Silage quality is the cornerstone of animal performance and profitability in all beef systems, and with soaring feed costs, the need for better quality silage in the yard is highlighted further. The higher the dry matter digestibility (DMD) of silage, the less concentrate that is required to achieve optimum performance, thus reducing costs and increasing profit.

In the table below, this concept is brought to life. With a standard finishing steer, 66% DMD silage will require a supplementation rate of 7kg of concentrate/head/day. In contrast, the same finishing steer on 74% DMD silage will require just 4 kg/head/day. Over a 100-day finishing period, with a ton of concentrate costing approximately €310, this results in a saving of €124/head or €2,480 across a group of 20 animals.

Where stores will return to grass next spring and if silage is >74% DMD, mineral supplementation will suffice and concentrates will not be required. Be mindful of crude protein levels in weanling diets as they require an overall diet of 14-16% crude protein to help skeletal growth and frame development.

When finishing cattle on silage and concentrates alone, and meal is being fed on top of silage with no diet feeder, feed must be split between morning and evening. This must apply if feeding is greater than 5kg of concentrate/head/day.

More Information 

For further information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

Over the next few months (mid-June to late October), a substantial number of beef cattle will be slaughtered off grass.

When cattle are housed for finishing, the cost/kg of live-weight gain typically increases by up to 50%, compared to finishing cattle directly off grass. Feed costs account for 75% of variable costs in Irish beef production systems. Grazed grass is estimated to cost circa €70/tonne of dry matter, with grass silage costing approximately double that and concentrate prices trending well over three times the cost of grass at present. Therefore, in the current climate, optimizing the contribution of grazed grass within the animal’s diet and using silage and concentrates as strategically as possible will aid in increasing margins within beef finishing systems.

Grass quality

Excellent grassland management will underpin the success of finishing cattle efficiently from grass. Energy is the main driver of live-weight gain in cattle and should be maximised throughout the finishing period. At grass, this is achieved by utilising top quality grazed grass (target covers of 1,200-1,600 kg DM/ha (8-12 cm)) throughout the grazing season. Aim to have cattle no longer than three days in the one paddock/area. Swards should also be grazed to 3.5-4 cm to maintain quality for the subsequent rotation.

Feeding concentrates at grass

Supplementation rates at grass will be dependent on grass availability, grass quality, animal type (helping to achieve adequate fat cover in continental breeds) or to speed up the finishing period where prices increase. Supplementation rates of 3-4 kg where grass quality is adequate or 5-6kg where grass quality is poor/supply is low, are typical from mid-summer onwards. A high-energy, low-protein supplement will suffice at this time of year, as adequate protein will come from grass. Grouping cattle on their ability to finish off grass is also worthwhile (age, breed, and gender). A ‘build-up’ period to a concentrate finishing diet can be implemented while at grass for those groups returning to the house prior to slaughter.

What does the research say?

Teagasc research highlights the performance benefits achieved when supplementing suckler-bred steers at grass.

For further information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

Silage harvesting is a major cost on Irish farms, therefore it is most important that the desired level of quality is achieved.

Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) indicates the feeding value of a forage crop. In grass silage, it refers to the percentage of grass dry matter that an animal can digest to support their feed requirements. To make high DMD silage, the grass sward needs to contain a high leaf content. DMD is also linked to harvest date, with research showing that a crop harvested on June 2nd versus a harvest date of May 20^th, resulted in a DMD drop of as much as 5%.

Key considerations
Weather will be the main dictating factor with silage harvesting. However, during periods of broken weather, where a window of opportunity appears, avoid delaying harvest. Delaying first cut will cause a large drop in quality and reduce second cut yields significantly.

Grass sugars are the main consideration for crop preservation (Sugar being the food required for fermentation bacteria). The target for good preservation is 3%. Cutting time (early afternoon) and cutting conditions will have the greatest impact on sugar content in grass.

Grass nitrates can affect preservation by increasing buffering capacity. A grass crop will on average use up 2 units of N per day for first cut. Nonetheless, this is only a general rule and should not delay cutting date. Wilting silage to approximately ˃28% will help decrease nitrates.

Wilting is very beneficial to silage preservation where sugars are marginal and/or nitrates remain elevated. The aim should be to increase crop dry matter to 25-30% with pit silage and 30-35% with baled silage. Over wilting can cause issues when feeding out silage, such as heat loss/secondary fermentation.

Using a silage additive

The application of a proven silage additive, such as Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost, at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible – speeding up preservation and retaining more of the feed value within the pit, alongside less waste/losses.

From a total of 19 independent trials, GrasZyme Sugarboost has proven to deliver:

• + 1 litre of milk per cow per day and .09% milk protein increase
• + 110g daily live-weight gain in beef animals
• 1% reduction in dry matter losses

For further information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.  

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Maeve Regan as Head of Ruminant Nutrition.

Maeve brings a wealth of experience to the role, both practical and academic. She holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from University College Dublin (UCD), where she specialised in Animal Science, as well as a Walsh Fellowship Research Masters, focusing on grass-based beef production, which she completed in collaboration with Teagasc Grange and UCD.

