Grain deals, straw steals: Now’s the time to buy smart
Maize crops this year have huge dry matter and starch yield potential, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.
Thankfully, most of the country got some badly needed rain, hopefully we might get a little more as last Monday's downpours are still insufficient.
With soil temperatures well above normal, if we get more moisture, we can expect a supercharging of grass growth.
A large proportion of the second-cut silage has now been made or will soon be saved. As well as getting sufficient feed for the winter, time must be spent getting the yard and sheds ready for winter housing.
Start a list of repairs that need to be carried out and get started.
Most of the 2025 grass silage has now been pitted or baled, with only third-cut and some more surplus bales still to be made.
The winter cereal harvest has progressed nicely, and thankfully the weather has been kind for both combining and baling straw. Grain quality seems to be good.
The price of grain off the combine looks to be under pressure and represents value for livestock farmers, so purchasing directly from the grower should be strongly considered.
The maize silage crops look excellent all over the country. They are currently tasselling out and once fully out, are approximately 60 days from harvest.
The recent heat wave really pushed maize growth on, with crops bulking up massively recently. The crops this year have huge dry matter and starch yield potential.
Beet crops also look good and have great yield potential. Beet will always provide excellent energy to finish stock and produce milk over the winter.
Any Whole crops being made this year from winter crops are now under cover and spring ones are not far off harvest. Make sure that the grain is cracked properly at harvest - it is too late when the animals have dung full of grain.
With so much straw left over from last winter, there has been an ill-guided suggestion that demand for straw will not be as strong. The reality is that straw will be scarce this winter as straw yields are well back.
If it goes into the grower's shed, it will not be coming out of it at a cheap price. I would certainly prefer straw versus hay as a roughage source for cows and cattle as it promotes better rumen function.
Calves will perform significantly better when fed straw as it doesn’t give them “pot bellies”. Wheat, barley, oat and rye straw are all excellent sources of fibre. Obviously, barley straw is the best for bedding.
Before you buy straw, get an approximate weight per bale to see what you are getting for your money. Compare the options available to you and make your purchasing decision based on the lowest cost per tonne of straw according to bale weight.
If you have the capacity to store straw, it is best to store it straight from the field.
Grass quality over the last few weeks has been difficult to manage, and growth has slowed down considerably due to the very warm weather and a significant moisture deficit. As we all know, dry stock always tend to perform really well in warm and sunny weather as long as they have plenty of water, sufficient grass intake and some shelter.
Animals intended for finishing on grass over the coming weeks should be supplemented with a low-protein concentrate to get the required weight gain and fat cover at slaughter. Late-born bucket-reared calves should also continue to be supplemented at this stage in order to maintain growth rates before housing.
- Brian Reidy is an independent ruminant nutritionist at Premier Farm Nutrition.
