Varieties of Forage Ryegrass Seeds

• Cattle like to eat grass, and cattle owners can provide them with a few different varieties of ryegrass as forage. Ryegrass grows quickly, so it helps provide a large amount of food for cattle relative to other grass types. It also tolerates a wide variety of soil types and pH levels, so cattle owners in a variety of areas can plant ryegrass successfully.

Annual Ryegrass

• Annual ryegrass, also called Italian ryegrass, provides good forage for cattle during the winter, according to the University of Florida and the University of Wisconsin Extension. Annual ryegrass can grow to heights of up to 2 to 5 feet. It comes from Southern Europe, but the U.S. now has over a million acres of it. Since annual ryegrass does not tolerate extremely cold winters well, most of the annual ryegrass in the U.S. is in the southeastern part of the country. Ranchers generally plant it during the fall for cattle to eat during the winter. Annual ryegrass dies within one to three years at most, so growers have to replant it annually.

Perennial Ryegrass

• Perennial ryegrass usually survives multiple years, unlike annual ryegrass. According to Pennsylvania State University, it is one of the most useful types of ryegrass and makes excellent forage. Most perennial ryegrass in the U.S. grows in the Northeast and in the Pacific Northwest. It does not grow well in harsh midwestern winters, and cattle farmers in cool but moderate climates grow it most commonly. Although perennial ryegrass does not grow as tall or produce as much as annual ryegrass, it does grow back quickly after cows graze on it. People find it convenient because cows can return to the same area to graze again after a relatively short recovery period for the grass.

Intermediate Ryegrass

• Intermediate ryegrass is a cross between perennial ryegrass and annual ryegrass, according to the University of Wisconsin Extension. Intermediate ryegrass sometimes gets the name "hybrid ryegrass." Intermediate ryegrass produces more forage for cattle than perennial ryegrass, but it also fares worse during cold winters than annual ryegrass. The University of Wisconsin recommends intermediate ryegrass for grazing in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.