Sorghum for animal feeding

When young sorghum plants are still green, they may be fed to animals.

But you must be very careful, because sorghum may contain a poison. The quantity of poison in the plants is not always the same. It differs according to the age of the plants, the variety, the soil, the climate.

Sometimes when you have cut the green sorghum, some plants may produce new stems. These new growths contain a lot of poison.

So take good care before giving green sorghum to animals.

The animals can be fed sorghum by putting them in the field where it is growing, or by giving it to them as hay or as silage.

Never give the new growths to animals.

· Feeding animals in the fields

Animals are let into the field when the spikes of sorghum begin to ripen.

· Making sorghum hay

To make hay, cut the sorghum plants when the spikes have come out of the stem. Leave the stems and leaves to dry.

Because of the poison, you must wait two months before giving this hay to animals.

· Making silage

To make silage, cut the sorghum plants when the spikes are well formed, but before the grains have become hard. Then wait two months before giving the silage to animals.

Never make silage with new growths of sorghum.

There are some varieties of sorghum that are grown only as fodder. These varieties are very good for making silage.