Planning for silage needs
How much silage did you make?
In previous years of fodder shortages, farmers who recognised a shortage of feed early had much more options to meet this deficit.
Work out again how much silage you need next winter, using the accompanying table (below).
On top of this, put in a month’s reserve for unforeseen issues, such as a month of bad weather, TB, etc.
* How much is a standing crop of grass worth?
If the cost per tonne of ration is €250 (UFL 0.94, CP 14%), then the cost per unit of energy in the ration is 26.5 cent/UFL.
Grass silage in the pit must be valued relative to the other feeds available.
For example, take an average crop of second cut silage (seven tonnes, 67% DMD). It contains 1,050 UFL, which is equivalent to €278 of energy.
Harvesting and wastage could cost €135/acre, leaving a standing crop of grass worth €134.
The three big factors in deciding exactly how much a standing crop is worth are: yield of the standing crop, quality of grass (perennial ryegrass or old pasture, gone to seed, etc), and what price you can buy meal at locally.
It may be a cheaper option to ration your own silage and feed 2-3kg of a ration next winter, rather than purchase grass. However, having adequate feed space (2 feet per cow) is crucial when restricting silage and feeding meal to dry cows.
