Presently, we have been running our cattle on strict grass and hay, with perhaps some mineral supplement.
However, we have been looking into the possibility of supplementing the diets of our animals with some type of fodder. This would allow us to use somewhat less acreage, and also give us some more direct control over milk quality (the weather in Indiana in the summer can be wild and unpredictable. You never know how good the grass will be in a given season)
There are a few requirements, however, for this.
-No straight grain. Corn is strictly off limits.
-No processed feeds. Obviously.
-No processed chemicals, other than the mineral supplements needed to account for local nutrient deficiencies.
-Nothing GMO at all.
-absolutely no silage
Now this all goes with another caveat.
Our herd is timed to dry out for the winter season. We are not producing cheese 12 months out of the year. During the off season, other fodder is permissible, including silage and grain, so long as this is removed from the diet at least 2 weeks prior to cheese production.
The question I have is this,
what are some ideas to use for fodder?