The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to farmersjournal.ie on this browser until 9pm next Wednesday. Thank you for buying the paper and using the code.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact us.
For assistance, call 01 4199525
or email subs@farmersjournal.ie
If would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525
Reset password
Please enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password
If would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address.
Please click on the link in this email to reset
your password. If you can't find it in your inbox,
please check your spam folder. If you can't
find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
Email address not recognised
There is no subscription associated with this email
address. To read our subscriber-only content.
please subscribe or use the reader loyalty code.
If would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525
You have no more free articles this month
We hope you've enjoyed your 6 free articles. To continue reading, sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access for 30 days.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe for just €1 to get unlimited access for 30 days.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe for just €1 to get unlimited access for 30 days.
I can think of just one silage feeding scenario where it is justifiable not to measure silage quality: if it is being offered as a roughage source to cattle on ad-lib concentrates.
Inaccurate feeding will lead to lost euros in every other situation. Even dry cows on a weight watchers diet, eating what is in your eyes the very worst silage you have, need their nutrition controlled. Improper condition will cost you money at calving and breeding.
The opinion on silage testing now is one of unnecessary effort. Though there has been a shift away from wet chemistry to faster, near-infrared spectrometry (NIR)-based testing, we are impatient creatures. Physically bagging a sample, taking it to our co-op or consultant and waiting for results is not appealing; not to mention the €20-30 bill per sample – though some feed mills have begun to offer the service free (once you’re buying lots of meal).
That’s all about to change. Now, the silage test can come to you.
UK agri-company AB Vista, in conjunction with its sister company Aunir, has succeeded in packaging the complete silage testing process into a portable, easy-to-use device.
“The device is called NIR4 Farm and there has been huge interest in recent months,” said AB Vista ruminant nutritionist Martin McConnell, a Cavan native.
“It works the same way as a standard NIR machine, passing beams of light though the material to analyse its nutrient content.”
Martin highlighted a flaw in current silage testing practices.
“At the moment, a farmer would get three or four samples from his pit face or bale stack measured. While it’s better than nothing, it probably isn’t enough. In truth, you could never take enough measurements – feeding value can fluctuate hugely in even the same clamp.
“The machine allows you to be a bit more liberal with the number you’re taking,” Martin said.
I can vouch for this, having borrowed Martin’s machine and run through 35 of my own samples in 1.5 hours.
“What it also does is to allow for diet formulation and changes to formulation instantaneously. A rep can visit the farm, take the samples and formulate on the spot,” Martin continued.
At €7,000 per unit, it is not something everyone will be rushing out to buy. But Martin is quick to point out two things regarding the cost, as well as another use for the device outside the yard.
“A couple of years ago these machines were €35-40,000. Of course, they’re not geared towards farmers. Feed mills are buying the machines for their sales reps and nutritionists in the field. However, we reckon that a 250-cow dairy herd could justify purchasing the equipment and we have had some farmer sales. The machine can test grass too and such a farmer can use it to correct dietary deficiencies throughout the season – fluctuations in fibre and protein for example – and keep their cows’ yields up.
The machine can measure the nutrient composition of grass, grass silage, maize silage, whole crop cereal silage and wet feeds.
I can think of just one silage feeding scenario where it is justifiable not to measure silage quality: if it is being offered as a roughage source to cattle on ad-lib concentrates.
Inaccurate feeding will lead to lost euros in every other situation. Even dry cows on a weight watchers diet, eating what is in your eyes the very worst silage you have, need their nutrition controlled. Improper condition will cost you money at calving and breeding.
The opinion on silage testing now is one of unnecessary effort. Though there has been a shift away from wet chemistry to faster, near-infrared spectrometry (NIR)-based testing, we are impatient creatures. Physically bagging a sample, taking it to our co-op or consultant and waiting for results is not appealing; not to mention the €20-30 bill per sample – though some feed mills have begun to offer the service free (once you’re buying lots of meal).
That’s all about to change. Now, the silage test can come to you.
UK agri-company AB Vista, in conjunction with its sister company Aunir, has succeeded in packaging the complete silage testing process into a portable, easy-to-use device.
“The device is called NIR4 Farm and there has been huge interest in recent months,” said AB Vista ruminant nutritionist Martin McConnell, a Cavan native.
“It works the same way as a standard NIR machine, passing beams of light though the material to analyse its nutrient content.”
Martin highlighted a flaw in current silage testing practices.
“At the moment, a farmer would get three or four samples from his pit face or bale stack measured. While it’s better than nothing, it probably isn’t enough. In truth, you could never take enough measurements – feeding value can fluctuate hugely in even the same clamp.
“The machine allows you to be a bit more liberal with the number you’re taking,” Martin said.
I can vouch for this, having borrowed Martin’s machine and run through 35 of my own samples in 1.5 hours.
“What it also does is to allow for diet formulation and changes to formulation instantaneously. A rep can visit the farm, take the samples and formulate on the spot,” Martin continued.
At €7,000 per unit, it is not something everyone will be rushing out to buy. But Martin is quick to point out two things regarding the cost, as well as another use for the device outside the yard.
“A couple of years ago these machines were €35-40,000. Of course, they’re not geared towards farmers. Feed mills are buying the machines for their sales reps and nutritionists in the field. However, we reckon that a 250-cow dairy herd could justify purchasing the equipment and we have had some farmer sales. The machine can test grass too and such a farmer can use it to correct dietary deficiencies throughout the season – fluctuations in fibre and protein for example – and keep their cows’ yields up.
The machine can measure the nutrient composition of grass, grass silage, maize silage, whole crop cereal silage and wet feeds.
Adam Woods takes a look at a rise in lungworm cases and how to deal with them and has the dates for this weeks and next weeks suckler marts roadshow.
Save to a collection
Recent collections
This article has already been saved
This article has been saved
Create a collection
Subscriber only
This content is available to digital subscribers only. Sign in to your account or subscribe for just €1 to get unlimited access for 30 days.SIGN INSUBSCRIBE FOR €1
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: