North Canterbury News: November 06, 2020

HAY, BALEAGE, SILAGE
34 North Canterbury News, November 5, 2020
The art of making good sileage
Most losses that occur when
farmers makesilage are
invisible,but can amount to 40
percent of the original cut
pasture.
Losses occurassugars and
protein in the grass are broken
down by enzymes and bacteria.
This processstartsassoonas
the grass is cut.
Losses reduce quality as well
as quantity, because it is the
highly digestible components
whichbreak downfastest.
The lossesdepend firstly on
the dry matter content of the
pasture to be ensiled.
As cut pasture waits to be
picked up, sugars are lost
through respiration.
Drierpasture is more likely
to be lost while being picked
up, because it is morelikelyto
breakuporblow away.
As the dry matterpercentage
of pasture increases,sodo
fieldlosses.
Plantsugars are usedup
during fermentation to make
acid.Inpoorly preserved
Farmers should consider their clover content
Dryland farmers looking to increase the
subterraneanclover content in their
pasturesshould be thinking about
shuttinguppaddocks within the next
couple of weeks to allowseed­set, Beef
and Lamb New Zealand says.
SouthIsland general manager John
Ladley says subterranean (sub) clover
flowers are apparentinpastures at this
time of the year, so it is agood time for
silage,protein and organic
matter can alsobelost because
of air in the stack,orahigh pH.
Fermentation lossesare
lowest in pasture which is
above 25% dry matter.
Silage effluent is surplus
water fromthe silage, which
carriessolublesugarsand
proteins withitasitflowsout.
Effluent is produced from
silage made out of low dry
matter pasture.Above30% dry
matter,noeffluentlosses will
occur.
In dry grass silage it is a
challenge to achieve good
compaction. Poor compaction
causes air to penetrate the
stack once it is opened.
When air is present, yeasts
are abletogenerate heatfrom
sugars and evenfromlactic
acid, causing losses by convertingthese
nutrientsinto
heat.
Optimumdry matterfor
silage is 25% to 30%.
To achieve thisitis
recommended to cut silage in
farmerstoassess how much of this
valuable legumeisintheirswards and
consider shuttingareasuptoallow reseedingtooccur.Asarule
of thumb, if
there is morethan one clover plant every
second step whenwalking uphill, then
correctmanagement will increase the
population, he says.Ifthere is less than
this, then farmers should consider oversowing
with sub clovernextautumn.
Freshcut ... DairyNZ is offeringtips to reduce losses when making
silage.
PHOTO:FILE
the morning of asunny day, for
rapidwilting. Cutting afterone
to twodays of sunny weather
will resultingood sugar levels
in the pasture, even when cut
in the morning.
Compact the silage well.
Tractor wheels shouldnot sink
into the pile of pasture any
further than the depth of
rubber.
For baled silage, make sure a
high­density baler is used.
Sealthe stack completely
withaweighted, clean,airtight
cover. Do not reopen acovered
stack to add more pasture on
anotherday.
But in this springperiod, farmers
wantingtobuild sub clover content
should avoidgrazing targeted areas below
1200kilograms of dry matter per hectare
and then should allowthe sub clover
plants to set seed by shutting sheep out of
the area for acouple of weeksatleast.
After aspell,itshould be grazed with
cattle to limitgrass­seed production. Do
not use sheep as theytargetsub clover.
Dry summer
looks likely
Making sure there are good stocks of hay,
baleage and silage on hand is good
insurance with adry summer looming.
Soil moisture levels are worryingly low
in many partsofthe countryand Beef
and Lamb New Zealand is urging
farmers to put togetheradrought
contingency plannow.
Its general manager of farming
excellence, Dan Brier, is encouraging
dryland farmers to considerstrategies
such as early weaning, puttingtogether a
simplefeed budget, body condition
scoring, setting triggerdates for specific
actions, and securing supplementary
feed or off­farm grazing.
The focus shouldalways be on
protecting capital stock, which could
mean selling lambs or calves as store,
quitting trading stock before they reach
ideal finishing weights, or gettingrid of
older ewes as early as possible, he says.
“Typically, an early decision is agood
decision,sosetting trigger dates and
stickingtothem is agood strategy in
years where moisture levels are low.”
Early weaning can be agood option in
spring when pasture growth is limited
and lambs and ewes are competing for
feed to the detriment of both,he says.
“Early weaning can be aflexible
management tool that can be used
strategicallyoncertain mobs such as old
ewes or hoggets, but it does allow more
time to put condition back on ewesorsell
cull ewes early,” Dan says.
Body condition scoring is another tool
farmers can use to make the most
effective use of limitedfeed.
The organisation has tools, resources
and case studies to help farmers create
management plans. Go online to
beeflambnz.com.
Harvest Time!
Local Business Serving The Local Area.
• Hay -Baleage -Straw
Medium square, round, conventional.
Double mower conditioners, wrapping.
• All agricultural and cultivation work
• Direct drilling -Giant discing -Ploughing
-Power harrow -Air seeding
We look after your needs like we look after our own!
All heading and windrowing
requirements
• Daily Freight Run to Ch-Ch &Return.
Ph: 0274 517 063 (Darran)
0274 321 581 (Bus)
03 314 4565 (H)
1982614
BALEAGE -HAY -STRAW
We can take care ofthe complete job
Including mowing, raking, baling, wrapping and stacking.
Medium & Large Squares, Round & Conventional
Tube & Individual Wrap – Chopped Baleage
Innoculant Option – Mower Conditioning
Plus Direct Drilling
MOFFATT CONTRACTING LTD
Ph: Tim03312 8535or0274343 602
2327052
Trucks for everythingyou need shifted!
-Curtain Siders tokeep itdry
-Cranetruckfordifficult lifts.
-Flat decks for machinery
-Bulk units for grain, feed &fertiliser
Livestock -stock@amuritransport.co.nz
Fertiliser -fert@amuritransport.co.nz
56 St Leonards Rd, Culverden
Freight -freight@amuritransport.co.nz
Ph 03 315 3033 -Fax 03 315 8413
-Livestock -Bulk grain –Shingle –Coal –Golden Bay Cement -Daily Freight Services
B.A. MURRAY LTD
177 Mt Thomas Road, RD 1, Rangiora 7471
Phone: 0274 343 119 | Email: office@bamurray.co.nz
Web: www.bamurrayagriculture.co.nz
“FARMERS”
•Baling
•Silage
•Hay
•Cultivation
•Seeding
•Heading
•Beet Lifting
Contact Steve Murray 027 434 3119
……..New Zealand Rural Contractor Of The Year 2002…….
2215674
2315106