Practical tips to harvest extra protein this year

Livestock farmers who are finding it difficult to keep enough protein in their rations due to the abrupt feed measure are looking for opportunities to get extra protein from their own land this year. 

Using fresh grass
The most practical and feasible way to get extra protein from your own land is to make the most of your fresh grass. This can be done through grazing, also in the autumn for as long as possible, even if it is only a few hours a day. Feeding fresh grass in the stable is a good alternative for non-grazers. If the carrying capacity allows, you can feed fresh grass that contains a lot of crude protein until well into the autumn.

Mowing light cuts
For a high protein content in this year's cuttings to come, light cuts are recommended. Young grass contains a lot of crude protein, as you can see in the picture. Ensile this grass sufficiently dry (40-50% DM), so that the grass contains a higher DVE and lower OEB, or a somewhat more resistant crude protein. Young grass is still fine to drive on when it is a bit drier. It is better to silage more stemmed grass in a damp spot.

Sow extra grass
Land that is released after, for example, bulbs, grain and potatoes can, if the weather conditions cooperate, yield a cut of grass this autumn. For the best nutritional value and protein intake, it is best to sow a tetraploid perennial ryegrass, such as the Mathilde variety. If you have a shortage of roughage, it is an option to opt for an Italian ryegrass MontBlanc that gives more yield than perennial ryegrass.

One possibility is to sow 5 kg/ha of red clover tetraploid with this grass. With a well-developed clover crop, this can yield up to 4% more crude protein per kg of dry matter (from 170 grams to 210 grams).

Grass chunk
For those who are well into the grass, having grass chunks made is interesting. With grass kibble you make optimum use of the protein in the grass: there are no storage losses and drying makes the protein more resistant.