Roughage tour Grass Week 30
The first silage results are rolling in
The first cut has now been sampled in many places and is even being fed. The results are far apart due to the different harvest times. For a number of dairy farmers it is therefore quite a challenge to increase the first cut.
2021 is characterized by different harvest moments from the first cut. Within the Boerenbusiness Roughage tour is no different. For example, we saw the first lawns being mowed around King's Day and the next harvest time followed 2 weeks later, around Ascension. After a wet and cold period, the next harvest took place at the beginning of June. This has ensured that the differences of the first cuts are large.
Protein deficiency
Dairy farmers who made the first cut in June in particular are struggling with a protein deficiency. Due to the late mowing moment, cuts of around 6 tons of dry matter have been harvested and the protein in the plant has been considerably diluted. Pitches of 120 crude protein are therefore common. A supplement of expensive protein products is therefore inevitable.
To straighten these potholes, you can wait to feed the first cut, if that is possible. A fifth or sixth cut in September or October can then be ensiled on the first cut as a top layer and protein correction. Roughage stock and place on the first cut are a requirement, but a good option for making good use of your own roughage.
Roughage tour participant Kusters
The silage results have also been received by the Limburg dairy farmer Silvain Kusters. Kusters belonged to the group of dairy farmers who harvested the first cut around Ascension. In the trench silo that has been sampled, we find a combination of the first and second cut that have been ensiled on top of each other. Both cuts were sampled separately and are shown below. Although the first cut is on the moist side, it is well preserved and does not contain butyric acid. The low NH3 fraction of 7% is also striking. Kusters is therefore certainly not dissatisfied.
Erik van der Deure
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