Skip to content

Feed and Forage [DA.FF]

    Maximising Silage Quality

    As silage time is just about upon us, it is worth thinking about the key steps in the silage making process to maximise nutritional quality and minimise nutrient losses as…

    Read More >

    Managing The Transition Onto Forage Crops

    It takes around three weeks for rumen bugs to adapt to a change in diet.  If we change diet abruptly, the rumen struggles to cope and digestive upsets occur such as bloat, acidosis and/or loss of performance.  If done badly, you can put the livestock off eating the crop altogether and, in severe cases, farmers have lost livestock due to poor transitioning.

    Read More >
    A herd of beef cattle in an open sided shed, standing with their heads through the feed rail at a diet of silage. The cattle are all looking towards the camera.
    A herd of beef cattle in an open sided shed, standing with their heads through the feed rail at a diet of silage. The cattle are all looking towards the camera.

    A Guide to Feed Budgeting

    Forward planning forage supplies helps understand whether you will have enough conserved forage to meet the livestock demand – this is becoming more critical as weather is fluctuating more from…

    Read More >

    Best Practice Procedures For Making Baled Silage

    There are a number of important steps during the silage making process which can influence nutritional of the end product, impacting on livestock performance and cost of production. This factsheet gives advice on when to cut grass for silage, how long to wilt for, use of additives and handling and storage of bales. Environmental considerations of baled silage are also discussed including forage budgeting and type and amount of plastic used.

    Read More >