GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE Why Make Quality Silage? Silage harvesting is a major cost on farms and making poor quality silage adds significantly to that cost. Quality silage will determine animal performance during the housed period and will reduce the costs of supplementation. Choosing the right time to harvest, while minimising the loss of feed value, are two key goals to set when making quality silage. • Silage is a huge part of your farm’s feeding programme! It makes up 20 – 25% of feed on dairy farms &
30% on beef farms, depending on the production system in place.
• Delayed cutting and/or poorly preserved silages can lose up to 5% units of DMD. This can result in milk
yield reductions of 1.5 litres per day, and increases the cost of finishing cattle by €70.
• High dry matter loss (c.35%) in poorly kept pits costs farmers €155 per tonne in lost feed. • Grass is the cheapest available feed source on farm, with silage costing approximately twice that of grass,
and concentrates costing three times that of grass.
• Higher DM silage can reduce the days to finish and lower daily intakes required; saving you time… and
time is money!
Quality silage means peace of mind in knowing there is minimal wastage and the maximum amount of silage available for winter feeding.
Three stages to Making Quality Silage
Stage one:
Pre-cutting
Stage two:
cutting
Stage three:
pitting & baling
Stage one: Pre-cutting DID YOU KNOW?
Silage season is almost upon us. It is important to have a plan in place pre-harvest. The quality of silage made should not drop in the pursuit of a higher quantity. It’s better to increase quantity through fertilisation, taking additional cuts or sourcing grass off the farm through contract growing, renting land or buying grass.
Silage cost s twice as much as gra zed grass so it must b e preserved and protect ed.
Top tips: • Calculate your silage requirements using Teagasc’s handy
• Preparation is key to success. Ensure your pit is clean, walls andgrazing international findings, changes in and farm practices, nutrient guide. This will enable you to plan your paddocks research and guard rails are sound fit for purpose. Have your regulations onset of new grass and crop varieties with different nutrient requirements. and silage cutting paddocks more carefully. baling and pitting material chosen and on stand-by including quality plastic covers and tyres/sand bags. Steps to Managing Soil Fertility • Monitor grass to help identify the right time to cut. Soil fertility management needs to be managed over a long term basis as soil nutrien To achieve a high DMD silage (70%+), it’s important to cut the How does grass stage atavailability cutting affectand silage quality?of major n tend to change slowly. Optimising soilgrowth pH and the supply grass before the stem increases andsuch grass as heads-out. P and K needs a planned approach over a numbers of years to ensure pro optimised in an • Spray off any weeds such as docks, levels thistles are or nettles when
environmentally and economically sustainable manner.
they are healthy and well in advanceThe of cutting silage.5 key steps to good soil fertility management:following These weeds reduce silage quantity and also have a negative 1. Have soil analysis results for the whole farm. impact on DMD. 2. Apply lime as recommended to achieve the target
• Sample soil to give a clear indication of soil pH3.andAim nutrient to have soil test P
pH for the crop.
and K in the target Index 3 in all fields.
levels in silage ground. Knowing the soil index4. willUse determine organic fertilizers as efficiently as possible. what fertiliser or nutrients are required and also you time 5. help Make sure the fertilizers used are properly balanced. your fertiliser application more appropriately in the lead up to and in between silage cuts.
• Monitor grass sugars as they act as ‘food’ for the fermentation process.
76+%
74-76%
71-73% SILAGE DMD
Fodder Budget Calculation: A fodder budget should also be completed annually after harvesting, to ensure that there is enough fodder to feed stock for the housed period. Approximate guidelines to follow are:
• Allow 1.6 tonnes per cow/month • Allow 0.7 tonnes per head/month for stock <1 year • Allow 1.3 tonnes per head/month for stock 1-2 years To calculate the amount of silage in the pit, Teagasc has broken down the calculations required as follows: 1. Measure the length, breath, and height of the clamp 2. Multiply the length x breath x height = Total available volume for silage (m3) 3. Estimate the Dry Matter (DM) content of the silage 4. Multiply the total volume be either 0.68, 0.77 or 0.81, depending on the correction required for DM, to find the total (tonne) amount of silage in the pit:
• DM 25% = 0.68 • DM 20% = 0.77 • DM 18% = 0.81 5. Calculate how long this silage will last
GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE
May 2021
68-70%
<67%
Stage one: Pre-cutting recommended products
Available to purchase in branch or online at GlanbiaConnect.com PROBLEM
Docks and Chickweed
Docks, Thistles, Chickweed, Buttercups and Dandelions Docks, Thistles, Nettles, Buttercups, Dandelions and Ragwort
Docks and Chickweed
SOLUTION
DOSE RATE
Governor® 5L HERBICIDE
9106283
Esteem® 5L HERBICIDE
9106284
2.0 L/ha
• Apply four weeks pre-cutting silage. • Good suppression at reduced rate. • Two applications of half rate (1.0L), spring and autumn more practical. • Not clover safe.
