Making Grass Silage for Better Returns - Eblex

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The information in this booklet has been sourced from: The Grassland Development Centre and IBERS, University of Aberystwyth; the Silage Advisory Centre (www.silageadvice.com); Kingshay Forage Choice, Costs and Rotations Report 2010; British Grassland Society; www.silagedecisions.co.uk; DairyCo Grass+. Illustrations: Tebbit Design Photography: ADAS, BGS, EnviroSystems UK Ltd, NADIS For more information contact: Better Returns Programme EBLEX Ashton House Ambury Road South Huntingdon Cambs PE29 3EH Tel: 0870 241 8829 Fax: 0844 774 6253 Email: brp@eblex.org.uk www.eblex.org.uk EBLEX is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2011. All rights reserved. - EBLEX Better Returns Programme has funded the writing and publication of this booklet. While the authors have worked on the best information available to them, neither the Better Returns Programme, nor the authors shall in any event be liable for any loss, damage or injury howsoever suffered, directly or indirectly, in relation to the booklet or the information on which it is based. Reference herein to trade names and proprietary products and services without stating that they are protected does not imply that they may be regarded as unprotected and thus free for general use. No endorsement of named products or services is intended nor any criticism implied of other alternative but unnamed products.
Contents 2 Growing good grass 4 Nutrients for silage 5 Big bales or clamp? 6 The ensiling process 8 Making good silage 10 Making good silage bales 11 Making good clamp silage 12 Silage analysis 14 Calculating winter feed rations 16 Making up a forage shortfall 17 Calculating the cost of silage 1 Grass grown for silage has different needs to grass grown solely for grazing. Done well, it can provide high quality forage for winter feeding. As with all crops, good silage depends on using the right varieties of grass, while optimising soil conditions for growth. Then many management decisions are needed, including how to store, when to cut and how to feed. Producing silage is not cheap. So the challenge is to produce enough of adequate quality for the stock that is going to eat it, be it dry cows or finishing cattle. This manual covers many of the key issues when making silage. Tables at the back can help you work out how much silage you have, and to calculate how much it costs to produce – which is useful for comparing it to other potentially ‘cheaper’ alternative feeds that may be available locally. Dr Liz Genever Livestock Scientist EBLEX
Page 1: BEEF AND SHEEP BRP MANUAL 5 Making
Page 5 and 6: The Recommended Grass and Clover Li
Page 7 and 8: Big bales or clamp? The choice of s
Page 9 and 10: Problem Cause 7 What happens when i
Page 11 and 12: Chop length Chopping grass when it
Page 13 and 14: Making good clamp silage Preparing
Page 15 and 16: Understanding forage analysis Dry M
Page 17 and 18: Total amount of forage available in
Page 19 and 20: Calculating the cost of silage 17 K

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