With rising feed costs and increasing pressure on margins, more UK farmers are turning to homegrown forage and grains as a smart way to reduce input costs. But to get the most from what you grow, careful planning is essential.

Kathryn Thompson :: Thursday 17th April 2025 :: Latest Blog Posts

How to Make Homegrown Crops Work for Your Livestock Ration

With rising feed costs and increasing pressure on margins, more UK farmers are turning to homegrown forage and grains as a smart way to reduce input costs. But to get the most from what you grow, careful planning is essential. From proper analysis to balanced rations, using homegrown feed for livestock can boost both performance and profitability. At BW Feeds, we're here to help you make every crop count.

Why Use Homegrown Feed for Livestock?

Homegrown feed isn't just a cost-saving measure – it's a way to build more resilience into your farming system. By growing your own forage and cereals, you gain more control over input quality, availability and price. That can make a big difference, especially when market volatility puts pressure on bought-in feeds.

But it's not just about economics. Growing crops on-farm allows you to tailor nutrition to your livestock's specific needs. Whether it's high-DMD grass silage for dairy cows or homegrown barley for finishing beef, the right crops can support performance, health and productivity.

Another key benefit? You already know your land. You're growing forage suited to your soil type, your local climate and your existing rotation – giving you a nutritional base that's naturally adapted to your farm.

However, homegrown feed for livestock comes with one essential requirement: consistency. Nutritional quality can vary dramatically from field to field and year to year. That's why analysing your forage and grains, then building a balanced ration around them, is so important.

Analysing Your Homegrown Forage & Grains

To make the most of homegrown feed for livestock, the first step is understanding exactly what you're working with. No two fields are the same, and nutrient values can vary widely based on crop type, growing conditions and harvest timing.

Lab testing is essential. By sampling your silage, hay or grain and sending it for analysis, you'll get a clear picture of dry matter, energy, protein, fibre and mineral content. These figures are the foundation of any well-balanced ration.

Silage, for example, can range from high-energy and highly digestible to bulky and fibrous depending on when it was cut. Similarly, homegrown cereals can vary in starch and protein content depending on variety and harvest conditions.

Regular testing – ideally at the start of feeding and again mid-way through – helps identify inconsistencies and supports more accurate ration formulation. It also ensures you're not underfeeding or overfeeding key nutrients, which can affect both performance and health.

Armed with reliable forage analysis, you can make more informed decisions about what needs to be added or adjusted in your ration to meet your animals' needs efficiently.

Storing Homegrown Feed Correctly

Once you've grown and harvested quality forage or grain, good storage is what protects that value. Poor storage can lead to spoilage, mould or nutrient loss, undermining all the effort that went into growing the crop.

Silage should be well-compacted and sealed quickly to exclude air and promote proper fermentation. Keep clamp faces tidy and feed out evenly to prevent secondary fermentation. With bales, ensure wrapping is tight and undamaged, and keep them off bare ground to avoid moisture wicking.

Cereal grains, on the other hand, need dry, vermin-free storage. Grain moisture should be below 15% to prevent mould growth – ideally closer to 14% for longer-term storage. Monitor temperature and check regularly for pests or hotspots.

If storage conditions aren't ideal, even the best crops can deteriorate quickly. Mouldy or spoiled feed isn't just wasteful – it can impact animal health and reduce performance. And inconsistent quality makes rationing far more difficult.

Investing time in good storage practices protects feed quality and helps ensure reliable nutrition through the winter and beyond. Regular visual checks and temperature monitoring are simple steps that can make a big difference.

Balancing Rations with Homegrown Ingredients

Once you've analysed and stored your homegrown feed, the next step is incorporating it into a balanced ration that meets your livestock's needs. This can be trickier than it sounds, especially when forage quality varies or energy and protein levels don't quite match up.

Start by identifying what your homegrown base provides – whether it's energy from wholecrop silage, fibre from hay or starch from homegrown cereals. Then assess what's missing. For example, a ration heavy in grass silage may need extra energy or bypass protein to support yield or growth rates.

Consistency is key. Weighing and mixing feed accurately helps avoid underfeeding or overfeeding certain nutrients. Whether you're using a TMR system or out-of-parlour feeding, maintaining a balanced, repeatable ration keeps livestock performance on track.

It's also worth reviewing rations seasonally, especially as silage clamps change or homegrown grain stocks run low. What worked in autumn might not work by spring.

By treating your homegrown feed as a foundation – rather than a complete solution – you can build flexible, efficient rations that support productivity while keeping feed costs in check.

Case Study: Making the Most of Homegrown Feed in Oxfordshire

For one family-run farm in Oxfordshire, using homegrown feed has become a cornerstone of their livestock nutrition strategy – and BW Feeds plays a key role in making it work.

"We use BW Feeds to utilise our own cereals from the farm, which is more effective than buying in a compound", they explain. "It's helped us reduce feed costs while still delivering the performance our stock needs".

By incorporating their homegrown cereals into bespoke rations, the farm has not only seen savings but also gained greater control over feed quality. The flexibility of on-farm milling and mixing has made a big difference, too.

"BW Feeds are flexible and come when we require to mill and mix here on the farm. They are reliable and have well-trained staff who help us to make consistent rations for our animals".

With tailored blends built around what they grow themselves, this Oxfordshire farm is proof that homegrown feed, when supported by expert input, can be both practical and profitable.

Conclusion: Get More from What You Grow

Making homegrown feed work for your livestock isn't just about growing good crops – it's about understanding, storing and balancing them effectively. With the right approach, homegrown forage and cereals can reduce costs, support animal performance and build greater resilience on farm.

Whether you're feeding dairy, beef, sheep or other livestock, getting the most from your own land starts with a plan. From analysis to ration formulation, expert advice can make all the difference.

Ready to maximise your homegrown feed? Speak to BW Feeds today and let's build a ration that works for your farm.