Improved weather conditions has seen a flurry of silage activity as farmers look to harvest first cut.

When it comes to making silage, it is always a race against the weather to get grass saved in dry conditions.

Contractors are also under pressure to get the job completed, before moving on to the next customer.

Silage quality is generally determined by how much leaf is present in the sward and the stage of maturity when cut.

But there are other factors that influence silage quality, as outlined below.

1. Mowing grass in the afternoon

Ideally, silage swards should be mowed in the afternoon, as sugar levels in standing grass are at their peak.

At the very least, start mowing grass during late morning, as dry matter will be higher compared with early morning.

2. Wilting grass

Wilting grass after mowing will increase the dry matter, helping fermentation and reducing nutrient loss through effluent.

It also reduces the risk of residual nitrogen in the sward, should you decide to cut grass a day or two before the planned harvesting date.

Set the mower to spread grass as wide as possible, allowing grass to start drying.

Avoid using a mower with a grouper, as bulky grass swathes will be slower to dry.

Limit the wilting period to 24 hours. Wilting beyond this does little to improve silage quality.

If anything, excessive wilting makes grass brittle, increasing the level of sward loss when harvested.

3. Buck-raking

A good operator on the buck-rake has a big bearing on silage quality. A clamp that is filled evenly and properly compacted to dispel air will have a better fermentation.

A poorly filled clamp increases the amount of waste and silage is more prone to heating when fed out.

4. Covering the clamp

Once the pit has been filled and rolled, get the cover on at the earliest opportunity to start the fermentation process.

Using an old cover along the sides of the pit will reduce waste accumulating at the shoulders of the clamp, but it can be cumbersome to set up.

5. Baled silage

When baling silage, wilting is important to limit the amount of sagging when bales are stacked. Bales should be wrapped as soon as they are discharged from the baler, then stacked for winter feeding.

Marking bales with spray paint in the yard to indicate silage from fields, stage of maturing and harvesting date is a good idea.

This allows certain bales to be targeted to different cattle groups, such as dry cows and finishing animals.

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