Home-grown cereals can be a very cost-effective winter feed and also provide much needed bedding straw. However, in a catchy season and with no drying infrastructure available on some farms, it needs to be treated to minimise losses over winter.
Some of the options available for treating cereals are:
Dried grain: This has the advantage of being very stable, with the best possible straw quality at harvest. However, it can turn more to dust when rolled, risking acidosis at higher feed rates and also there is the added cost of drying.Propcorn: Propcorning uses propionic acid as a preservative to prevent spoilage. It is a flexible treatment and can be used on grain up to around 24% moisture. Application rates increase as moisture increases. Application can be to whole or rolled grain and treating rolled grain straight into the shed reduces the handling required. Propcorn grain will require using a mineral high in vitamin A when feeding out.Urea treatment: There are several methods of urea treatment from proprietary products that use a urease enzyme through to using urea on its own, relying on the natural moisture and enzymes in the grain. Like propcorn, it can be a simple option, with handling, rolling and treating being done on the same day. It can be a two-stage operation (rolling and then mixing) if doing it yourself. Using a contractor with the correct set up it will be a one-stage job. Proprietary products are effective up to 24% moisture, producing a feed that is alkaline in nature and also adding 4-5% to the crude protein of the grain.Crimping: Crimping is successful on higher moisture crops, at 30-40% moisture. The treatment method is similar to propcorning, but offers an earlier harvest. It needs to be pitted and the pit needs to be well compacted and sealed to minimise losses. Although it allows earlier harvesting, it does mean that straw will be damper at cutting, so it will either need to lie longer before baling, or be baled and then wrapped to minimise wastage.Alkalage: Alkalage is a very late wholecrop, with the grain being at the hard cheddar stage. It is cut with a forage harvester that has a small grain mill and then urea-treated into the clamp. This, again, has the advantage of an earlier harvest and does away entirely with the problem of what to do with the damper straw. This may be an advantage in some areas, while those that prize bedding straw may not be so keen.
Home-grown cereals can be a very cost-effective winter feed and also provide much needed bedding straw. However, in a catchy season and with no drying infrastructure available on some farms, it needs to be treated to minimise losses over winter.
Some of the options available for treating cereals are:
Dried grain: This has the advantage of being very stable, with the best possible straw quality at harvest. However, it can turn more to dust when rolled, risking acidosis at higher feed rates and also there is the added cost of drying.Propcorn: Propcorning uses propionic acid as a preservative to prevent spoilage. It is a flexible treatment and can be used on grain up to around 24% moisture. Application rates increase as moisture increases. Application can be to whole or rolled grain and treating rolled grain straight into the shed reduces the handling required. Propcorn grain will require using a mineral high in vitamin A when feeding out.Urea treatment: There are several methods of urea treatment from proprietary products that use a urease enzyme through to using urea on its own, relying on the natural moisture and enzymes in the grain. Like propcorn, it can be a simple option, with handling, rolling and treating being done on the same day. It can be a two-stage operation (rolling and then mixing) if doing it yourself. Using a contractor with the correct set up it will be a one-stage job. Proprietary products are effective up to 24% moisture, producing a feed that is alkaline in nature and also adding 4-5% to the crude protein of the grain.Crimping: Crimping is successful on higher moisture crops, at 30-40% moisture. The treatment method is similar to propcorning, but offers an earlier harvest. It needs to be pitted and the pit needs to be well compacted and sealed to minimise losses. Although it allows earlier harvesting, it does mean that straw will be damper at cutting, so it will either need to lie longer before baling, or be baled and then wrapped to minimise wastage.Alkalage: Alkalage is a very late wholecrop, with the grain being at the hard cheddar stage. It is cut with a forage harvester that has a small grain mill and then urea-treated into the clamp. This, again, has the advantage of an earlier harvest and does away entirely with the problem of what to do with the damper straw. This may be an advantage in some areas, while those that prize bedding straw may not be so keen. 
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