What are Fodder Crops? (Agriculture)

Fodder crops (also known as Forage crops) are agricultural plants that are grown primarily, and often exclusively, to feed domesticated livestock, such as cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and horses.

• Humans generally do not eat these crops.
• They are harvested, sometimes dried, and then given to the animals in their stalls or barns.

In a dairy farm, the health of the cows and the quantity of milk they produce depends entirely on what they eat.

• Fodder crops are highly nutritious, packed with the proteins, fibers, and carbohydrates that large animals need to produce high-quality milk and meat.
• During severe winters or intense summer droughts when natural grass in the fields is completely dead, stored dry fodder (called Hay or Silage) is the only way farmers can keep their animals alive.

• Alfalfa (Lucerne): Known as the 'Queen of Forages', it is extremely rich in protein and is heavily fed to dairy cows.
• Sorghum (Jowar) and Pearl Millet (Bajra): In India, the long green stalks and leaves of these plants are chopped up and widely used as cattle feed.
• Clover: A small, highly nutritious leafy plant grown specifically for animals to graze on.
• Oats and Barley: While humans eat a small percentage of these, the vast majority of the world's oats and barley are grown strictly to feed horses and cattle.