# Ignorance of the day...What is Green Feed?



## fastline (Mar 2, 2013)

I have heard the term but understood this to just be hay that is harvested in the "green" stages rather than say corn stocks or wheat straw. I am further reading that it might be something different entirely.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Here it means chopping grass into a wagon to directly feed to cattle instead of grazing. Dairy only practise here. Guys with milking robots do it fairly often to replace sileage/balage during summer.


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

Why do dairy farms use that process? Why not just pasture the cattle?


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

http://texasdairymatters.org/files/2010/06/Green-Chop-for-Lactating-Cows.pdf

They bring the good green stuff to the milking area and the cows lactate better. Cheaper than sweet feed too.

CW


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If your herd is not located near the pasture say due to growth of farm, if you have an intensive pasture management program for manure application and irrigation etc it makes it easier to manage times. If you have land that is uneconomical to fence.

Those are reasons I've seen. I've heard people get less teat damage but I can't see why.



terraceridge said:


> Why do dairy farms use that process? Why not just pasture the cattle?


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Around here greenfeed is grain usually oats or barley that is cut and baled like hay. Mostly cut when the heads are formed and the grain is in the milk or soft dough stage.


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