Having just come through a difficult winter period which has seen much of the fodder reserves in the country exhausted, there is a need to boost supplies for next winter. Unfortunately while the prolonged spell of good weather that we have just had was much needed and appreciated, in places, it may have lasted a little longer than required.
Moisture and heat stress of the grass plant has led to silage crops going to seed prematurely, leading to poorer first-cut silage yields in places. As a result, silage pits and stacks of bales are going to be smaller than expected after first cut. While there is still plenty of time to take up ground for second cut, there is work to be done to secure enough fodder to see us through next winter.
Add to this the fact that a lot of spring barley crops were late planted and have since experienced over a month of high temperatures and little or no rainfall. This has seen crops move rapidly through the growth stages leaving many with what looks like could be a very poor straw yield.
Out-wintering options
Out-wintering cows is an idea that a lot of farmers completely wrote off as unsuitable for their farm due to land type or rainfall. While this may be the case in some situations, using a forage crop to at least reduce the length of the winter period is a viable option on many farms.
Out-wintering doesn’t have to mean every animal on the farm is kept outside, even keeping your fittest batch of cows come October time and out-wintering them can have huge cost savings over the entire winter period.
Cost/benefit
If forage crops can be worked into a crop rotation such as following winter crop or used as a method of renewing old grassland it can work very well.
The window of opportunity for sowing kale is well and truly closed so this article will concentrate on a hybrid brassica. While a hybrid crop is more expensive to establish than a straight kale crop, you have the benefit of a later sowing date with the hybrid.
This will allow you to sow into a winter crop stubble and have the field back again for spring crop if desired. In grassland, it allows you to take a second cut of silage off a field prior to crop establishment. All in all, land is held up for a shorter time frame.
Out-wintering is a subject that often divides opinion, some are not prepared to deal with the mess it can make during wet periods and the thoughts of moving wires daily, while others that are fans of out-wintering believe it is the best, most cost-effective way to winter animals.
Stock type
As stated earlier, not all animals are going to be suited to out-wintering. Thin cows coming into the winter period due to poor autumn weather conditions or calves being left on cows too long will not be suited to out-wintering.
However, where cow condition is managed in the back end of the year and cows are in decent condition (BCS 3.5), this can be utilised over the winter period reducing the feed costs dramatically. Taking your fittest batch of cows and out-wintering them is an option.
Young stock can also be out-wintered where they are destined to return to pasture for a second season come springtime. Trials by SAC and Teagasc have shown that forage crops can support liveweight gains in the region of 0.7kg/day in young stock. This allows you to harness the benefits of compensatory growth in spring when they return to grass.
Crop establishment
Table 1 outlines the establishment costs for a hybrid brassica crop. The method used in the example is burning off grassland, grazing tight and direct drilled into the soil. Where the crop is being sown into winter stubbles, the burning-off costs can be taken out of the equation.
Direct drilling has two main benefits. Firstly it cuts out the cost of ploughing which is a financial saving, but also it means the ground on which the animals are grazing throughout winter is more firm and less susceptible to poaching during period of poorer weather conditions.
It is assumed that the ground will need to be sub-soiled post-grazing and therefore this is included in the crop establishment costs as it is a cost that would not be incurred otherwise. In a decent winter or depending on soil type this may not need to be carried out.
Comparison
As an example we will compare the costs of wintering 50 spring-calving cows from November through to February outdoors on a forage crop compared to indoors, straw-bedded on a silage/straw diet. After this, cows will be housed for calving and go onto the same silage-based diet as those in-wintered.
Assuming a crop utilisation figure of 80% means an 8tDM/ha crop will produce 6.4t/ha utilisable dry matter. Each cow will eat 10.5kgDM/day forage crop meaning a requirement of 945kgDM/cow over the 90 day period.
Dividing the yield (6,400kg) by demand per cow (945kg) means each hectare will feed 6.8 cows for 90 days. Therefore, for 50 cows we will need just under 7.5ha (18.5ac) to see them through until the first days of February.
Roughage needs to be provided when grazing brassica crops, this will more than likely be in the form of baled silage. This should make up about 25% of the animals daily intake.
Costs comparison
Calculated on a typical 650kg Suckler cow, intake will be in the region of 12kgDM indoors and slightly higher outdoors (13.5kgDM) due to higher maintenance requirements. For the out-wintered cows it is assumed they will eat 10.5kgDM of forage crop and 3kgDM of silage.
