More dairy farmers are using cereals to manage forage supplies and reduce feed risk as another season of variable weather puts pressure on grass and maize production.
The flexibility of cereals allows producers to delay key harvest decisions until later in the growing season, says Emma Church, regional business manager at Lallemand Animal Nutrition. This approach creates time to assess silage stocks, crop performance and winter feed requirements before committing to a harvest strategy – helping to balance forage inventories, maximise homegrown feed and keep a lid on bought-in feed costs.
Feed options
“You don’t need to decide how to use the crop until after two or even three cuts of grass silage, once maize silage stocks and seasonal growing conditions have been assessed,” says Ms Church.
Where grass yields are disappointing or maize crops underperform, cereals can be harvested as wholecrop silage to add volume and effective fibre. Farms with sufficient forage stocks but lower dietary energy levels may instead opt to harvest cereals as crimped grain, producing a high-energy feed ingredient.
Harvest timing
The choice depends largely on crop maturity. Wholecrop silage is typically harvested at 35-40% dry matter, while crimped grain is combined at 60-75% dry matter, usually around two weeks before conventional combining.
Whatever the route chosen, clamp management remains critical. “If not compacted properly, oxygen pockets can form in the clamp, increasing the risk of spoilage from yeasts and moulds,” says Ms Church.
Short chop lengths for whole-crop, grain processing for crimped grain and spreading material in thin 20cm layers all help improve consolidation and reduce oxygen levels. Inoculants tailored to crop type and harvesting conditions can further improve preservation. They can help promote rapid fermentation, reduce heating and limit aerobic spoilage at feed-out.