Reducing the risk of Listeria in silage Grass and lucerne silages are an important component of many goat and sheep diets, with these forages supplying critical protein, fibre and energy for milking or dry does and ewes. However, sheep and goats can be very severely impacted by silages that contain high levels of listeria, more so than cattle. The primary symptom of enteric listeriosis is diarrhoea, but this may be accompanied by elevated temperature and reduced feed intake. It can also progress to ‘encephalitic listeriosis’ in which the listeria infection travels to the brain, often causing ‘circling’ or ‘moon gazing’ symptoms.
Some tips to reduce the risk of listeria and other spoilage organisms thriving in your silage: 1. Get a good wilt to achieve target dry matter (DM) before ensiling The more water the silage contains, the more acid that needs to be produced by ensiling bacteria to reduce the silage pH below 5.0. Silage should be wilted to at least 30% DM, ideally 32-38%. The team at Nutritech can help you optimise timing of making silage stacks or bales with the use of their forage tools to assess dry matter. 2. Apply a high-quality, grass and lucerne specific inoculant Not all silage inoculants are equal when it comes to their ability to rapidly drop silage pH. Sil-All®4x4+ is a leading silage inoculant from Lallemand Animal Nutrition, designed to help rapidly reduce silage pH. When it comes to preventing listeria growth, it is not just the final pH that matters, but how fast it got there. With a team of four bacteria that are specifically selected to work down the pH scale, high levels of lactic acid are produced to inhibit spoilage organisms. Sil-All®4x4+ also contains four enzymes, to help improve fermentation and the digestibility of the silage which is important for milking sheep and goats. 3. Seal bales or stacks with a proven oxygen barrier pH is the main determinant of L.monocytogenes growth in silage, and parts of the silage which are not sealed properly will typically have a higher pH and more spoilage. SiloStop® oxygen barrier film can be applied to both bales and stacks to significantly reduce the amount of oxygen entering the silage after it is sealed or wrapped. One layer of SiloStop® Orange is the equivalent of 60 black+white covers based on the amount of oxygen it lets through. This incredibly powerful oxygen barrier can reduce the risk of listeria and reduce silage losses to result in more palatable and hygienic silage. For more information on reducing listeria and spoilage in your silage, contact your local Nutritech Area Manager.
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Working closely with many dairy goat and sheep farmers, Nutritech have developed a range of nutrition and forage solutions that support dairy goat and sheep health and performance. Click here to find your local Nutritech Area Manager to arrange an on farm visit and get your free copy of our Dairy Goat Handbook.
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