Maximising Grass Silage Quality

Di: Stella

Fertilising 1st Cut Grass Silage April, 2024 Silage reserves are running low due to poor weather, extended housing / feeding period and there is a real need to replenish grass silage quality silage stocks for winter 2024/25. Therefore, the requirement of having a good yield of a high quality 1 st cut crop for cutting in mid-May is essential.

A rapid wilt is also fundamental to making high quality silage, Mr Stroud says, which means cutting at the right time of day is critical. He says: „Try not to mow later than 6pm, as otherwise the grass will not begin wilting until Recommended Grass and Clover Lists The Recommended Grass and Clover Lists for England and Wales is recommendation on grass and clover varieties, which are drawn up after rigorous testing for attributes such as yield, persistency, quality and disease resistance. Grass silage has a large nutrient demand and adequate nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) is essential for maximising grass yield and producing sufficient winter feed as we head into the most efficient time for nutrient use (April and May).

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Making multi-cut grass silage could put dairy farms in a stronger position to withstand the effects of drought on reducing grass growth, results of an Ecosyl survey suggest.

Timing is everything for maximising hay and silage production

UK Grass Silage Production As fertiliser prices increase and brought in feed continues to form a large part of feeding rations, a greater focus on getting the best quality from in-house silage crops should be of utmost importance to dairy farmers. The UK’s ideal grass growing climate, with its high rainfall and long growing days, will be key to maximising forage, however the trade-off has

Develop a fertiliser application plan based on soil test results. Reseeded swards, tight grazing pre-closing, adequate N application, growth results and cutting at the correct grass growth stage are key elements to maximising silage quality for a given DM yield.

High-quality silage is key to any dairy cows’ ability to milk and perform well throughout the year. Offering flexibility when grazing conditions are adverse, good quality, high digestible and high energy silage, made early in the season can be your best insurance policy against poor weather. It reduces your requirement for purchased concentrate feed, boosting milk solids and overall

Increasing fertiliser prices mean the cost of making grass silage has shot up. However, the cost of good-quality silage is still a lot lower than the cost of comparable concen-trate feed in dry matter terms. First-cut grass silage costs around 20c/kg DM, while a kilo of concentrate feed is 40c/kg and rising. Maximising grass yield and the quality of first-cut grass silage should be the aim on Discover when to cut silage for top nutrition and yield. Avoid common mistakes and boost feed quality. Read now for expert tips! Discover expert tips to optimise silage quality for better livestock performance and profitability on your farm. Learn key considerations for

When to Cut Silage: Maximizing Nutritional Value and Yield

Making Quality Grass Silage
1st Cut Silage Strategy for 2024
Making better quality grass silage

Grass silage has a large nutrient demand and adequate N, P & K is essential for maximising grass yield and producing sufficient winter feed. Correct nutrient supply to silage ground should yield 10 ton per acre for the 1st cut crop and 7 ton per acre for the 2nd cut crop. Having quality silage will give better animal health and of cutting dry matter intake for higher performance and profitability. This rapid fermentation minimises losses and ensures higher quality silage for your herd. Feeding strategies for grass silage vary depending on factors like protein content and dry matter. When dealing with high-protein silages, minimising protein loss is paramount.

Maximising grassland production and utilisation Implementing a nutrient management plan and adding heifers to a paddock-based grazing system have allowed one Wales-based producer to improve both grass production and utilisation.

Maximising grass silage quality Arthur Owen is joined by consultant Dave Davies of Sileage Solutions for a detailed looked at maximising grass sileage quality This means the choice of cutting date — ideally, harvesting in mid to late May rather than into mid-June — is essential to maximising silage yield and quality.

This self-sufficiency helps to reduce nitrogen fertiliser requirements, which plays an important role in lowering on farm emissions and costs. The protein content of clovers also helps to increase sward quality and silage quality with a homegrown source, increasing livestock performance and reducing the volume of purchased feeds

Biogas silage management is key to maximizing biogas yield. Harvesting at the right time, effective storage, and using silage additives enhance fermentation. Regular monitoring ensures sustainability, making it essential for renewable energy initiatives with preservation techniques that maintain feedstock quality and boost energy production efficiency

How to choose and set your 2025 silage goals

Grass silage has a large nutrient demand and adequate nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) is essential for maximising grass yield and producing sufficient winter feed as we head into the most efficient time for nutrient use (April and May).

