The winter routine has begun on dairy farms, with silage pits now open and cows in housing until next spring.
Silage will now be the main feed on farms for the coming months, and ensuring that this feed last until cows and young stock can return to grass next year is vital.
2023 has been a challenging year for grazing and harvesting of silage crops, but for the most part, silage supplies seem to be in good order.
Although some level of waste is expected, a poorly managed silage pit can result in increased amounts of waste.
Silage quality
To keep the quality of the feed high, you ideally want the face of your silage pit to be used within one week. The wider the pit, the longer it will take to eat the face, which can lead to increased spoilage.
A blunt shear grab will leave an uneven face, which will allow increased air flow through the pit – which also can lead to spoilage.
If you have not already done so, you should sharpen your shear grab, to keep the face of the pit tidy and to ensure a clean cut.
Any mouldy silage should not be fed to youngstock or dairy cows – firstly the feeding value of mouldy forage is decreased, but more importantly, it can have a negative impact on animal health.
Listeriosis is one disease that can affect cattle from eating mouldy silage. It is more commonly seen in youngstock.
Listeria can cause abortion, eye infection and brain disease. It is caused by the Listeria monocytogenes and is a zoonotic disease.
An issue with listeria in the herd could have a major financial impact on the farm.
Safety
When it comes to the management of silage pits, safety is also vital as in many cases working on the pit involves removing covers from a height.
Removing tyres and the plastic sheeting regularly is important, if you expose too much silage spoilage will be increased.
Little and often is the best approach for the silage pit cover.
Safety is important when removing the sheet and tyres, ideally this job should only be completed when there is two people on the farm.
Not only will this make the job easier, it will also make it safer, so if something was to happen the alarm can be raised.
Over the winter, the black sheet can become wet and slippy, which could lead to an accident. A fall from height could cause a serious injury so caution is advised.