Five points to check in your clamp to help boost next season’s silage

Looking to produce more milk from forage? Use our five point checklist to examine your clamp and see what lessons it can reveal to help you boost next season's silage. 

Don’t just view your grass clamp as a storage pit. Open clamps also provide an invaluable source of information, which can help improve your silage-making next year. 

Why bother examining your clamp?

Your silage is fed for six months of the year or more and its quality and quantity can have a massive impact on a farm’s financial health.

Five point checklist for your clamp

1. How does the clamp look?

Begin by making an assessment of how tidy the clamp is. And be honest with yourself.

Is the face untidy and allowing air to get in? If so, correcting an untidy face is a fairly ‘easy fix’. If you do it now, it can make a big difference to reducing air ingress and surface wastage this year. 

If waste is present deeper in the clamp, it may be sign of a poor fermentation. Which means the way silage is made may need improving in future. 

Better clamp consolidation, correct use of a proven additive, and improvements in clamp sealing are all things that may need considering.

Inadequate consolidation is a big problem nowadays, because trailers often arrive at clamps in rapid succession, leaving little time to properly compact and roll the previous load. 

If darker, black layers are visible in the silage, it can be a sign that excess nitrogen was present in the grass when it was harvested. After applying nitrogen, it is important to allow a long enough window before cutting.

2. Temperature – how cool is it?

Another good indicator of the quality of the silage’s compaction is its temperature. It needs to stay cool. 

If it’s heating up it’s a sign of aerobic spoilage, which is caused when yeasts and moulds feed on the silage in the presence of air. This action effectively ‘burns up’ its nutrients.

Unfortunately, problems with heating in the clamp won’t go away when the silage is exposed to more air at feed-out. You may need to consider an additive to reduce heating in the feed trough. 

To prevent heating next season, better clamp consolidation and sealing may be required.

 3. Smell – what does the silage smell like?

Another simple check is how the silage smells. Is it sweet or unpleasant?

If it’s unpleasant, it could be signs that a poor fermentation, caused by undesirable micro-organisms, has taken place. As with aerobic spoilage (heating), this means some of its feed value will have been lost. Even if you’ve done all the other ensiling steps well, if the fermentation hasn’t been effective, your other efforts may have been undermined.

Next season, take as many steps as possible to ensure only ‘good bacteria’ that produce the right type of fermentation dominate the clamp.

 4. Feel – how does it feel?

Next, check the silage’s texture.

Slimy silage can also be a sign of excess nitrogen present in the grass at harvest, and can also be due to low sugars and a poor fermentation allowing undesirable microbes to take hold. These undesirable microbes have effectively started to break down what’s in the clamp.

As well as checking whether silage is slimy, check also whether it is leafier or more fibrous than you expected. If it’s excessively fibrous, it suggests the grass was cut too late and contains excess stem material – for example if cutting was delayed in pursuit of extra bulk.

The optimum cutting time for both yield and quality is just before grass starts heading. After heading, its digestibility falls by about 0.5% a day.

5. Moisture – how wet or dry is the silage?

Finally, assess the silage’s moisture content.

If it’s wetter or drier than expected, it may be a sign that your wilting technique needs re-checking. Wilting to 28-32% dry matter – and doing it rapidly – is the optimum for both minimising in-field losses and minimising effluent risk in the clamp.

If the silage is wetter than the grass that was originally ensiled, it can be another sign that the fermentation was slow and inefficient. That’s because a by-product of a slow fermentation is water. Ensiling with a proven additive will reduce this risk.

Next steps to consistently better silage.…

Rather than relying on memory when making these assessments, make a few notes of any good and bad points as you’re going along, and keep them safe.

Better still, take photos too as a visual reminder.

By doing this, you can prepare a simple action plan of any improvements necessary – such as re-assessing your cutting dates or clamp consolidation and sealing methods, or ordering a proven additive.

Head over to our treating silage page today.

Harvest checklist to help farmers capitalise on sustainability of maize

With the drive to farm sustainably, be sure to capitalise on the excellent potential in this year’s forage maize crops as a high-energy, home-grown feed for dairy cows. Do this by minimising nutrient losses and wastage when turning maize crops into silage. 

Those are the messages from Volac silage expert Ken Stroud, who says this season has set the scene for some very good maize crops. But maize can harbour a range of undesirable microbes – for example on dying leaves and on rotting tassels that collect in leaf joints – which can feed on its nutrients and interfere with preservation in the clamp. 

“Unless prevented, undesirable bacteria, yeasts and moulds can cause losses equivalent to between one and two trailer loads of dry matter out of every 10 trailer loads ensiled,” says Mr Stroud. “More importantly, losses aren’t just the least nutritious parts of the dry matter. They are likely to be sugars and starches, which are the main energy sources that maize is grown for.” 

To help farmers minimise losses and lock-in the maximum sustainability benefits of maize, Volac has prepared a five-point checklist of some best practice harvest and ensiling tips. 

1. Harvest maize at its peak

Maize is often regarded as only ready to harvest once it dies back. But the optimum is as soon as it reaches 30-33% dry matter content, Mr Stroud stresses, which is usually while it is still green.

Waiting longer can increase starch in the cobs. But if this is at the expense of leaves dying back, then the plant will become less digestible to the cow. Also, this dead leaf tissue harbours yeasts and moulds. Monitor the crop’s increasing dry matter regularly,” he urges. “That way, you can give your contractor advanced notice of when 30-33% dry matter is likely to be reached.

