULA from Barenbrug -Order Now-
Baraula is a top-rated Orchardgrass in Europe. We are getting it from Europe on special demand for Alfalfa mixes. We think there is no other variety as late heading in the U.S. 

In PA, Baraula was later heading than Satin.  Late heading Orchardgrasses are usually higher quality and are more suited with Alfalfa. Baraula has very high quality, good yields, good disease resistance and drought resistance with good characteristics for grazing or hay. Its late heading will change the way farmers think about Orchardgrass. The seeding rate should be kept high because Baraula is rather slow to establish.

CAMBRIA from Barenbrug -Order Now-
An English bred variety from Spanish germplasm, Cambria is noted for its spreading growth habit and thus a denser sod and not as bunchy.  It is good for upland moderate fertility areas and has good disease resistance and digestibility. Cambria is very palatable and dairy cows graze it in a mixture with ryegrass without problems.  It’s late maturing with fair winter-hardiness.  This Orchardgrass has a more tillering type root system and works very well for grazing. It is not as much noted for its yield as its superior quality.  Cambria has a low growth pattern, a high leaf count, and one of the highest rust resistance ratings.

IMPROVED 'OG -Order Now-
Improved OG is a blend of improved varieties similar to our competitors’ best varieties.       

Planting cheap, common seed is like milking a beef cow!