First cut grass silage has yielded reasonably but prospects for 2nd or late cuts are of concern due to the lack of rain and also because any inorganic Nitrogen that has been applied is still sat on top of the ground. Maize has got away well and the cereals, are thirsty and need some rain especially.
Grazing is burning off once the cows have eaten it, so a lot of farms are having to buffer feed and use valuable stocks of silage even feeding this year’s 1st cut already in some cases.
So yet again and we make no apology for saying it we need to focus not only on quantity but also keep our eye firmly on the quality of forages whilst trying to meet our total forage plan. Leaving grass for later cutting will not add to the quantity a great deal but will reduce quality significantly, producing lower digestible silage that will restrict dry matter intakes.
Be aware of clamp damage
Check for potential damage to the sheets by birds and vermin. Pheasants and crows particularly like to peck holes through the plastic causing significant deterioration of the silage below which is often going unnoticed until the clamp is opened in the winter.
The outcome of using an effective inoculant and oxygen barrier plastic is negated by allowing sheet damage to go unchecked as this results in a constant stream of air and water getting into the silage.
The pictures below show how a sealed maize clamp can have significant losses due to sheeting damage being left unchecked which results in spoilage, aerobic deterioration and sever heating. This clamp is losing dry matter and energy that could have been fed to cattle.