Table 2 shows a comparison of winter feed costs for indoor and out-wintered cows. You can argue that the cost of bedding straw is unfair for the housed cows as it has a value as muck, however in this case the out-wintered option has the muck already spread for you.
Total daily costs come to £0.99/head for out-wintered compared to £1.64/head for housed, or £89 v £149 over the 90 day period – saving £60/cow or across 50 cows this means there is a potential saving of £3,000.
Top tips for grazing forage crops
When grazing forage crops, good infrastructure is essential to making life easy for both stock and man. Ideally forage crops should be strip grazed in long narrow strips to utilise the crops as best as possible. Having sufficient fence power is important to check prior to animals entering the field. Good power from the outset will reduce the likelihood of break outs.
Stock should be introduced gradually to brassica crops to prevent acidosis, caused by a rapid pH change in the animal’s stomach.Once a full break fence line is cleared, the strip wire should be moved every day if possible to avoid crop wastage and maximum return on investment. Be generous with posts (ie every 5-7m) as these are the main barrier holding the animals in. Make sure if there is a strut leg at the end of the post that it is facing the right way as it prevents the fence from leaning over. In taller crops it is important to clear a path to allow the fence to pass through to avoid losing power. This can be simply done by stamping out a path by foot or with a quad bike.As well as the forage crop, it is vital that a source of fibre such as hay, straw or silage is available ad libitum or else access to a grass run-back where possible. At least 25% of the diet should come from sources other than the forage crop. Bales should ideally be left out during the summer months before the crop has established to avoid compaction and wheel ruts during the feeding period. These bales can be left wrapped until needed and should be fully utilised before opening the next one. If ploughing, it is a good idea to avoid ploughing where bales will be left to leave a solid feed pad for animals to feed from.Clean fresh water should be provided at all times to the animals. A dry lie back is also a must to keep animals cleaner and help prevent lameness. Concentrates are not generally needed, but minerals should always be offered. Forage crops tend to be low in phosphorus and magnesium, as well as trace minerals such as copper, iodine and selenium. Mineral supplementation can be achieved through powder feeders, lick buckets or boluses.
Having just come through a difficult winter period which has seen much of the fodder reserves in the country exhausted, there is a need to boost supplies for next winter. Unfortunately while the prolonged spell of good weather that we have just had was much needed and appreciated, in places, it may have lasted a little longer than required.
Moisture and heat stress of the grass plant has led to silage crops going to seed prematurely, leading to poorer first-cut silage yields in places. As a result, silage pits and stacks of bales are going to be smaller than expected after first cut. While there is still plenty of time to take up ground for second cut, there is work to be done to secure enough fodder to see us through next winter.
Add to this the fact that a lot of spring barley crops were late planted and have since experienced over a month of high temperatures and little or no rainfall. This has seen crops move rapidly through the growth stages leaving many with what looks like could be a very poor straw yield.
Out-wintering options
Out-wintering cows is an idea that a lot of farmers completely wrote off as unsuitable for their farm due to land type or rainfall. While this may be the case in some situations, using a forage crop to at least reduce the length of the winter period is a viable option on many farms.
Out-wintering doesn’t have to mean every animal on the farm is kept outside, even keeping your fittest batch of cows come October time and out-wintering them can have huge cost savings over the entire winter period.
Cost/benefit
If forage crops can be worked into a crop rotation such as following winter crop or used as a method of renewing old grassland it can work very well.
The window of opportunity for sowing kale is well and truly closed so this article will concentrate on a hybrid brassica. While a hybrid crop is more expensive to establish than a straight kale crop, you have the benefit of a later sowing date with the hybrid.
This will allow you to sow into a winter crop stubble and have the field back again for spring crop if desired. In grassland, it allows you to take a second cut of silage off a field prior to crop establishment. All in all, land is held up for a shorter time frame.
Out-wintering is a subject that often divides opinion, some are not prepared to deal with the mess it can make during wet periods and the thoughts of moving wires daily, while others that are fans of out-wintering believe it is the best, most cost-effective way to winter animals.
Stock type
As stated earlier, not all animals are going to be suited to out-wintering. Thin cows coming into the winter period due to poor autumn weather conditions or calves being left on cows too long will not be suited to out-wintering.
