Teagasc says that it should be ‘quality over quantity’ when it comes to making silage this year. This comes as a discussion on silage making was held on the farm of PJ Finnerty in Co. Roscommon. The focus of the discussion was quality over quantity. Some farmers are focusing on bulk over the quality of silage, as it appears to be their aim in order to provide enough fodder next winter.
The message from Teagasc advisors at the event was to focus on quality when making first-cut silage this May or early June. According to the advice provided, Teagasc stated that “there will be chance later in the year to get bulk and even still in July say, if you graze down a sward leaving no dead material behind, you will get a good regrowth from that sward along with the application of a small bit of fertiliser and still get a good-quality cut of silage into August.”
One farmer in attendance responded to the advice by saying that extra feed you gain by focusing on bulk rather than quality could end up being poorer quality feed then come next winter, you could be forking into the wheelbarrow and out of the shed into a waste pile because it’s just not good enough to feed out. He added that “you’re better off with fewer bales, but bales of silage that are good quality where there isn’t any waste.”
According to Teagasc specialist Catherine Egan, “variation in grass growth and feed supply due to weather conditions is inevitable.
Therefore, it is important to build an appropriate rolling reserve into farm fodder plans; increasing feed storage capacity on farms, i.e., silage pits and effluent systems and improve quantity and quality of winter feed through improved soil and sward management.”