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Characteristics of Forage

Cool-Season Grasses
Kentucky Bluegrass	Good	Poor	Excellent	Good	Fair	Fair	Good
Orchardgrass	Excellent	Good	Good	Good	Fair	Fair	Good
Perennial Ryegrass	Good	Fair	Fair	Excellent	Fair	Fair	Fair
Quackgrass	Excellent	Good	Excellent	N/A*	Good	Fair	Excellent
Reed Canarygrass	Good	Poor	Excellent	Poor	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Smooth Bromegrass	Fair	Good	Excellent	Good	Fair	Fair	Good
Tall Fescue	Excellent	Good	Good	Excellent	Good	Fair	Good
Timothy	Fair	Good	Excellent	Good	Poor	Poor	Poor
Warm Season Grasses
Big Bluestem	Good	Poor	Good	Poor	Excellent	Poor	Good
Sorghum/Sudan	Good	Poor	N/A	Excellent	Excellent	Fair	N/A
Switchgrass	Good	Poor	Good	Poor	Excellent	Poor	Good
Alternative Forages
Winter Rye	N/A	Good	Good	Good	Good	Poor	N/A
Oats	N/A	Good	Poor	Good	Good	Poor	N/A
Corn Stalks	N/A	Fair	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Brassicas	Good	Good	N/A	Good	Fair	Poor	N/A
Legumes
Alfalfa	Good	Yes	Excellent	Good	Good	Poor	Good
Alsike	Poor	Yes	Good	Excellent	Poor	Good	Poor
Birdsfoot Trefoil	Fair	No	Excellent	Poor	Poor	Fair	Excellent
Ladino	Poor	Yes	Good	Excellent	Poor	Good	Poor
Red Clover	Fair	Yes	Good	Excellent	Poor	Fair	Fair
Sweet Clover	Fair	Yes	Good	Fair	Good	Fair	Poor