Tall fescue as dairy cattle feed: the advantages

Note: This English content is pending editorial review.

In dairy feeding, alfalfa usually takes centre stage. Yet a well-designed feeding programme also needs a structural forage — and this is exactly where tall fescue (Festuca) plays to its strengths.

What tall fescue contributes to the ration

Tall fescue is a robust forage grass with high yield and good structural effect. As a forage it delivers:

• Structural fibre the rumen needs for stable digestion.
• Volume at low cost, without pushing the protein level up.
• Adequate digestibility when cut at the right time.

Compared with protein-rich alfalfa, tall fescue brings the structure the ruminant needs for cud chewing and a stable rumen pH.

Robustness and yield reliability

Tall fescue is known for its resilience and delivers consistent yields of consistent quality across the season. For feeding, that means plannability — an often underrated advantage in ration design.

The interplay with alfalfa

The real strength shows in combination: alfalfa delivers protein and energy, tall fescue delivers structure and volume. Through the ratio of the two you steer the ration — towards more protein for high milk yield, or towards more structure where it is lacking.

Cutting time decides

As with all forages, cutting time determines quality: cut young, tall fescue is more digestible and slightly richer in protein; cut later, it gains fibre and volume but loses digestibility. For dairy cattle, a cut that combines good digestibility with sufficient structure is recommended.

In brief

• Tall fescue delivers structure, volume and yield reliability at low cost.
• Combined with alfalfa, it forms a balanced ration of protein and structure.
• Cutting time determines digestibility.

Tell us how your dairy ration is built — we’ll help you set the share of tall fescue and alfalfa, and supply both from a single source. More on our terms on the export page.