For many this spring, milk protein percentages have proven a struggle, with average quality silage making up a large proportion of the diet. Youngstock turnout was delayed and we are now trying to make up ground to ensure breeding target weights are met. Counteracting these issues led to an increased meal bill where silage quality was poor.

Remember, grass silage makes up approximately one quarter of the annual feed budget on the average Irish dairy farm and is even greater in beef situations.

At one point, every farm will have 80% DMD grass available to them in the field. However, the decision is often made too late regarding the cutting date.

Flexibility in feed plans

Where silage stocks are depleted, the temptation to chase bulk may creep in. However, it is well proven that high quality silage allows for flexibility in feed plans. Earlier cutting also allows for quicker and earlier regrowths for subsequent cuts, leading to increased annual yield per hectare.

Once seed heads appear typically by late May, DMD will be around 70% at most and will drop by 1% DMD every two to three days after that.

With the renewed value now placed on our main home grown forage, achieving a good fermentation to preserve it is critical. The use of a silage additive has long been proven to improve fermentation, lending to less waste/losses.

Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost is proven to: Increase ADG by 110g/head/day in beef situations, Increase Dry Matter intakes by 0.4 kg/head/day and milk protein percentages by 0.09% – while also reducing fermentation losses by 6.1% (equating to 30t on a 500t pit).

For more information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

One of the biggest challenges facing Irish farmers is being able to feed stock in a way that will give the biggest return on investment. As a standalone feed, silage is expensive to produce, and when a land charge is factored in, first cut silage is now costing in the region of €300 per acre to grow and ensile. It is therefore most important that the desired level of silage quality is achieved as often as possible.

Maximising silage quality has never been more important for Co. Tipperary farmer, Albert Purcell. Albert is a beef and tillage farmer who up until recent years, placed more attention on making quantity versus quality silage. As a result, silage quality and animal performance was poor, leading to an over reliance on purchased concentrates.

With the help of Agritech’s Technical Nutritionist, Bil Ryan, Albert put a plan in place to overcome these challenges. He now gives close consideration to reseeding with good quality grass seed, careful management of the silage pit and using a good quality silage additive.

WATCH ALBERT’S STORY BELOW

Reseeding with quality grass seed  

Pastures can lose quality as they get older, and maintaining a high percentage of perennial ryegrass in the sward is crucial in order to maximise output from the forage. A grass sward containing 100% perennial ryegrass will grow up to 3t DM/ha more than a sward containing 15% perennial ryegrass and it also produces a higher feed quality, thereby increasing animal performance, i.e. milk output and daily live-weight gain.

Bil’s advice to farmers for optimum germination and a successful reseed is achieving a properly prepared seedbed. Applying appropriate nutrients will also help ensure optimum germination and adequate fuel to sustain the new reseed through the winter ahead. At index 3, applying at least 3 bags of 10.10.20, plus 1 tonne of lime is advisable.

Complementing your preparation efforts with the right grass seed mixture is key. According to Bil, “Agritech’s Tipperary Grass Seed Range has a mix for every situation. Our Tipperary Grass No.5 mixture is designed to produce up to five cuts of high quality forage as zero-grazing or three cuts of silage. Our traditional Tipperary Grass No.3 mixture is ideal for two cuts of silage, plus shoulder grazing.”

Reducing ensiling losses  

Reducing ensiling losses is extremely important for improved feed efficiency and greater animal performance. Following the pit management practices outlined below will help;

• Prepare pit well in advance of the expected harvest date; wash out pit and identify any leaks, cracks, and unsealed and eroded joints. Lay down protective layers of sheets inside the pit walls to facilitate an excellent seal at the pit edges.
• The pit should be filled evenly, with each layer of silage no more than 20cm. Each layer should be well consolidated to remove air.
• Use a vacuum sheet as the first sheet and cover by folding in the two side sheets and fitting the final top sheet. Weigh down with tyres to secure the clamp.

Maximising animal performance

Agritech’s GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid and has been developed with accelerated fermentation and animal performance as the primary focus. According to Bil, “the ultimate aim from the use of a silage additive is to enhance animal performance, deliver more milk and live-weight gain at feed out and increase farm profitability.”

Having undergone numerous trials on dairy and beef research institutes throughout Ireland and the UK, the additive has shown daily milk yield increases of 1 litre, a 0.09% increase in milk protein and 110 grams extra daily live-weight gain.

The technology used in the additive has also been scientifically proven to reduce unnecessary plant breakdown and ensure reliability even in difficult low sugar conditions. Independent trials have shown that in a 500t clamp, GrasZyme SugarBoost retains an extra 30 tonnes of silage and ensiling dry matter losses of 6.1% were also reported from these trials.

WATCH OUR SILAGE PRESERVATION VIDEO BELOW 

For more information, contact your local Agritech distributor or view our GrasZyme SugarBoost page

“With lengthy dry periods no longer in existence, quality silage is an essential requirement for the freshly calved cow as it will help support early lactation milk yield and allow the cow to return to cyclicity as quickly as possible.

“For beef cattle, a daily live-weight gain of 0.6 kg is considered the optimum for winter performance where the animals are returning to grass in the spring. Quality silage will again play a key role in achieving this growth level,” John explains.

Silage samples recently analysed show significant variations in quality, with many Irish beef farms estimating an average of just 66% dry matter digestibility (DMD). The difference between good and bad silage quality has a significant impact on animal performance. In the winter of 2012, Teagasc in conjunction with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), conducted a study on weanling performance on 18 farms when housed. The results indicated a significant shortfall in live-weight performance, despite all of the farms feeding 1 – 2.5kg of silage/head/day. Only four of the 18 farms had a daily live-weight gain in excess of 0.51 kg and seven of the farms had an average daily live-weight gain of just 0.25kg.

According to John, silage of 75% DMD in quality must be a target for farms going forward. Quality silage starts with quality grass cut at the correct growth stage. Every silage field which contains a high proportion of perennial ryegrasses will have a sward of 80% DMD by the middle of May. Once grass silage fields go past this, they lose an average of 3% DMD units per week, with this loss increasing to 6% DMD units in poor weather or lodged crops.

“The application of a proven silage additive at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible. It speeds up the preservation and retains more of the feed value within the pit, in addition to retaining more actual silage in the pit. In fact, the extra retained silage alone will cover the cost of the additive,” says John.

Our GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid and is formulated with accelerated fermentation and animal performance as the primary focus. Having undergone numerous trials on dairy and beef research institutes throughout Ireland and the UK, the additive has shown daily milk yield increases of 1 litre, a 0.09% increase in milk protein and 110g extra daily live-weight gain.

For more information, contact your local Agritech distributor  

In a recent interview in the Irish Farmers Journal, Agritech’s technical director Seamus O’Slatarra talked about how silage additives have evolved in recent years and why using additives are an essential ingredient in getting the most from grass silage. Additives work by retaining silage quality as close as possible to the grass being harvested and aim to avoid ensiling losses.

There is also ample data to show that milk protein, live weight gain and dry matter ensiling benefits from the use of a reputable silage additive. Indeed, Agritech’s GrasZyme SugarBoost Forage Additive for grass silage has been developed for effective grass preservation with animal performance as its primary focus.

Read the full article on the Irish Farmers Journal website.

Or view a pdf of the article (208kB).