Arthur Owen is joined by consultant Dave Davies of Sileage Solutions for a detailed looked at maximising grass sileage quality

Efficient post-harvest management is critical to preserving the quality of Napier grass for livestock feed. Timely Collection: Collect the grass promptly after cutting to prevent nutrient loss and reduced palatability. Silage Production: Store grass as silage to maintain moisture and nutrients for long-term use, especially in dry

Never too early to plan this year’s silage season While some producers may be turning cows out for spring grazing, it’s never too early to start planning for this year’s silage making season. We caught up with ForFarmers’ Forage Product Manager, Mel Digger, to get her top-tips on how to optimise this year’s grass silage yield, quality and milk potential. Below, he explains why maximising fibre potential in grass silage is so important and the practical ways farmers can do this. See also: Forage analysis and how to interpret results on-farm Rhun Fychan of the IBERS department at Aberystwyth University discusses the ideal conditions for making the highest quality silages and how to get the most from a high clover sward. The video

Correct fertiliser application rates and cutting dates for first-cut silage

Fertilising 1st cut Grass Silage 24 March 2025 Type Media Article By Sean Mannion, B&T Drystock Adviser, Teagasc Galway/Clare In the coming weeks the decisions made on key to maximizing farm will determine the cost of production for up to 6 months next winter. Conserving high quality silage will ensure good daily weight gain on weanlings and also []

The quality and volume of early-season forage lays the foundation for a successful year ahead, influencing herd nutrition and productivity. As reported by Emily Collins, AHDB’s knowledge exchange manager for dairy, in her latest blog, a thorough management plan is key to achieving a good yield for first-cut silage. By promoting optimal grass growth, fertiliser application stands as Managing aftercut fertiliser applications will be essential in maximising grass yields and maintaining quality this season following the exceptionally wet start to 2021. The Fertilizer Association of Ireland has this month issued its guidance on the best strategy to employ ahead of the first cut of silage. According to the association, silage reserves are running low due to poor weather, extending the housing/feeding period and therefore there is a real need to

Written by Agriland Team Silage can never be as high a quality of forage as the grass from which it was initially made. and it’s important to maximise the quality of first-cut silage. This was the key ‘take-home’ message delivered by Wholecrop silage offers a unique nutritional profile, providing both slowly digested starch and digestible fibre. This makes it an excellent complement to grass silage in dairy and beef rations. Dry matter intakes and better rumen health improve when

Silage quality is a function of raw material nutritional quality and ability to preserve that for animals The chemical composition [ash, crude protein, water soluble carbohydrates and neutral detergent fibre (NDF)] and digestibility change dynamically during the growth of grass. The upper limit of the feeds is set by the timing of cutting the

As corn silage season approaches, crucial decisions must be made to ensure a high-quality crop, including cutting height, late-season plant health, hybrid genetics and kernel processing, digestible and all aimed at providing consistent forage for dairy herds. Corn silage is hopefully just around the corner, which means some crucial decisions must be made to achieve a year’s

Recommended Grass and Clover List panel discussion: choosing the right grass and clover Creating the perfect environment to grow grass Tackling silage costs and reducing waste Maximising Grass Silage Quality Feed focus: Successful profit drivers in all-year-round herds Webinar: Optimising fodder beet in livestock systems Improving silage making When making silage for sheep, consider also that shorter chop lengths will improve intake and help improve weight gain where ME is above 10 MJ ME/kg DM. Hay Production As cut at the right time can also be of high quality, depending on the source crop, however hay relies on a balance between maximising quality and having suitable fibre and moisture To improve grass-silage quality, the Rowlands switched to a multi-cut approach to silaging in 2017. “We take our first cut in the final week of April and then cut again every five weeks after that, with the aim to take a total of four cuts. Grass quality has improved significantly by adopting this approach,” says David.

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