Now that we are in 2017, we should take stock of how much feed we have and how much feed we need between now and turnout. Some farmers are finding that they are going through silage faster than other years. Best policy is to measure what you have and budget for what you need.
To measure silage in a pit, get the average height and multiply by the length and breadth in metres. Divide by 1.3 to convert to tonnes and then multiply by the dry matter of the silage to get tonnes/dry matter.
Feed intake
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A dry cow will eat between 10 and 12kg of dry matter per day, but less in the two weeks or so before calving. Freshly calved milking cows will have similar intakes for the first two weeks and then increase gradually up to 17 or 18kg per day.
Youngstock
Youngstock will eat about 2% of their liveweight per day. Deduct meals fed when budgeting how much silage you need. If you expect to be short, take action early. Purchasing more silage is not the only solution. Consider restricting silage to cows in excess body condition score, selling cull cows and maybe feeding more meals to younger stock.
On the positive side it has been an extremely mild winter so there is lots of grass in the fields – devise a plan for how you’re going to graze it, investing in spur roadways and extra gaps will be a better long-term investment than just buying more silage.
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Now that we are in 2017, we should take stock of how much feed we have and how much feed we need between now and turnout. Some farmers are finding that they are going through silage faster than other years. Best policy is to measure what you have and budget for what you need.
To measure silage in a pit, get the average height and multiply by the length and breadth in metres. Divide by 1.3 to convert to tonnes and then multiply by the dry matter of the silage to get tonnes/dry matter.
Feed intake
A dry cow will eat between 10 and 12kg of dry matter per day, but less in the two weeks or so before calving. Freshly calved milking cows will have similar intakes for the first two weeks and then increase gradually up to 17 or 18kg per day.
Youngstock
Youngstock will eat about 2% of their liveweight per day. Deduct meals fed when budgeting how much silage you need. If you expect to be short, take action early. Purchasing more silage is not the only solution. Consider restricting silage to cows in excess body condition score, selling cull cows and maybe feeding more meals to younger stock.
On the positive side it has been an extremely mild winter so there is lots of grass in the fields – devise a plan for how you’re going to graze it, investing in spur roadways and extra gaps will be a better long-term investment than just buying more silage.
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