Forages/Feeds
We offer many different types of Forage and Feed products. We can help you decide which products or mixes will work best for your operation. We offer high quality seed and stand behind our products. If there is an item that you need and it isn’t listed on our web site we will be more that happy to help you find it.
Clovers
Clovers are popular legumes grown for feeding Horses, Cattle & Wildlife providing energy, protein and fiber. Clovers are also used to improve the soil and for nitrogen fixation. Soil tests should be conducted on all fields with clover planted to determine the proper fertilization. Clover does not grow in sandy soil without an underlayment of clay first.
Alsike
Alsike clover is a cool season, short-lived perennial clover with pink or white flowers. It prefers heavy loam soils but tolerates poor drainage and acidic soils. It does not do well in drought and high temperatures situations. Alsike clover produces good yields when it is used in grass mixes such as timothy. Because of its natural adaptation to wet soils, it is a good plant to include in mixtures for hay or pasture on area with poor drainage. It is very palatable to cattle.
Ladino
Ladino clover is a white clover that is often used in pasture seeding mixes and is most useful as a pasture legume. It grows 2-4 ft. tall and spreads rapidly so stands thicken quickly in the right conditions. It should be planted in early spring or fall.
Medium Red
Medium Red Clover is the most commonly grown clover. It is mainly used for hay, silage, and soil improvement. It grows well under a wide variety of soil conditions but does best on well drained loamy soils. It does well in full sun or light shade. Red Clover grows quickly, is easy to established, and produces high quality forage and can be used for short rotation hay fields. It is usually included in pasture mixes with orchardgrass, timothy or tall fescue. Red Clover normally produces two cuttings during the hay year.
White Dutch Clover
White clover is one of the most important perennial pasture legumes. It grows between 4-8 inches high. It is usually planted with ryegrass, orchard grass, or fall fescue. White clover is a highly palatable, nutritious forage for all livestock and is an excellent food source for deer and elk. It grows well in cool, moist locations with fertile soils.
Yellow Sweet Clover
Yellow Sweet Clover is a biennial, bush-like plant that grows 3 - 5' high. It adapts well to a variety of soils but does especially well in alkaline soils It is drought resistant and winter hardy. In some areas it is an invasive species. It is often grown as hay but has toxic properties when moldy. Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover is an excellent green manure.
Crownvetch
Crownvetch is a cool season, hardy, perennial legume. It adapts well to a wide range of soils and climate condition but prefers well-drained soils. Crownvetch can be used as a forage for livestock but is mainly used for road bank stabilization and erosion control.
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Birdsfoot Trefoil is a perennial that does well on poorly drained, low PH soils. It grows between 2 and 3 ft. tall and is usually planted in areas that receive 20 inches of precipitation or more. It produces a high-quality forage for cattle and sheep and is grazed as a non-bloating legume. Birdsfoot trefoil is an excellent food source for deer and elk and is also used for pheasant cover.
Korean Lespedeza
Korean lespedeza is an annual, warm-season legume. It is generally used for forage, as a cover crop or for wildlife food and cover. Lespedezas are often used in grass mixes with bunch-type grasses such as timothy, orchardgrass, and tall fescue. Korean lespedeza can also be grown alone for use as summer pasture or harvested for a good hay crop. It will germinate in early spring but usually grows very little until June. Growth and seed production are related to photoperiod (day length), and most of lespedeza's growth occurs during the long days in July and August. Plants are drought resistant and respond well to favorable conditions.
Other Forages
Purple Top Turnips
Purple Top Turnips are a forage brassicas that are high yielding and fast growing. They are suitable for grazing by livestock. Both tops (stems plus leaves) and roots (bulbs) can be grazed and are very nutritious. Purple Top Turnips can be used as pasture for sheep and cattle. After eating the tops the stock will eat the tubers as well. Purple Top works well for late fall and winter grazing.
Fodder Radish
Fodder Radishes are an annual plant similar to turnips. They are a fast growing forage crop that can be used as a high energy feed when pastured or as a green manure. Fodder radishes can be seed in the spring and used for grazing by mid summer or in early fall for winter grazing.
Hairy Vetch
Hairy vetch is an annual or winter annual that is considered to be one of the best winter cover crops for nitrogen production. It is a moderately winter-hardy species as has a good tolerance to adverse soils and high or low rainfall. Hairy vetch is also used for soil improvement and as a green manure crop. Hairy Vetch is also grown with a small grain for forage.
Cow Peas
Cowpeas a warm weather plant that are sensitive to cold and killed by frost. They can be used as an annual source of forage or as a green manure crop used to rehabilitate severely depleted soils. Cow Peas are capable of producing excellent forage yields and can withstand considerable drought. They are also a popular crop to plant to attract turkey and deer to food plots.
Austrian Winter Peas
Austrian winter peas are a cool season annual legume. They are fall seeded and can be used to improve or buildup soils. They are a good choice to use in a rotation program from wheat to grain sorghum. Peas increase the nitrogen in the soil and also reduce soil borne diseases that attack winter wheat. Austrian winter peas may also be used as a high quality forage crop for cows and calves. They are a great attraction to deer in food plots and highly favored by whitetail deer. They grow fast and will attract deer to a plot soon after germination.
