My yield of first-cut grass silage was back 30% to 40% this year. Given my stocking rate irrespective of growth rates, I reckon I’m not going to make enough grass silage on my farm this year. What about the alternative of using straw as a forage source next winter?

The dairy farmer

From a dairy farmer’s perspective, dry spring-calving cows can be fed quality barley straw and concentrate as an option to replace first-cut grass silage. Depending on the condition score of the cows, dairy farmers have successfully fed straw ad-lib with 3kg to 4kg of concentrate per cow per day for eight to 10 weeks of a dry period. This type of diet will work fine for the majority of the dry period with no significant issues and provide adequate energy for the dry cow to maintain condition score and grow the developing calf.

The level of additional energy required (the concentrate) will depend on the length of the dry period. If a cow only has six to seven weeks dry then it’s a short period to gain condition. However, in effect condition score is better gained in advance of the dry period rather than waiting for the dry period so if you are still short in silage next autumn, maybe consider earlier drying off.

In practice, some farmers will target the limited amount of grass silage they have at the cows that need to gain more condition over a short dry period.

Many may even supplement the grass silage with meal depending on quality. Some farmers will extend the length of the dry period so that cows have more time to gain condition so lower-quality forage (such as straw) is adequate compared to feeding high digestible, high dry matter, grass silage.

In winter milk-producing herds, straw can replace some grass silage in the diet but at low inclusion rates if you want to optimise yields. Don’t forget while yields may be slightly lower, in general grass silage quality should be good and most crops were saved dry.

The suckler farmer

Where silage stocks are running tight on suckler farms, spring-calving cows can be fed a combination of good clean straw and 4kg to 5kg of a high-protein concentrate ration (18%) to replace a silage diet.

This option should be limited to a short-term period of four to six weeks and only suited to dry spring-calving cows in ideal body condition (BCS 3-3.5). It is not an option for autumn-calving cows suckling a calf.Straw must be fed fresh on a daily basis.

Split the concentrate allocation into a morning and evening feed. Ensure that all cows have adequate feed space when offering meals. Where feed space is restricted, some cows will overfeed on concentrates and some will be under-fed, making this option less practical.

Make sure the ration contains a high mineral content, especially phosphorus.