Aim for 20% buffer store of winter feed

A lot of very good silage was made in May, but towards the end of the month and in the early part of June, the weather made silage harvesting difficult in most areas.

As is almost usual, the best of the weather came from mid-May to late May.

Use of an additive was necessary in many good-quality leafy crops that were harvested in broken conditions in late May and early June, to ensure reasonably good fermentation.

Fortunately, the settled weather in the second week of June gave a great opportunity to get most first crops harvested.

As crops get more mature and stemmy, the requirement for additive becomes less important, especially if the weather is good, and there is an opportunity for wilting.

Farmers who got good quality crops of May silage harvested, and who have 70 to 80% of their winter feed requirements provided, are in a very good position facing into the rest of the season.

Their remaining winter feed requirements can be supplied by surplus grass bales and a small area of second cut silage.

That is why I always recommend closing up about 40% of farm for first cut at the start of April, if possible, for May silage — even if this means feeding a little extra concentrates.

In contrast, closing for first cut only when adequate grazing is available without supplementation can lead to problems in providing adequate grass and winter feed later in the season.

An increasing number of farmers are buying in crops such as whole crop and maize, or are sowing forage crops such as kale, which is a very high yielder.

Even though these are very good feeds, an all-grass silage system is the simplest and easiest for most spring calving herds, especially those with adequate land.

Second Cut Silage

Farmers who harvested silage early are now in a good position to provide adequate second cut.

Every farmer should carry out a winter feed budget and provide a good buffer of around 20% extra which can be carried over if not required.

Following the recent winter feed crisis, most farmers have become aware of the importance of having adequate winter feed.

Fewer farmers are depending entirely on very late and very early grazing.

About 80 units of nitrogen per acre (plus sulphur) is the general recommendation for second cut silage.

However, a number of factors have to be considered before applying nitrogen for silage.

Good ryegrass pastures, especially those reseeded in the past four years, will respond to 20 units more than poor-quality, old, low-ryegrass pastures and, of course, they yield around one third more silage.

Cattle slurry is a very variable product, due to different levels of dilution and feeding of animals.

An average acceptable figure for undiluted cattle slurry is that an application of 2.500 gallons per acre in the spring would make about 30 units per acre (30% of the total nitrogen in slurry) available to the silage crop.

“Bag” nitrogen should therefore be reduced by that amount. However, there is very little nitrogen available to second crops from slurry applied in the summer, unless applied in very dull weather or by injection.

If no slurry is applied, adequate P and K should be applied.

In fairly good growing conditions, six to seven weeks should be adequate time between nitrogen application and harvesting.

The crop should be using up two units per acre per growing day.

However, during periods of very poor growth, the nitrogen will not be active, and a longer period of time is required between nitrogen application and harvesting.

Where possible, get grass tested at your co-op or Teagasc before harvesting.