This followed by drought conditions across most of the UK and Ireland this summer has caused a lot of concern as silage yields are down.
To see where you stand on your own farm for this winter, it is important to work out what your animals will require and what you have in your silo.
You can work out the amount of silage needed by using a table like the one below. Then multiply the AxBxC for each animal group. You can then add the amount needed for each animal group to get your total silage demand. Always add at least one extra month on to your winter as we cannot guarantee when spring will come next year.
Animal Type | Number of Stock (A) | Number of Months (B) | Tons of silage needed per month (C) | Silage Needed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dairy Cows | 1.6 | |||
Suckler Cows | 1.4 | |||
1 Year Old Cattle | 0.7 | |||
1-2 Year Old Cattle | 1.3 | |||
2+ Year Old Cattle | 1.3 | |||
Ewes | 0.15 | |||
Total Silage Needed |
To measure what is in your silo use the following equation-
Tonnes of grass silage = (Length (ft) X Width (ft) X Height (ft)) / 45
Tonnes of grass silage = Number of bales X 0.8
Now simply find the difference between your supply and demand to find if you have a surplus or a deficit.
If you find yourself short of fodder for the winter it is important to take steps now to reduce the deficit we cannot rely on an extended grazing season or an early spring. You could try some of these methods below-