Implementing alfalfa into your grazing system

By Kim Ricardo, SDSU Extension
Oct 10, 2026
2 hrs ago

Pasture bloat 2.jpg — If done correctly, grazing alternative forages such as alfalfa can be a viable option to stretch out your forage supply this spring. Care must be taken to prevent pasture bloat.
Submitted photo

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

By Kim Ricardo, SDSU Extension

Alfalfa is a highly nutritious forage option that consistently delivers high values of crude protein, digestibility, and the ability to support animal performance at any stage, making it a desirable forage resource for most livestock operations.

kAm|@DE 4@>>@?=J[ 2=72=72 :D FD65 2D 2 92CG6DE65 7665 C6D@FC46[ 3FE H96? DEC2E68:42==J >2?2865 :E 42? >2<6 2 8C62E 8C2K:?8 @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C AC@5F46CD] %96 6IE6?565 8C2K:?8 52JD 42? AC6D6?E >2?J 25565 36?67:ED 7@C AC@5F46CD[ 3FE E96C6 2C6 D@>6 492==6?86D H:E9 8C2K:?8 2=72=72[ DF49 2D A@E6?E:2= 7@C 7C@E9J 3=@2E 2?5 >2?28:?8 E96 =@?86G:EJ @7 E96 DE2?5[ E92E ?665 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 367@C6 8C2K:?8]k^Am

k9bm}FEC:E:@?2= G2=F6k^9bm

kAmp=72=72 :D 2? 6I46==6?E D@FC46 @7 4CF56 AC@E6:? 2?5 @E96C 5:86DE:3=6 ?FEC:6?ED] xE :D 2? 6DA64:2==J FD67F= AC@E6:? D@FC46 7@C DFAA=6>6?E:?8 4=2DD6D @7 =:G6DE@4< H:E9 6=6G2E65 ?FEC:6?E 56>2?5D DF49 2D 8C@H:?8 42=G6D[ 7:CDE\42=7 96:76CD[ 2?5 =24E2E:?8 4@HD] xE 42? 36 @?6 @7 E96 >@C6 64@?@>:42= 7@C286 C6D@FC46D 7@C AC@5F46CD 24C@DD $@FE9 s2<@E2 56A6?5:?8 @? AC@5F4E:@? 2?5 E:>6=J C2:?72==]k^Am

kAmpD H:E9 @E96C 7@C286 DA64:6D[ E96 ?FEC:E:G6 BF2=:EJ @7 2=72=72 492?86D 2D E96 A=2?E >2EFC6D] u:36C 4@?E6?E :?4C62D6D 2D E96 A=2?E 25G2?46D E@H2C5 >2EFC:EJ[ >2<:?8 BF2=:EJ 2?5 5:86DE:3:=:EJ 564=:?6] !C@5F46CD :?E6C6DE65 :? 8C2K:?8 2=72=72 ?665 E@ 32=2?46 7@C286 BF2=:EJ 2?5 =:G6DE@4< ?FEC:E:G6 G2=F6 H:E9 A=2?E 8C@HE9 2?5 DE2?5 A6CD:DE6?46] vC2K:?8 E@@ 62C=J @C E@@ G:8@C@FD=J 42? =:>:E E96 23:=:EJ E@ C6?6H C@@E C6D6CG6D 2?5 A=2?E C64@G6CJ[ A@E6?E:2==J 564C62D:?8 E96 =:76E:>6 AC@5F4E:G:EJ @7 E96 DE2?5]k^Am

kAmq=@2E C:D<D 2?5 =:G6DE@4< >2?286>6?Ek^Am

kAm%96 3:886DE 4@?46C? @7 =:G6DE@4< AC@5F46CD H96? 8C2K:?8 2=72=72 :D E96 C:D< @7 7C@E9J 3=@2E] %96 8C62E6DE C:D< @7 3=@2E E6?5D E@ @44FC H96? 8C2K:?8 =FD9[ J@F?8[ 2?5 =627J 2=72=72] %96 C:D< @7 3=@2E :?4C62D6D H96? 8C2K:?8 H6E 2=72=72 27E6C 2 962GJ 56H @C C2:?72== :7 42EE=6 2C6 ?2:G6 E@ E96 7@C286] w@H6G6C[ 56DA:E6 E96D6 C:D<D[ =:G6DE@4< 42? DE:== 36 D276=J >2?2865 E@ 8C2K6 2=72=72]k^Am

People are also reading…

Trail King: Transport solutions for every trailer owner
Heavier carcasses unlock value for group of ranchers
Open cows going to market early this fall with lack of feed
The PCV2 landscape has changed. Is your protection keeping up?
Brother, sister, same stage
Beef demand shifts to ‘pot roast’ season
Livestock farmers on high alert
Gevo ND tour highlights field-to-fuel low carbon corn farming
More thoughts on leadership
Forest fires in southwest Montana impact ranchers
USDA stocks report bearish for corn
Many farmers manage both calving and harvest work
September basis offers insight
Producer plans store to advocate for agriculture
Five rules for leadership

kAm~?6 DEC2E68J E@ C65F46 3=@2E A@E6?E:2= :D E@ 2G@:5 EFC?:?8 42EE=6 @FE @?E@ =FD9 2=72=72 H96? E96J 2C6 6IEC6>6=J 9F?8CJ] !C@G:5:?8 2446DD E@ 2 5CJ 2=72=72 92J 32=6 @C 2=E6C?2E:G6 7@C286 D@FC46 367@C6 EFC?@FE 42? D=@H :?E2<6]k^Am

