What producer wouldn’t give his eyeteeth for a clamp full of that quality, yet according to our South Wales silage maker it is not that difficult to achieve with a little care and effort. Debbie James reports.
Beat that! First cut analysis registers 21% crude protein
A Welsh dairy producer estimates that silage with a crude protein of 21.5% is resulting in an additional two litres of milk from forage per cow – and creating cost savings of 1kg of soya per cow. Although Corston Farm, on Pembrokeshire’s Castlemartin peninsula, has consistently produced high quality silage over the years, an analysis of last year’s first cut showed a truly exceptional crop. Analysis revealed a DM of 31.4%, ME of 12.3MJ/kgDM, crude protein of 21.5% and an ammonia nitrogen level of 5.8%, with an intake potential of 119.
Darren Callan, who runs the farm for Frederick Hiam Ltd, insists good quality silage is essential to the system as it is the core ingredient for producing yields in excess of 9000 litres. “It would take 2.5t of concentrates to produce the yields we get from good quality silage,’’ he explains. Mr Callan claims to have no special formula for achieving such good results. It’s all down to early cutting dates, treating the silage with an inoculant and keeping the crop airtight in the pit, he suggests. “Any farmer who puts his mind to it, and puts in the effort, can make good silage,’’ he says.
For the last 10 years the first cut of 90ha has been harvested in the first week in May, when the grass is young and highly nutritious. The farm staff cut and ted the grass but contractors pick it up. “We feel it gives us more control,’’ says Mr Callan. “We can get the grass cut when it is ready and the contractors know when they have to come to pick it up.’’He acknowledges that by cutting early he is sacrificing yields – the first cut yields 17t/ha – but he says the losses that would result from cutting later would be greater. “If we left the silage to bulk up we would get the yield but we could lose between £200 and £300 per cow in milk because the quality wouldn’t be there,’’ he says. The farm makes a second cut of 70ha and a third of 32ha.
The silage is treated with the forage additive Optimize. Mr Callan believes this is key to maintaining the protein levels in the clamp. “Since we have used an inoculant, the silage has kept more of a ‘true protein’ and, at the end of the day, that’s what determines our milk yield; in untreated silage the protein can be reduced by half,’’ he adds. “The inoculant speeds up the fermentation process so there is an increased level of protein available to the cow.’’
With such young grass the silage is cut to 2ins in length to enable efficient function in the rumen. Great care is taken to exclude air from the clamp at sheeting down and to maintain its airtight state.
“The longer chop keeps the silage more stable in the clamp. It stops movement and is better for the cows,’’ says Mr Callan. In practice to achieve the right balance of protein and digestible fibre, first cut silage is mixed with later cuts at a rate of 50:50. “The digestible fibre is higher in the later cuts and it seems to balance out well when we mix it,’’ he says. “This also means that the cows don’t get that sudden change in their diets if we were to go from first to second cut.We can usually get to turnout in early March on the same ration.’’
The autumn calving herd of 320 Holstein-Friesians produce an average yield of 9250 litres, with between 4000 and 4500 litres coming from forage, from a ration of 28kg grass silage and 15kg home-grown maize. The remaining feed intake is 6kg wholecrop wheat, 1kg straw, 2kg of soya, 2kg rolled barley, 4kg Traffordgold and 0.35kg Ufac Xtra Milk. This ration is designed for maintenance plus 28 litres. The cows are topped up with an 18% protein cake in the parlour at a rate of 0.4kg to a maximum of 5kg. The milk composition is 4% fat, 3.2% protein and the cows and heifers are currently yielding 36 litres.
Fourteen hectares of maize are grown at Corston and 10ha are bought as a standing crop. Pastures are reseeded in rotation after maize with late heading perennials. “These suit what we do because they don’t shoot off and go to head quickly.We are cutting leaves and the swards are dense,’’ says Mr Callan. Regular soil testing ensures that Ps and Ks are sufficient. A quarter of the farm is tested every year, usually in the autumn.
“We get away without applying any artificial P and K because we utilise our own slurry efficiently,’’ he declares.
Eighty per cent of slurry is applied between mid-January and mid- February and the remaining 20% after first cut. Nitrogen is applied immediately after cutting – at a rate of 125kgs N/ha after first cut and 90kgs N/ha after second cut. These rates are dependent on how much slurry has been applied – and when.As a progressive farmer, Mr Callan is continually reviewing the system to make changes where he deems it necessary. But as his silage analysis proves, this is one aspect of the system which he would struggle hard to improve on.
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