Whilst dairy farms will use a significant amount of concentrates over the summer and autumn periods to ensure continuous milk production during periods of lack of pasture, there still needs to be a portion of the diet that is roughage based. The quality of hay and silage fed can impact milk production, so it's important to consider the quality of pastures prior to cutting, and try to plan ahead as best as possible (we would all like a crystal ball to find out when the last of the rain is coming!)
Once ryegrass plants begin to put up seed heads, the ‘state’ of the plant changes from vegetative to reproductive and, with this change, a decline in quality occurs. We see a decline in protein and energy, and a rise in fibre in the plant. The more of the paddock with seedhead, the lower the quality hay and silage, but the trade off is ‘bulk’, more fodder can be grown, at a cost to quality.
In years when conditions are dry and the back of the hay shed is looking particularly empty, it is tempting to grow as much bulk as you can and fill the shed backup, however, dairy cows don’t produce milk off fibre alone. There is only so much a high quality pellet or grain ration can do to combat poor quality silage and hay.
Dairy Australia has a program called Top Fodder: Successful Silage that goes through every aspect of silage production, including financial implications. Data on silage tests from the program show a very large range in quality, with crude protein ranging from 5.2% - 25.1%, and energy content ranging from 6.7 – 11.1MJ ME/kg DM. These lower protein and energy silages will have significantly lower digestibility and not only impact milk production, but also margin over feed costs.
The following infographic taken from the Successful Silage manual shows how the quality of silage changes during production:
The different stages of silage production will affect the quality of the product at feed out. A silage crop with a lot of seedhead and fibre will not be improved by turning it into silage. A decision would need to be made whether the crop is better off as hay, standing feed, or lower quality silage.
Silage and hay production is a cost to your business. Make sure you get the best ‘bang for your buck’ and ensure that the silage and hay you produce this year is of high quality, and will keep your herd milking well over the drier months.
Further information on silage and hay production can be found at Dairy Australia. To find out which Milne Feeds dairy ration best complements your hay or silage, contact Jonathon Langan, 0407 766 444.
