Silage is the predominant winter feed offered to cattle on Irish farms during winter. Every effort is made to harvest grass at the optimum stage of plant maturity, in dry conditions and to ensure that grass is ensiled properly.It is equally important to manage the quality of silage during winter. Just as grazed grass can be managed to improve animal performance, so too can silage.
Silage is the predominant winter feed offered to cattle on Irish farms during winter. Every effort is made to harvest grass at the optimum stage of plant maturity, in dry conditions and to ensure that grass is ensiled properly.
It is equally important to manage the quality of silage during winter. Just as grazed grass can be managed to improve animal performance, so too can silage.
Outlined are five tips for managing pit silage this winter.
1 Always feed fresh silage to priority stock
Always feed fresh silage by offering a daily allocation of fodder. While it can be easier for time management to put in enough silage for two to three days, silage can heat when fed out.
This means cattle intakes will be reduced on day two and day three; therefore, performance will be lower.
Autumn-calving cows and growing cattle are high-priority animals and should always get fresh silage daily.
Remove any silage that has not been eaten before putting in fresh forage. The silage removed can be offered to dry cows.
After a few days of feeding silage daily, you will be able to gauge how much forage to offer for a 24-hour period, reducing the amount of rejected feed.
2 Remove any spoilage
Clamp silage will have a small layer of mould or spoiled silage across the top and shoulders of the pit face.
Always remove this silage first with the shear grab and tip it in the midden. Even if fodder is fed through a mixer wagon, discard this waste silage.
Spoiled silage contains bacteria which can potentially cause cows to abort, so removing this layer reduces the risk to animals.
3 Managing the pit face
Always try to keep the pit face clean. Ideally, you should move from one side of the pit face to the other in one week, ready to start over again the following week.
If the pit face is too large to remove in one week, or cattle numbers are insufficient to use the volume of silage, then take half-grabs of fodder.
This will double the rate you move across the pit face.
4 Sharpen the shear grab
A sharp shear grab will cut into the pit with nice clean breaks. A sharp grab also performs an important role by sealing the pit face as it cuts, reducing future spoilage from air.
Therefore, if the grab is not leaving a smooth pit face, then it is time to visit the workshop and sharpen the blades.
5 Safety when removing the pit cover
Farm safety is the number one rule before completing any task. Removing the pit cover can be a dangerous task if proper precautions are not followed, as wind, rain and ice can cause accidents.
Always use a ladder, properly secured to the ground, to climb on to the pit. Only attempt to remove the cover during daylight hours.
Avoid trying to remove the cover in wind or early morning if there is a frost on the plastic. Wear gloves when removing tyres to avoid any cuts from exposed wires.
The cover can also hold water when rolled back, increasing the weight to lift. Therefore, in cases, use a knife and cut the cover rather than wrestling with it on top of the pit.
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