kAm~?6 AC@5F46C H:E9 6IA6C:6?46 8C2K:?8 2=72=72 92D ?@E:465 E92E 42EE=6 @7E6? ?2EFC2==J :?4@CA@C2E6 2=72=72 :?E@ E96:C 5:6E D=@H=J[ EJA:42==J 8C2K:?8 2?J 8C2DD E92E >:89E 36 DFCC@F?5:?8 E96 2=72=72 7:6=5 AC:@C E@ 8C2K:?8 2=72=72] %FC?:?8 ?6H 42EE=6 @FE @?E@ 2 7F==J 5CJ 2=72=72 7:6=5 E92E :D :? E96 =2E6 3=@@> DE286 42? 2=D@ 564C62D6 C:D< @7 3=@2E 3642FD6 E92E A=2?E :D >@C6 >2EFC6[ :E 92D 8C62E6C 7:36C 2?5 =:8?:? 4@?E6?E H9:49 564C62D6D E96 DA665 @7 CF>:?2= 3C62<5@H?[ C65F4:?8 3=@2E C:D<] w@H6G6C[ :E :D :>A@CE2?E E@ ?@E6 E92E 2=72=72 :? E96 =2E6 3=@@> DE286 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 =6DD ?FEC:E:@FD E92? G686E2E:G6 2=72=72]k^Am

kAm$@>6 AC@5F46CD E92E 92G6 8C2K65 5:776C6?E 4=2DD6D @7 42EE=6 @? 2=72=72 92G6 ?@E:465 E92E 3=@2E C:D< 2AA62CD E@ 36 D@>6H92E 8C62E6C :? 8C@H:?8 42=G6D 4@>A2C65 E@ >2EFC6 4@HD] q642FD6 2=72=72 :D 9:89 :? AC@E6:?[ 8C2K:?8 :E AC:@C E@ 3C665:?8 >:89E 92G6 D@>6 A@E6?E:2==J ?682E:G6 67764ED @? 4@?46AE:@? C2E6] (96? 3667 4@HD 6IA6C:6?46 6=6G2E65 =6G6=D @7 AC@E6:?[ E96J @7E6? 92G6 E@ >@3:=:K6 6?6C8J C6D6CG6D E@ D@>6 568C66 E@ 568C256 E92E AC@E6:?] %9:D 42? C6DF=E :? 4@HD 6IA6C:6?4:?8 2? 6?6C8J :>32=2?46 H9:49 42? 92G6 ?682E:G6 4@?D6BF6?46D @? C6AC@5F4E:G6 A6C7@C>2?46]k^Am

k9bm|2?28:?8 E96 2=72=72 DE2?5k^9bm

kAm~G6CFE:=:K:?8 2=72=72 42? C65F46 C68C@HE9 A@E6?E:2= 2?5 H62<6? E96 DE2?5 @G6C E:>6] vC2K:?8 >2?286>6?E AC24E:46D DF49 2D C@E2E:@?2= 2?5 DEC:A 8C2K:?8 42? 2==@H AC@5F46CD E@ 42C67F==J >2?286 7@C286 FE:=:K2E:@?[ 6?DFC:?8 DE2?5D 92G6 256BF2E6 A6C:@5D @7 C6DE 2?5 C64@G6CJ] p55:E:@?2==J[ 6?DFC:?8 256BF2E6 C6D:5F2= 7@C286 :D =67E 369:?5 C2E96C E92? 8C2K:?8 5:C64E=J E@ E96 D@:= DFC7246 42? :?4C62D6 E96 A=2?E’D 23:=:EJ E@ C64@G6C 7@==@H:?8 2 8C2K:?8 @C 92CG6DE:?8 6G6?E]k^Am

kAm$E2?5 286 :D 2?@E96C 4@?D:56C2E:@? AC@5F46CD D9@F=5 >2<6 H96? 56E6C>:?6 H96? 2?5 H96E96C E@ 8C2K6 2=72=72] ~=56C DE2?5D E92E 2C6 =:<6=J ?665:?8 E@ 36 C66DE23=:D965 C6BF:C6 =6DD 42C67F= >2?286>6?E E92? J@F?86C DE2?5D 2?5 >2J 36 2 DF:E23=6 42?5:52E6 7@C 8C2K:?8 :7 AC@5F46CD 2C6 96D:E2?E 2?5 H2?E 2 EC:2= A6C:@5]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 :E 5@6D C6BF:C6 42C67F= >2?286>6?E[ FE:=:K:?8 2=72=72 7@C 255:E:@?2= 8C2K:?8 52JD 42? 3C:?8 EC6>6?5@FD 36?67:E E@ =:G6DE@4< @A6C2E:@?D] s6E6C>:?:?8 H96E96C E@ 8C2K6 @C >6492?:42==J 92CG6DE 2=72=72 D9@F=5 36 32D65 @? 2? @A6C2E:@?’D C6D@FC46D[ J:6=5[ 2?5 :?AFE 4@DED]k^Am

kAmx? 2 5CJ J62C H96? AC@5F4E:@? :D C65F465 2?5 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 7F6= 4@DED 2C6 9:89[ :E >:89E 36 25G2?E286@FD 7@C AC@5F46CD E@ 4@?D:56C 8C2K:?8 2=72=72 C2E96C E92? >6492?:42==J 92CG6DE:?8] z66A :? >:?5 76?46[ H2E6C 2?5 =23@C C6BF:C6>6?ED E92E H:== 255 E@ E96 4@DE @7 8C2K:?8 E96D6 7:6=5D] #682C5=6DD[ AC@5F46CD D9@F=5 4@?D:56C 3=@2E C:D<D[ DE2?5 962=E9 2?5 8C2K:?8 AC24E:46 >2?286>6?E H96? 4@?D:56C:?8 8C2K:?8 2=72=72]k^Am

Kim Ricardo is South Dakota State University Extension forage field specialist at the Pierre Regional Center. Reach her at 605-773-8120 or Kimberly.ricardo@sdstate.edu.