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The key to getting the most milk out of this year’s winter forage is to correctly balance nutrient supply for efficient fibre fermentation in the rumen.
Grass silage volume isn’t the concern, but lignin levels are very high making the fibre much less accessible.Fibre levels are normal, but rations will need extra fermentable energy to help drive fibre digestion by the rumen microbes.
Also critical to counter the huge variation being seen in grass silage quality, such as by a portion with moist feeds. University of Reading research shows replacing a third of ration grass silage with brewers’ grains can increase average daily milk yield by 3.7 litres/cow.
Key facts & figures:
Plenty of grass silage on most dairy units, with some clamps overfull
Grass silage DM1 ranging from 15-70%, CP2 from 7–24%, D-value from 58–76
Average lignin content for 1st-cut silages 36.6% versus 22.9% last year
Soda Wheat and ground maize rumen-friendly options for extra starch FME3
Min. 5% sugars needed to drive rumen microbial activity and fibre digestion
Molale or Beetmol Flow provide sugars, palatability and help drive intakes
1 Dry matter
2 Crude protein
3 Fermentable energy
Links to feed information:
- Beetmol Flow (sugar energy + palatability + binding)
- Brewers’ grains (digestible fibre energy + protein + palatability + binding)
- Ground maize (starch energy + slow release)
- Molale (sugar energy + palatability + binding)
- Soda Wheat (starch energy + slow release + protein)
For more information:
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