The continuing hot weather and lack of rain this year has created serious issues with forage shortages on some farms across the UK. Grass growth has slowed down or even stopped in many areas, as a result many farmers are looking for feed solutions to help them cope with forage shortfalls.
Managing grazing and silage acres in these conditions, as well as calculating your existing forage stocks is crucial to ensure that there is not a long-term impact on your herd's performance. Good news though we have a range of feed solutions to help extend and complement your rations and forage resources.
Knowing how much grass and silage you have available will influence feeding strategies now and into the autumn/winter, and any purchased feed buying decisions. For a grazing system make sure you know how much grass you have available for cows, their demand and grass growth rates in order to plan your grazing policy. Assessing tonnes of available silage is crucial in order to avoid a shortfall this winter, particularly if clamps have already been opened due to grass shortages.
It is also important that you know the feed value of your silage as differences in quality necessitate changes in feeding. By understanding the nutritional content of the silage supplementary feeding with concentrates can be carried out in a much more targeted and efficient way.
Having silage analysed on a regular basis, using our Dry NIR service SilageManager will ensure that rations can be fine-tuned and reflect ongoing variations in the quality of silage.
By providing an alternative feedstuff and extending your resources means that you are intervening now and therefore reducing the likelihood of a larger shortfall across the rest of the year. Here are some of our feed solutions:
A succulent high energy and protein moist feed to increase intakes.
AmyPlus is a palatable and easy to handle moist feed which can balance a variety of TMR and PMR and support forage shortfalls. It's also a cost effective source of energy and protein.
A performance moist blend, nutritionally rich in energy and protein.
SelcoPlus is a great addition to rations as it helps balance a variety of forage mixes. It's unique bespoke preservation characteristics enhance it's keeping quality.
A performance blendmix that can be used to extend your rations.
Our Blendmix Forage Replacer has been designed to provide a mixture of starch and fibre sources whilst also including Levucell live yeast, which increases feed efficiency and therefore milk and meat production.
Maximise yields and quality in dry conditions.
When conditions allow consider reseeding your grass leys with a TOPGRASS rye grass plus grass mix which are more stress tolerant and can cope better with the extremes of our seasons.
Reinvigorate your leys by overseeding to increase yields and quality.
The ideal time is when the current ley has just been cut or grazed but at present due to reduced growth when conditions allow ie. when moisture is available.
Boost your forage stocks with a fast growing grass.
Westerwolds or Italian grasses are great short term options to consider especially if you are sowing later in the season as these will be in production quicker than other species.
Retain and maximise the quality of your silage.
To maximise the quality and value of any later cut silages our Forage Specialist's would recommend the use of an additive. They help to reduce dry matter losses, heating and waste.