1.5 L/ha
• Controls broad spectrum of weeds such as, buttercups, docks thistles, chickweed, fathen and mayweed. • Can be used @ 1L/ha on newly sown leys • Not clover safe.
new sown leys and maize
Forefront® T 2L HERBICIDE
9069659
2.0 L/ha
Hurler® T 5L HERBICIDE
9039603
2.0 L/ha
Eagle® 120g HERBICIDE
9000211
Docks
DESCRIPTION
40g-60g / Ha
• Good spectrum of weeds. incl. thistles, docks, nettles, ragwort, dandelion, buttercup & chickweed. • Should be applied on grazing ground only. • Not clover safe.
• Controls chickweed and established docks. • Not clover safe.
• Controls both broad leaf and curled docks. • Should not be used in very dry weather. • Clover safe.
ISSUE 6: May 2020
Docks, Thistles, Nettles, Brambles, Gorse and Broom
Grazon® PRO 1L HERBICIDE
9079820
60mls/ per 10L water
• For the spot treatment of all species of docks, thistles, nettles, briars and brambles through a Knapsack Sprayer
New Look Mastercrop Quality Silage Film
Available in your Local Glanbia Branch
GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE
May 2021
Stage two: cutting High quality silage can be made by harvesting at the right time and minimising the losses of feeding value.
Top tips: • Selecting the right cutting time is very important. Ensuring
you cut at the correct grass growth stage will have a huge impact on quality. A crop harvested on June 2nd verses a harvest date of May 20th can result in a DMD drop of as much as 5%. While cutting later in the day allows sugars to rise, which aids the fermentation process, therefore helping to preserve the feed.
• Silage should be wilted for about 24 hours in order to
increase its DM content and improve fermentation. However, avoid allowing your silage to over wilt before it is pitted or baled. Grass that is too dry is difficult to compact and more difficult to ferment. Silage destined for the pit should be 25% DM, whereas silage that will be baled should be 30-35% DM.
• Consider using silage additives that are specific to the
dry matter content of your silage. Inoculants or additives are shown to increase DMD by 5% when used where the conditions were not ideal at the harvest. Additives help reduce wastage, aid digestibility and increase dry matter intakes.
• Safety first! When harvesting health and safety of all involved should be a top priority. Ensure all machinery is in safe working order, roadways and yards are clear, drivers are aware of overhead power lines or unmovable obstacles and use appropriate safety signage.
DID YOU
recommended products
Available to purchase in branch or online at GlanbiaConnect.com
safety first!
Ecosyl Silage Additives For consistently better silage
• Increases digestibility • Decreases waste • Increases rate and quality of fermentation process • Increases dry matter intakes
Make safety of all workers your top priority this silage season. Ensuring you have the right equipment and signage is a good place to start.
Farm Safety Notices • Wide range of signs available • Made from aluminium sheets
Cheetah Rechargeable Head Light • High and low beam settings • Adjustable head strap • 5 hours light on high beam • 24 hours light on low beam
GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE
May 2021
KNOW?
Six in avera ches of wa ge st @ a fe size pit (3 e on an 0x e silage d cost of € 50x10 ft) 25/to = €12 upcom 50 loss in nne of fe ing w inter p ed for eriod.
Stage two: cutting recommended products - Quality Covers
Available to purchase in branch or online at GlanbiaConnect.com
High Quality Cover • • • •
Proven quality for years
Hermetix/Bodyguard Heavy Duty Silage Cover
High resistance to weathering
A highly flexible, hole resistant cover, with an oxygen barrier.
Performs well even at extreme temperatures
• Reduces silage surface spoilage by restricting oxygen permeation
Thicker and stronger than most standard covers on the market
and the growth of molds and improves aerobic stability
• Fits into landscape with green layer • Double black layers ensure better preservation and faster fermentation
• Covers your silage pit quick, clean and easy with labour savings
• High impact and tear resistant
• Available in 60 x 80, 60 x 100 or 60 x 120
Underlayer Silage Film
“The under layer to put it simply acts like clingfilm on your lunch. It seals out any of the air and it stops the top layer of silage going off so you have no wastage. When you open the pit, the top layer of silage is perfect and no labour involved in cleaning off spoiled silage. It’s worth the investment because it more than repays itself”
Using Underlayer Silage Film will minimise silage waste. It takes roughly 18inches of settled silage to produce 6inches of waste. In a typical 30 x 50 10ft silage clamp and a cost of €25/t of silage, this can equate to 50t of silage waste or €1250.
