Silage Quality
Unlock the true potential from your silage next winter
Why do you need better quality silage?
High DMD silage (75% DMD), that is a leafy silage sward prior to mowing, can add value to your stock on a lower feed cost as highlighted in the table below.
| Silage Quality | Good 72% DMD | Average 68% DMD | Poor 62% DMD | Very Poor 55% DMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrate required (kg/hd/day) | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| Concentrate required (kg/hd/day) 100 weanlings /140 day winter |
14 ton | 28 ton | 42 ton | 63 ton |
| Concentrate costs over winter | €3,500 | €7,000 | €10,500 | €15,700 |
| Liveweight gain (kg/140 day winter) Silage only |
102 | 78 | 49 | 15 |
Delaying your cutting date costs approximately €500/day!
How can you achieve this?
Soil Fertility – Effects Silage on Yield and Quality
A good fertiliser programme will allow you to decide your silage DMD.
Based on your soil results you can work out your requirements below.
Units /acre:
Is your 2nd Cut fertiliser plan adequate?
*Slurry can be a very variable product and should not be overvalued.
2000 gallons of slurry is approximately = 1.5 bag of 0-7-30
Address this deficit to achieve the true potential from your silage:
Higher weight gain at low costs next winter
What fodder is required on the farm for next Winter?
Complete This Now
| Animal Type | A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of stock to be kept over the winter | Number of Months |
Pit Silage needed/animal/amonth |
Total tonnes of silage needed – multiply A x B X C |
|
| Dairy Cows | 1.6 | |||
| Suckler Cows | 1.4 | |||
| 0-1 yr olds | 0.7 | |||
| 1-2 yr olds | 1.3 | |||
| 2+ yr olds | 1.3 | |||
| Ewes | 0.15 | |||
| Total tonnes needed | ||||
| OR | ||||
| Total Bales needed (tonnes Multiplied x 1.1) | ||||
Section 2: Records of Silage made in 2021
Complete This During the Summer
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Date Cut |
Estimated Quality |
Bales/Tonnes Made |
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Section 3: Surplus/Deficit?
- Bales/Tonnes Required ______________________
- Bales/Tonnes made to date ______________________
You need to build up reserves for the next Fodder Shortage
Have you one month’s additional supply?
If short consult your adviser for a Feed Programme