Farmer Focus: Earlier silage cut is improving our quality
Colin Murdoch © Jeff Holmes You know it’s dry up here when the golf course opposite our farm turns on the irrigation system for the greens.
It doesn’t happen very often, but they’re on every day at the moment. I did enquire if they could reach our parched spring wheat, but apparently not.
One way to guarantee rain, is to get the paddling pool out in the garden and so I filled it up today. I’m tempted to buy a new barbecue, although that’s maybe a step too far.
See also: How to replace concentrates and get more milk from forage
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After last year’s silage analysis showed second cut being better than first, we decided to take the plunge and went on 4 May.
This is the earliest we’ve ever started, but having had the grass analysis tests back from our nutritionist, I knew the nitrogen had all been used up and digestibility (D-value) was beginning to decrease.
Interestingly, NDF (neutral detergent fibre) levels were higher than I would have liked and I put this down to not having sheep on for winter. The problem is that every year is different.
Thankfully, one clamp is full with what should hopefully be decent silage, it’s always nice to see it sticking to the tyres of the buckrake.
I chased the forager with the fertiliser spreader to try and take advantage of overnight heavy dew before slurry was applied (all on within 48 hours), and fields have greened up at a remarkable rate.
We’re about to start calving another batch of heifers to boost numbers a bit again and it’s lovely to see all youngstock now outside for the summer with the sun on their backs.
After recent discussions with our milk buyer, it’s reassuring to know that Jersey milk remains in very good demand and that they want us to produce as much as we can.
The cows are certainly milking extremely well at the moment, with the fresh grass combined with the total mixed ration, and I’m loath to change anything.
As ever, the challenge will be maintaining grass quality over the next few weeks, with growth rates so high.
Butterfat has eased back slightly to 6.05%, but our milk is now being tested with every collection and I’m intrigued to see if different fields – or dry matter – have a noticeable effect.