Leicestershire dairy farmer Mark Lovatt’s approach to forage production is well-planned, adaptable, and with scrupulous attention to detail, just like every other aspect of the management at Oak Lodge Farm.
This approach is a big part of the reason why the 220-cow herd has become one of the top performing in the country, with average yields topping 13,000 litres/cow at a remarkable feed efficiency of 1.57 energy corrected litres per kilogramme of dry matter (DM) fed.
Daily DM intakes for the milking cows are exceptional, at over 27kg/cow. In a ration that is typically 60% silage – a mixture of maize and grass – this is only possible with a consistently high quality forage component.
Our aim is to produce as much milk as possible from homegrown feed,” says Mark. “I believe in maximising the value of what goes into the clamp and making best use of what comes out. There’s no set formula. It’s about tailoring what we do to suit the situation, whether that’s the date we mow grass, the variety of maize for a particular field, or the balance of forages in the ration on any given day.
Farming in partnership with his father, Edwin, and wife, Saffron, Mark manages a total of 275ha near Stoney Stanton, which is partly owned and partly rented. All cattle are retained on the farm, either as dairy replacements or reared for beef, and there is a significant arable operation running alongside the forage crops.
“We’ve evolved our system in recent years, taking the decision to instal four milking robots in 2019, and from that point the milkers have been fully housed,” adds Mark. “So our grass leys are now entirely for silage production, which we cut at approximately five-weekly intervals, with the first three mainly for the milking cows and two further cuts for the youngstock and beef system. The overriding aim is to maximise quantity and quality of forage produced on the farm.”
The grass silage area extends to around 50ha, with roughly 65ha each year in maize, all grown within an arable rotation. Grass leys are renewed every three years, with the farm moving away from mainly Italian ryegrass to a mixture with a greater proportion of hybrid ryegrasses that offers more leafiness and quality, alongside high yields and better persistence.
The farm makes full and accurate use of separated slurry, with the liquid being analysed before being applied after each cut through an umbilical system and dribble bar.
Knowing the analysis of the dirty water we apply allows us to determine precisely how much additional nitrogen is required as a top-dressing,” explains Mark. “The separated solids go onto our wheat and maize ground.
Much of the detail around grass silage making is dictated by conditions, with the main aim being to achieve consistency and quality in the clamp.
“I want the grass in the clamp 24 hours after it’s cut, so the first thing is to plan with the weather, as far as possible,” says Mark. “A good relationship – and advanced communication – with a local contractor is essential, and then it’s about being adaptable.
“We mow ourselves, so will set the conditioning intensity according to the crop, and we’ll make the decision to spread the grass – and the timing of rowing up – with the aim of hitting our target 28-30% dry matter.”
One non-negotiable is the use of an effective silage inoculant, with Volac’s Ecosyl 100 routinely applied for the past two years, to good effect. Containing the MTD/1 strain of bacteria, and with proven ability to improve fermentation quality and animal performance, it is an important element in the quest for consistently high quality forage.
We take advice from our nutritionist on the use of silage additives,” adds Mark. “We also routinely use Ecocool on all our maize and have been very happy with the results there too.
Ensiling is another area where detail counts, with Mark insisting on filling the clamps in layers, to create the most consistent forage.
“Grass from any particular cut will be coming from multiple fields, and each field will be slightly different, so by clamping the grass in layers we aim to avoid any sudden changes in forage quality when feeding.
It’s important to achieve good compaction, but we’re careful not to over-compact the crop. Again, it’s about tailoring what we do according to variables like how wet or dry the grass is.
Similar principles are applied with ensiling the maize, which typically requires more rolling, and in all cases clamps are double-sheeted, with generous overlaps at the shoulders and sides, and sandbags are now preferred to tyres.
First and second cuts of grass in 2023 have been analysed at 12.1 MJ/kg ME, D-value 76 and 16% protein. The maize, which is lower in starch and energy than usual this year, has also analysed at over 12 MJ/kg ME with a starch level of 30%.
Forages are fed as part of a mixed ration through a diet feeder, dispensed once a day, with the proportion of grass and maize varying according to stocks available.
“We use a shear bucket and do everything we can to maintain clean and tidy clamp faces,” says Mark. “We’re typically feeding around 60% maize and 40% grass silage in the forage ration, but we recalculate the ration daily and it could be as high as 80% maize, depending on stocks and forage analysis.”
Everything is done at Oak Lodge Farm to encourage intakes, from presenting the ration at an optimum 45% dry matter to ensuring every cow has at least 75cm of feed access.
Success can be measured by a number of factors, not least the outstanding 1.57 litres/kg feed efficiency referred to earlier, but when it comes to assessing the value of quality grass and maize silage, a milk from forage figure of 5,329 litres/year is a significant indicator.