Teagasc advises farmers adopt early plan for winter forage
* Aim to produce additional silage as surplus bales on the farm. This will require extra fertiliser application.
* Buy silage and other alternative forages.
* Examine stock numbers — ask yourself if you are stocked beyond the grass/silage growing potential of the farm.
* Feed restricted silage and meals.
* Consider selling stock.
* The relative value of different options will vary from farm to farm and region to region. Concentrate prices will also vary and affect relative values. Seek advice from your local Teagasc office.
Siobhan Kavanagh of Teagasc says that in recent years, it’s the silage fed outside normal winter that has created much of the feed shortages. Each farmer must estimate how much additional feed (buffer feed) is needed. Factors to consider include:
* Farms with high stocking rates will experience greater grass shortages in autumn/early spring. There should be a reserve of feed to cope with this risk. Also, any slowdown with growth during the summer will impact more quickly on highly stocked farms.
* Stocking rate on the milking block: extra cows on a set area will create added grazing pressure in autumn/spring on the grazing block.
* Soil type: risk of stock being unable to graze in high rainfall periods on heavy soils, also risk of drought on shallow light soils.
* Grass: growth potential in the region and on the farm.
* Rainfall levels: unpredictable to forecast, but must be considered, taking into account soil type and stocking rate.
Some farmers aim to have one bale of high quality silage per cow as a buffer, in addition to normal winter feed. However, this won’t be enough in a difficult year. Two bales of high quality silage is equal to an additional 400kg of dry matter (DM), or about two tonnes of pit silage. This would allow 5kg of silage DM to be fed per day for 40 days in autumn and 40 days in spring. On some farms, even this may not cover the risk.
