The question regarding harvesting wheat for roughage instead of for grain has been discussed with a number of producers. Although many midwest producers do not produce wheat on a large scale, it is a very valuable cover crop for establishing new seeding. Planting wheat in the fall reduces the potential for soil erosion throughout the winter and early spring. Wheat also offers various opportunities for harvesting the following year. Regardless of the method used for harvesting as forage, one very important consideration to keep in mind is the stage of development and its relationship to having quality forage after harvest.
Wheat is one crop that deteriorates very rapidly as the plant matures.
If wheat is cut too late, the protein and energy values will be low. When the wheat plant matures from the early vegetative stage to the late head stage, both the protein and energy values will be reduced by one half. I know of no other forage that reduces in nutritional value as rapidly as wheat. The optimum time to harvest wheat is between the boot and early head stage of plant development. This period lasts only about one week.