Steps to making better quality silage

The level of quality achieved has a major effect on the cost of silage and the performance of the animals being fed.

ilage makes up a least a quarter of the annual diet on most beef and dairy farms. The level of quality achieved has a major effect on the cost of silage and the performance of the animals being fed. If high digestibility grass is harvested, we should be able to achieve very high performance. Research suggests that we have not been ambitious enough in terms of the quality of silage we have targeted and consequently, the possible animal performance it can deliver.

The key steps outlined below should be followed to produce silage of the desired quality at a reasonable cost.