Having grown up on a pedigree beef farm in Co. Roscommon, as well as having spent time working on dairy enterprises in both Ireland and the US, Maeve has extensive experience with modern beef and dairy production systems, and is well known with farmers throughout the country from her time working with Glanbia as a technical support advisor.

Maeve’s primary role with Agritech will be to provide technical support to our national and international customers. Speaking about the appointment, Managing Director, Brian O Slatarra said, “We are delighted to appoint someone of Maeve’s calibre to this newly created senior position in the company. Her talent and knowledge will add a further dimension to helping to ensure that our customers get the best return from our products and their animals.”

Agritech’s business has grown significantly in the past number of years, both domestically and internationally, and now distributes products in a number of countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Brian concluded, “We look forward to Maeve’s contribution as we plan for future growth and innovation across the business.”

With the recent deterioration in both weather and grazing conditions, beef cattle which are intended for finishing should be housed sooner rather than later in order to settle into a winter finishing system. If managed incorrectly, the transition from cold wet grass to low pH forage and concentrate feeding can lead to digestive upsets and lameness within your herd.

To minimise the dietary stress of transitioning, all stock should be fed 1 to 2 kg of a high fibre ration for 7 to 10 days before housing. A simple blend is 50% rolled barley and 50 % hulls. This blend should also contain a quality rumen buffer such as Rumicare in order to ensure a smooth transition. Once animals are housed, concentrate feeding levels should be built up gradually at a rate of ½ kg per day until the required feeding rate is reached.

Feeding Plan

With beef prices currently under the cost of production, it is vitally important to put an appropriate feeding plan in place. Silage analysis should be the starting point of this feeding plan as this will determine your feeding and management strategy for your stock this winter. High quality silage is an important consideration on any farm, with each increase of 3 DMD units having the potential to reduce concentrate feeding by up to 0.75kgs per head per day. The less feed that is fed to maximise daily live-weight gain will result in greater profitability for the farmer.

Mineral Supplementation

It is also critical to ensure your animals are adequately supplemented with the essential minerals and vitamins as poorly balanced diets can significantly reduce performance. Calcium and Phosphorous are required to build good bone structure to carry the extra muscle and fat required to meet kill-out specification. Copper and Zinc are natural growth enhancers which encourage development of good muscle structure. Selenium and Iodine, coupled with vitamins A, D3, E and B complex, are needed to fight against viruses and bacteria; something which animals are more susceptible to at this time of year.

To help ensure a healthy animal with good thrive, Agritech has developed Welmin Beef Rumigest to meet the mineral requirements for breeding and store cattle. Welmin Beef Finisher is also specially formulated to meet the requirements of intensely finished beef cattle and is now available with added sulphur for an Alkagrain diet.

Controlling acidosis

Controlling acidosis, both sub clinical and clinical, is critically important. To overcome this issue, Agritech have developed Rumicare, which is a unique blend of phased released rumen buffering minerals with strong alkaline properties, which will counteract rumen acidity right throughout each 24 hour period. This phased release technology ensures a constant and ongoing fight against both sub clinical and clinical acidosis, and the addition of Rumigest® yeast will further enhance rumen bacteria populations and activity, aiding better digestion.

Individual farms will all have variable mineral deficiencies. In response to this, Agritech’s Welmin Mineral Supplements range contains a variety of products which will correct the imbalances that are occurring on individual farms.

On farm support during COVID-19

In order to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible, our sales team and distributors we will be minimising the number of on farm consultations. We are however, as always, available for FREE delivery direct to farm and over the phone consultations. Contact your local Agritech sales rep/distributor to place your order or click here. 

For further advice or information on our Welmin Mineral Supplements range, click here.

Silage fields that have not been grazed or that were closed up before the end of March are already at or maybe even slightly beyond optimum quality. The question is ‘do I cut or do I wait?’

To answer the ‘cut or wait’ question, the key factors of quality silage must be taken into consideration. The first and most important factor is cutting date. The second one is the weather conditions. Thirdly, the application of a quality silage additive, and finally, having ticked off all of the above boxes, the silage clamp must be covered and sealed properly.

According to Agritech’s Sales Director, John Kenny, “deferring the cutting date too far may result in additional and unnecessary expense for farmers.”

“Farmers currently have excellent quality material for harvesting and it is a huge pity to let the current fine spell of weather pass without harvesting silage and possibly end up making lower DMD silage in poorer conditions later in the month.    

“I am also concerned that when this spell of dry weather passes, there will be a surge of growth that will also draw more nitrogen up into the plant. This material when harvested, will bring its own issues with regards to fermentation and the making of a palatable feed for livestock”, says John.

With lengthy dry cow periods no longer in existence, quality silage is an essential requirement for the spring calving cow in late lactation and again when freshly calved, as it will help support early lactation body condition, milk yield and to allow the cow to return to cyclicity as quickly as possible.  

For beef cattle, a daily live-weight gain of 0.6 kg is considered the optimum for winter performance where the animals are returning to grass in the spring. Quality silage will again play a key role in achieving this growth level.

Ensiling Process – Key to quality

 “The application of a proven silage additive at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible. It speeds up the preservation and retains more of the feed value within the pit, in addition to retaining more actual silage in the pit”, says John.

Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost Forage Additive has long proven itself as an effective silage preservation aid. The unique technology used in the additive has been scientifically proven to reduce unnecessary plant breakdown and ensure reliability even in difficult low-sugar conditions.

GrasZyme Sugarboost is independently proven to deliver on key silage additive criteria, namely improved animal performance and reduced dry matter losses.

A total of 19 independent trials have been shown to deliver:

• + 1 litre of milk per cow per day and .09% milk protein increase
• + 110g daily live-weight gain in beef animals
• 6.1% reduction in dry matter losses

The reduction in dry matter losses alone will cover the cost of purchasing the silage additive, with the extra animal performance coming for free.

John concludes, “With farm margins ever reducing, it is no longer economical to use purchased concentrates to offset poorer quality silage. Farmers must now take the opportunity to make the most efficient use possible of homegrown forage and especially grazed grass and grass silage.”

Get in touch

All Agritech sales representatives and distributors are trained to assist farmers in getting the most from their silage. Assistance is available with choosing the best grass mixture, right up to the point of harvest and the use of a quality silage additive.

To find out more about, GrasZyme Sugarboost, click here

To find your local Agritech sales representative/distributor, click here

Grass is still the easiest crop to grow in Ireland and gives substantial benefits year after year in Irish conditions, with yields of 20 tonne DM/ha possible. Knowing how this crop is performing on your farm is very important, as once performance starts to reduce, it is unlikely to recover without new seed being sown.

After the start of August, most farms have paddocks that grow less than 2 tonne DM/ha. If you want to drive production, these fields need to be improved, and reseeding is a big part of this process.

Reseeding in autumn will mean that fields will be in full production next spring, producing both quantity and quality grass. This is in contrast to old swards producing poor spring growth and poor quality feed.

At this stage, the key is to figure out which fields need attention most urgently and decide on the method that best fits your requirements. Plans need to be put in place and acted upon now as the quicker you start, the quicker you will have grass ready to graze.

Soil Fertility

Prior to reseeding, it is crucial to carry out soil tests for Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) and pH, testing to a minimum of 10cm soil depth. Where soil fertility is at an optimum, it will require two to three bags of 10-10-20, plus 1 tonne of lime minimum, to provide enough P to feed the sward, kick start early growth, and allow the sward to reach its full potential.

Grass Seed Mixture

A grass sward containing 100% perennial ryegrass will grow up to 3 tonne DM/ha more than a sward containing 15% perennial ryegrass and it also produces a higher feed quality, thereby increasing animal performance, i.e. milk output and daily live-weight gain

Our Tipperary Grass Seed range has a mixture to suit every requirement. Every mixture is treated with a unique biological seed stimulant called, GroQuik®, which accelerates germination and especially root growth in both grasses and clover. This will help to produce more grass on the farm, thereby reducing the requirement on concentrate feed. 

Post Management

All the benefits of reseeding can be lost after sowing if attention is not paid to weed and pest control. It is essential that post-emergence control of weeds such as docks and chickweed are carried out 4-6 weeks after emergence, when the grass is at the 2-3 leaf stage. High populations of weeds such as fat hen and redshank can be problematic also.

It is also essential to watch out for the three most significant pests of reseeds, Frit Fly, Leatherjackets and Slugs, and treat accordingly.

WATCH OUR TOP TIPS FOR ACHIEVING A SUCCESSFUL RESEED BELOW:

For further advice on autumn reseeding or to choose a suitable grass mixture from the Tipperary Grass Seed range, contact your local Agritech distributor or click here

Agritech are proud to be sponsoring a presentation by Denis Brosnan on ‘Dairy and Beef Farming in Ireland post quota’. The event is organised by the The North Tipperary Foxhounds and is part of a series of meetings organised by them for local farmers. It will take place at the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh on February 8th at 8pm.

Denis Brosnan is one of the most successful people in the Irish agri-food industry, well known in agricultural circles for establishing the Kerry Group and transforming its fortunes from a dairy co-op into one of the world’s biggest food product suppliers.

He was educated at St. Brendan’s College, Killarney before attending University College Cork where he completed a Master’s Degree in Dairy Science. Denis has since been awarded a Doctorate in Business (Irish National University and International Management Centre). His early career began in London, returning to Ireland in 1972, established Kerry Co-op and then the Kerry Group plc in 1986. In 2001, he stepped down as Managing Director of Kerry Group plc, and then as Chairman in 2003.

Mr Brosnan was appointed by the Irish Government for chairperson positions with organisations including Mid-West Task Force, Limerick Local Government Committee, Horse Racing Ireland and recently, the Limerick Reorganisation Implementation Group. He has also been chairman of the Grove Care Companies in the UK since 1993 and of the Lydian Care Companies in the UK and US since 2003, but has since retired from these companies. He lives and runs a stud farm at Croom, Co Limerick with his wife Joan, and continues to produce world champion racehorses such as Zoffany, Maybe and Damson.

Refreshments and Q&A afterwards. Further information, contact Oliver Ryan-Purcell 086 2532056.