• This sits directly beneath silage cover • Thinner and more flexible material allows it to “cling” to surface to avoid air pockets
Eddie Mackey, Mooncoin
• Produce better quality silage with less waste.
Net Replacement Film
Mastercrop Agri-stretch bale wrap
• Silage Quality: Adds extra film to the barrel of the bale.
A durable triple layer silage wrap. Its high tack finish ensures a tight seal which is air, gas and water resistant.
• Reduces mould: Mould reduces silage quality, the extra
• • • •
The oxygen barrier is improved and silage is stored better. Leading to higher quality silage.
film on the bale reduces vermin and handler damage.
• Labour saving: No need to separate net and film when opening bales. Reduces feeding time, waste disposal easier and reduced costs
• Better shaped bale: Compresses the bale tighter than net and keeps the bale in better shape
Lowest prices on netwrap and twine
GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE
25 micron Triple layer for strength Tacky finish ensures a tight seal Suitable for use with all leading wrapping machines
• Puncture and rip resistant
“The reduction in forage losses last winter paid for the new cover many times over. What I immediately noticed on opening the silo was the total absence of any discoloured forage at the surface of the clamp. The other advantage is the fact that I only had to put one cover on the silo last year. Normally we put two in place. So this saved valuable time for everyone concerned” Bill Fitzgearld, Glenmore.
May 2021
Stage three: Pitting and Baling Pitting or baling silage isn’t just about getting the job done. This stage of the silage making process can be a make or break in terms of having a quality feed for livestock and reducing costly losses. So it’s important to get it right.
Pitting:
Baling:
• Preparing the pit: Before the silage goes into the pit, the walls
• Aim for bales that are over 220kg dry matter. Baler choppers
should be lined with plastic covers. This will help to reduce the amount of oxygen that gets through the walls of the pit and spoils the silage. A narrow pit face is preferable to ensure you can move across it in 3-4 days when feeding out.
• Use quality material when pitting to ensure a winter long
air tight seal. A heavy duty, tear resistant cover such as the Hermetix/Bodyguard silage cover used in conjunction with Clingseal underlayer film will go a long way to ensuring a good seal. A good seal on the pit will prevent aerobic spoilage and improve the lactic acid fermentation of the silage.
• Ensure an airtight seal: Once the pit has been covered, the
cover should be weighed down with something that will also protect it from bird damage. While tyres have historically been used for this purpose, mesh covers, like those from Zilltec, are a more sustainable and reusable option. Remember the important fermentation process can only begin once the pit has an airtight seal.
• Fill the silo quickly and seal tight in order to achieve air-free
increase DM per bale by 10-15%.
• Use a slow tractor speed when making bales as this will
produce well packed bales. Adjust the baler density capacity to high/maximum position.
• Avoid over handling or rough handling of bales before they
are wrapped, as this can cause them to lose shape. Preferably use a bale lifter over a spike fortran sport.
• Ideally transfer bales to your chosen storage location before they are wrapped, as this will reduce the risk of damage to the wrap.
• Use a quality wrap, and layer at least 4 times for adequate
preservation. If you are planning on storing bales for longer than 9 months, then 6 layers are advised.
• Check for damage to the bales regularly and repair the plastic when required.
• Aim to have bales consumed
conditions, which are necessary for good preservation and preventing mould growth.
within 2 days of opening, and do not feed mouldy bales to livestock.
• Maintain a good pit face throughout the feeding period.
To ensure tight compaction and minimise air exposure, use a shear-grab when taking silage from the pit, along with maintaining a tight cover seal on the edges.
DID YOU
Recommended Products – Overcover Protection Available to purchase in branch or online at GlanbiaConnect.com PROBLEM
SOLUTION
Zil Covers
Year-round pit protection
Zil Sandbags
DESCRIPTION • • • • •
Very high protection from damage by birds, dogs, cattle and hail Tread-safe, resistant to tearing Saves time by a quick and easy use Withstands windy conditions No decay, no mould
• • • •
Specially manufactured from 100% high quality, virgin HDPE Micro-meshed monofil yarns, highest resistance to slide Highly durable, can last up to 10 years. High UV stability to protect cover from degradation
Products Available Instore | Online | On-farm for more information visit GlanbiaConnect.com
GREAT GRASS MAKE GREAT QUALITY SILAGE
KNOW?
Silage fo diets, rms a larg e so quality it is esse part of win nti te taking and conten al to know r ts. Test a repre its once it silage senta ti has fe b rmente ve core sam y to de ple d fu supple cide if nutr lly, in orde r itiona menta l tion is neede d.