However, where cow condition is managed in the back end of the year and cows are in decent condition (BCS 3.5), this can be utilised over the winter period reducing the feed costs dramatically. Taking your fittest batch of cows and out-wintering them is an option.
Young stock can also be out-wintered where they are destined to return to pasture for a second season come springtime. Trials by SAC and Teagasc have shown that forage crops can support liveweight gains in the region of 0.7kg/day in young stock. This allows you to harness the benefits of compensatory growth in spring when they return to grass.
Crop establishment
Table 1 outlines the establishment costs for a hybrid brassica crop. The method used in the example is burning off grassland, grazing tight and direct drilled into the soil. Where the crop is being sown into winter stubbles, the burning-off costs can be taken out of the equation.
Direct drilling has two main benefits. Firstly it cuts out the cost of ploughing which is a financial saving, but also it means the ground on which the animals are grazing throughout winter is more firm and less susceptible to poaching during period of poorer weather conditions.
It is assumed that the ground will need to be sub-soiled post-grazing and therefore this is included in the crop establishment costs as it is a cost that would not be incurred otherwise. In a decent winter or depending on soil type this may not need to be carried out.
Comparison
As an example we will compare the costs of wintering 50 spring-calving cows from November through to February outdoors on a forage crop compared to indoors, straw-bedded on a silage/straw diet. After this, cows will be housed for calving and go onto the same silage-based diet as those in-wintered.
Assuming a crop utilisation figure of 80% means an 8tDM/ha crop will produce 6.4t/ha utilisable dry matter. Each cow will eat 10.5kgDM/day forage crop meaning a requirement of 945kgDM/cow over the 90 day period.
Dividing the yield (6,400kg) by demand per cow (945kg) means each hectare will feed 6.8 cows for 90 days. Therefore, for 50 cows we will need just under 7.5ha (18.5ac) to see them through until the first days of February.
Roughage needs to be provided when grazing brassica crops, this will more than likely be in the form of baled silage. This should make up about 25% of the animals daily intake.
Costs comparison
Calculated on a typical 650kg Suckler cow, intake will be in the region of 12kgDM indoors and slightly higher outdoors (13.5kgDM) due to higher maintenance requirements. For the out-wintered cows it is assumed they will eat 10.5kgDM of forage crop and 3kgDM of silage.
Table 2 shows a comparison of winter feed costs for indoor and out-wintered cows. You can argue that the cost of bedding straw is unfair for the housed cows as it has a value as muck, however in this case the out-wintered option has the muck already spread for you.
Total daily costs come to £0.99/head for out-wintered compared to £1.64/head for housed, or £89 v £149 over the 90 day period – saving £60/cow or across 50 cows this means there is a potential saving of £3,000.
Top tips for grazing forage crops
When grazing forage crops, good infrastructure is essential to making life easy for both stock and man. Ideally forage crops should be strip grazed in long narrow strips to utilise the crops as best as possible. Having sufficient fence power is important to check prior to animals entering the field. Good power from the outset will reduce the likelihood of break outs.
Stock should be introduced gradually to brassica crops to prevent acidosis, caused by a rapid pH change in the animal’s stomach.Once a full break fence line is cleared, the strip wire should be moved every day if possible to avoid crop wastage and maximum return on investment. Be generous with posts (ie every 5-7m) as these are the main barrier holding the animals in. Make sure if there is a strut leg at the end of the post that it is facing the right way as it prevents the fence from leaning over. In taller crops it is important to clear a path to allow the fence to pass through to avoid losing power. This can be simply done by stamping out a path by foot or with a quad bike.As well as the forage crop, it is vital that a source of fibre such as hay, straw or silage is available ad libitum or else access to a grass run-back where possible. At least 25% of the diet should come from sources other than the forage crop. Bales should ideally be left out during the summer months before the crop has established to avoid compaction and wheel ruts during the feeding period. These bales can be left wrapped until needed and should be fully utilised before opening the next one. If ploughing, it is a good idea to avoid ploughing where bales will be left to leave a solid feed pad for animals to feed from.Clean fresh water should be provided at all times to the animals. A dry lie back is also a must to keep animals cleaner and help prevent lameness. Concentrates are not generally needed, but minerals should always be offered. Forage crops tend to be low in phosphorus and magnesium, as well as trace minerals such as copper, iodine and selenium. Mineral supplementation can be achieved through powder feeders, lick buckets or boluses. 
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