Ryegrass is known as the highest quality grass! This is especially true when it comes to digestibility and sugars, which means higher energy. Cows milk more, stay in better body condition, and may even breed better on a Ryegrass diet (versus and Orchardgrass or Alfalfa diet) whether it’s in a grazing, or a haylage system. Ryegrass is harder to dry for hay.
Under ideal conditions, plenty of fertility and moisture, Ryegrass may out yield Alfalfa. And, if harvested or grazed at a young stage, it’s a better feed.
Ryegrass comes in many different forms: Perennial, hybrid, Italian and annual.
Ryegrass keeps growing longer in the fall than most grasses. It’s not very drought tolerant, but if fertility is kept very high and it’s not overgrazed. It can be almost as drought tolerant as Orchardgrass. Hot weather and especially warm nights with moisture really slows down growth. As long as the nights stay cool, it can take a lot of daytime heat.