Drawf Essex Rape Seed
Dwarf Essex Rape Seed belongs to the cabbage family. It grows from 3 to 5 feet tall and has a deep tab root and bright yellow, four-petaled flowers. It is able to grow at fairly low temperatures. The minimum soil temperature for planting is 45°F, and the maximum is 85°F. Rape seed is grown for its oil and meal, as a cover crop and it can provide good ground cover over winter. It does well on a wide variety of soils but does not tolerate poorly drained or flooded ground. Drawf Essex is a good forage crop for deer and turkeys and is also used for hog and sheep pastures.
Forages
FS5
FS5 produces outstanding forage and is high in quality and palatability. Because of its quality, high sugar content and excellent yields it is a very popular conventional forage sorghum. It is drought tolerant and has excellent standability. High tonnage yield potential with sweet, leafy, high sugar and high grain silage for a conventional hybrid its superior plant health, Anthracnose resistance and drought tolerance.• Fast growth.
HP 200
BMR adds an exciting new concept and form to sorghum-sudangrass forage hybrids. Because of the BMR trait,improved quality of the forage is attained with direct results of significant increases in animal gain. Cow Chew BMR is a sweet, sorghum-sudangrass hybrid bred for grazing, green chop, or hay. Seeding rates etc. are the same as Cow Chew.
Lentills
Lentils area hardy annual legume and are a member of the pea family. They produce lens-shaped seeds. Lentils are rich in iron and have the highest levels of protein of any vegetable next to soybeans. Lentils grow on sparsely branched vines from 18 to 24 inches tall. They are most often grown in rotation with cereals. Farmers consider lentils an important factor in their rotations for several reasons because they help with soil erosion, reduce disease infestations and the rotation provides better control of grassy weeds. Lentils also fix dinitrogen when nodulated, which reduces the demand for nitrogen fertilizers.
Oats
Jerry
Jerry oats can be use for both forage and grain. They have good lodging resistance and are medium high in protein. Jerry oats have white hulls. They have a high test weight, groat percent and whole oat protein. They are moderately resistance to stem rust and moderately susceptible to crown rust.
Stallion
Stallion oats are a medium to late variety with excellent grains yields, test weights and groat percentage. They are approximately 2 inches taller than Jerry oats and their lodging resistance is slightly lower.
Morton
Morton Oats are tall and have very good lodging resistance and straw strength. They are late maturing with good standability. Morton oats have large, white kernels and high test weight. They are moderately resistant to stem rust and smut and have a good tolerance to red leaf. They are slightly susceptible to crown rust.
Millet
Hybrid Pearl
Pearl millet is the most widely grown type of millet. It is a warm season annual grass that is best known as a forage crop but can also be used for haying or silage. It has a high protein content and is highly digestible. Pearl millet yields best on fertile, well drained soils with a high salinity or a low pH but also performs relatively well on sandy soils when soil moisture and soil fertility are low. It is somewhat more drought tolerant and has a little earlier maturity that sorghum. It also tolerates low soil pH better than sorghum. It is generally planted in mid-May through mid-July.
Golden German
Golden German is a popular hay millet that is leafy and fine-stemmed and is mainly used for hay production. It should not be used for pasture. It is a late maturing, warm season, annual crop. The heads are dense and bristly and it has a good resistance to lodging and diseases. Golden German produces most of it growth during July and August and tolerates short periods of drought during the growing season.
White Wonder
White wonder is used primarily for hay production and is an extremely high yielder. It has fine stems and requires less water and dries down faster than other millets. It should not be used for pasture.
Clovers/Legumes Alfalfa
Ameristand 407TQ
Ameristand 407TQ from America’s is a very high-yielding alfalfa that produces both high tonnage and quality. It has a high disease resistance index (34/35) and fast recovery time.
Certified Wrangler
Wrangler is a high yielding, winter hardy alfalfa with a good disease resistance and insect tolerance. It is used for short and long-term haying and rotational grazing. It is well adapted for use in the North Central states and surrounding areas.
Vernal
Vernal Alfalfa is our most economic alfalfa. It is an older alfalfa variety that continues to do well. It has fine stems and has a moderate regrowth. It is used in the north central U.S. and is very winter hardy.
Partner
Partner is a blend of winter hardy alfalfas offered by Channel. It works well in marginal conditions with low management. It is highly recommended for medium to long-term stands.
Dekalb 43-13
This alfalfa has excellent yield potential and forage quality. It also has excellent disease protection and has a disease resistance index rating of 30-30. Dekalb 43-13 is very winterhardy and has fast regrowth (green-up) after harvest.
NK 919 MF Gold
If you want to improve your yield potential and improve your forage quality 919®MF GOLD BRAND Alfalfa Blend is what you need. It is an excellent blend of alfalfa that will enhance yields and quality for both dairy and beef producers. It is very winter hardy and has excellent disease resistance. It has a rapid recovery for use in 3 or 4-cut systems.