Looking at the yearly supply of forages available for grazing can help a forage-livestock manager use miscellaneous forages wisely.

Species availability calendar

When you can see what forage is available and when grazing will be minimal, you can determine when miscellaneous forages may be needed and plan accordingly. The forage availability calendar can also help determine when surplus forage could be harvested for hay and/or silage. Many forage-livestock managers will also consider a sacrifice area for times when pastures would be severely damaged if grazed. Managers choose to sacrifice one area, offering maintenance feed in the sacrifice area. Feed brought to the animals may come as rations for as green chop if it is available. Green chop is freshly cut forage that is brought to livestock. Green chop is labor intensive but there may be times when a field is not properly fenced for livestock, being saved for regrowth, or too far away for moving livestock and green chop works well in a feeding program.