Now that virtually every silage pit is open and silage is the main source of forage in the cow’s diet, minimising waste has to become a priority for the winter months.
Grass growth has been poor throughout the spring and summer months, which has affected fodder supplies across the country, which means there has to be an emphasis on protecting the silage that’s in the yard.
It has been a difficult season for silage making, with warm and wet conditions lingering for most of the grazing year both in the field, and in silage pits.
This weather has resulted in the increased development of moulds, predisposing winter feeds to a higher probability of some level of mycotoxin burden.
So, there is no doubt that given the difficult year for grazing and harvesting silage, some level of waste is going to be expected, but, if the silage pit is not managed correctly, the amount of waste is going to increase.
Silage pit
The face of your pit and the exposed silage should try and be used up within one week, as otherwise there is only going to be an increased amount of spoilage.
A wide silage pit can often lead to increased spoilage, as it is difficult to get across the pit and use up the exposed content within one week.
Your sheer grab is paramount in the sealing process of the silage pit, as a well-sharpened sheer grab will keep the face of the pit compact and ensiled.
A blunt sheer grab will leave the face of the pit uneven, will pull out silage rather than slice through it, and will leave it so air flow can go through the pit leading to spoilage.
Mouldy silage should not be fed to young stock or dairy cows, as it will firstly decrease the feeding value and will have a negative impact on animal health.
Common signs of cows that are suffering with mycotoxicosis are reduced milk production, increased somatic cell count (SCC) and mastitis, as well as fertility problems and diarrhoea.
The key is to be well prepared by regularly testing your silage to determine the mycotoxin load, and to help understand the mycotoxin burden.
In the case of young stock, they are more commonly prone to Listeriosis, which is a disease that can affect cattle from eating mouldy silage.
Listeria is caused by the Listeria monocytogenes and is a zoonotic disease and can cause abortion, eye infection and brain disease.
A small bit of plastic should be cut back at any one time as if you expose too much silage, spoilage will be increased and so a little but often approach to removing tires and cutting back plastic should be taken.
Rainwater will also wash any mycotoxins that are on top of the silage pit down through the silage if too much silage is exposed at one time.
