Testing the silage pits for Gerard and John Grieve in Castlefinn, Co Donegal.
ADVERTISEMENT
There are two critical measures of winter feed – quantity and quality. In last week’s paper, we looked at the importance of completing a fodder budget for the upcoming winter.
Measuring stocks now and acting upon your results is a simple task compared with the hardship that comes with running short on feeding next spring.
Following on from that, inside this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, we look at the importance of taking silage samples to measure feed quality.
ADVERTISEMENT
When planning diets for suckler stock this winter, you are effectively in the dark if you do not know your silage quality.
Watch
Recently, BETTER farm adviser Tommy Cox and I travelled to Donegal to take silage samples for Gerard and John Grieve. The father and son duo are running a herd of 40 suckler cows, a flock of ewes and have also adopted a dairy-calf-to-beef enterprise.
Bringing all male stock – both suckler and dairy – to beef requires a high usage of concentrates. By taking silage samples and accurately determining the quality of their silage, there is potentially scope to cut down on meal bills this winter.
Watch the video below to get the full story
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
There are two critical measures of winter feed – quantity and quality. In last week’s paper, we looked at the importance of completing a fodder budget for the upcoming winter.
Measuring stocks now and acting upon your results is a simple task compared with the hardship that comes with running short on feeding next spring.
Following on from that, inside this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, we look at the importance of taking silage samples to measure feed quality.
When planning diets for suckler stock this winter, you are effectively in the dark if you do not know your silage quality.
Watch
Recently, BETTER farm adviser Tommy Cox and I travelled to Donegal to take silage samples for Gerard and John Grieve. The father and son duo are running a herd of 40 suckler cows, a flock of ewes and have also adopted a dairy-calf-to-beef enterprise.
Bringing all male stock – both suckler and dairy – to beef requires a high usage of concentrates. By taking silage samples and accurately determining the quality of their silage, there is potentially scope to cut down on meal bills this winter.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS