The 2021 grass season will remain in the memory of many for a long time as an extreme and wet year. Making the right decision has led to stressful days for some dairy farmers. The weather forecasts often changed when the decision had just been made. How does this affect the quality of the silage?
In Boerenbusiness Roughage Tour Leo Tjoonk, team leader for roughage at Agrifirm, looks cautiously back on this eventful growing season. Thanks to the collaboration with Eurofins, Tjoonk sees thousands of different potholes pass by. "The average of all the sampled silages is quite good. For example, an average of about 920 VEM is achieved and the crude protein content is not too bad. However, the differences are large this year."
It is not easy to explain where these differences come from. For example, the result of the first cut was not necessarily dependent on the mowing date. "A delayed first cut is not necessarily a bad thing. This is also related to how the silage process was successful," says Tjoonk.
To determine whether the ensiling process has been successful, we look at the NH3 fraction, sugars and the PH value. With an NH3 fraction of higher than 9 and almost no sugars, the silage is not yet stable and therefore very susceptible to heating when loosened. The PH value must also be low enough for a stable silage. The aim is to achieve a value below 4,5.
Take stock of the roughage
Now that the barn period is approaching, it is time to look at the quality of the roughage. In this way it can be determined which products have to be purchased to make a good winter ration. Tjoonk advises to look first at the dry matter percentage of the pits. "If the pits are wet, so below 30%, look for dry and resistant supplements in the ration. If there are especially many dry pits, take a supplement that is wetter and more unstable."
The cow tells the final story. This is a commonly used slogan, but this year once again shows why it is so important. "Rumen fermentation is the most important measuring instrument. To assess this, the rumen filling, manure score and general appearance of the cow are important. Is one of these three not satisfactory? Adjust where necessary or ask for advice."
Give it time
The first pits are now being fed and, according to Tjoonk, sometimes show a surprising picture. Potholes that appear to have only 850 VEM on paper can still be less than that in practice. Mainly because the growth of the grass has been different this year than in the previous 3 years. "Due to the fast and easy growth of the grass, the cell wall structure is different from that of previous years. For the cow, the cell wall is easier to break down and the nutrients are released better and more easily than with grass from previous years. These cell walls were worse digestible, because the grass was suffering from the drought at the time. That was not a problem this year," says Tjoonk. "Patience and small adjustments are important to achieve an optimal ration."
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