2. Avoid the fermentation trap

Avoid the trap of thinking maize always ferments efficiently. It can typically lose nearly a tenth of its dry matter through inefficient fermentation, says Mr Stroud, and inefficient fermentation bacteria feed on sugars, so the metabolisable energy of the remaining silage will also be lower. 

Take steps to improve fermentation, for example by applying a proven bacterial additive. In trials, an additive containing the efficient fermentation bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 has cut dry matter losses by half.

3. Head-off heating (aerobic spoilage)

As well as fermentation losses, maize silage is prone to similar losses from heating – caused by yeast and mould growth in the presence of air. Airtight conditions in the clamp (see below) are crucial to minimise these losses, says Mr Stroud, but this alone is not always sufficient, particularly in clamps with wider faces which, once opened, are exposed to air for long periods of time. 

Applying a dual-acting bacterial additive allows you to target both problems,” he says. “Ecocool, for example, contains MTD/1 bacteria for fermentation, plus Lactobacillus buchneri PJB/1 to inhibit yeast and moulds. It has been shown to keep maize silage cool and stable for more than 10 days.

 4. Clamp down on consolidation

Do not compromise clamp consolidation. It can be tempting if in a rush, Mr Stroud acknowledges, but you could be living with the consequences of poor preservation from air in the clamp for a long time.  

Shorter chop lengths are useful to aid consolidation, especially if maize is dry. So consider chopping to 1.2-2.2cm. Also, fill clamps at a maximum angle of 20 degrees to the horizontal and in layers at most 10-15cm deep, to get maximum benefit from the compaction machinery. Typically, maize at 30% dry matter requires 25% of its weight arriving at the clamp per hour to consolidate it. So 100 tonnes per hour requires 25 tonnes, which means at least two machines rolling constantly.

5. Keep out air

Once air has been squeezed out, keep it out by creating as much of an airtight bag in the clamp as possible, says Mr Stroud. In practice, he says this means lining the walls with polythene side sheets down to the ground because concrete can be porous, and placing an oxygen barrier film on top of the maize, which ‘clings’ to it to seal the surface. 

Side sheets should have at least a one-metre overlap on top of the oxygen barrier film, before the top sheet is pulled tight over the oxygen barrier film. Use a heavy, woven sheet over the top sheet to protect against damage, followed by plenty of weight. Remember, clamp bases rarely suffer from heating and spoilage simply because the weight of the silage above.

For more top tips, explore our maize silage advice or download our Handy Maize Guide today. 

Contact Ken Stroud for more information on maize sustainability, 07713 197084 or via ken.stroud@volac.com

Harvest is one-shot opportunity to lock ‘goodness’ into maize silage

There is enough energy in a hectare of fresh forage maize to support about 30,000 - litres of milk production in dairy cows, once animal maintenance needs are met.  

The starting point to good maize preservation is to harvest the crop at the correct time and in the correct way. 

But decisions at harvest can have a huge impact on how much of this energy is actually preserved in the silage. Also, unlike grass, which is harvested multiple times a season, there’s only one chance to get maize harvest and preservation right. 

It is easy to underestimate how much milk can come from maize, but it’s also easy to underestimate the losses in its feed value that can occur during storage.

Typical losses are around 15% of the maize dry matter ensiled,” says Peter Smith; Volac silage expert, “but they can be much higher. The most obvious loss occurs when maize silage heats up, caused by yeasts and moulds ‘feeding on’ the silage in the presence of air. But losses from poor fermentation can typically be 8%, or potentially much more.

The starting point to good preservation is to harvest maize at the correct time and in the correct way. You should harvest when the whole plant is at 30-33% dry matter and chop it to 1.5 - 2cm lengths. Also, don’t cut the crop too low.

Cutting at the correct stage and using the correct chop length and cutting height, not only optimises nutrient content but also sets the crop up for a better preservation. High dry matters and long chop lengths make it more difficult to squeeze the air out of the crop in the clamp, which encourages heating from the growth of yeasts and moulds.

Over recent seasons, many farmers have reported that maize silage dry matters have been high. This suggests crops have been harvested a bit late. To avoid this, keep regular checks on plant maturity before the expected harvest date, and keep your contactor regularly informed, explains Mr Smith.

A lot of attention is often paid to other stages of growing maize crops, such as ploughing and sowing date. But the same level of control may not always be applied to the preservation.

“This extends to using additives: it is easy to omit one, but that leaves the preservation much more open to chance. Look for a dual-purpose additive: one that not only controls heating but also improves fermentation.”

As an example, Ecocool applies two strains of beneficial bacteria – one shown to produce a rapid fermentation, and one that inhibits yeasts and moulds. It has been shown to reduce dry matter losses and also significantly delay heating of maize silage, and grass too.

With maize silage dry matter losses normally being around 15%, covering both potential problems like this is important. “There is an argument that greener maize needs more help with fermentation, while in more mature maize, yeast and mould levels increase.

Maize preservation can also often go wrong during clamp filling, because there’s pressure to complete the job quickly. Take time to consolidate the crop thoroughly and seal it fully – not only to starve spoilage organisms of oxygen but also to aid the fermentation. 

To squeeze air out, you need to consolidate to a density of 700 kg of fresh maize per cubic metre. To achieve this, fill in horizontal layers a maximum of 15 cm deep. A second machine consolidating the clamp is vital to achieve this consistently.

After all this good work of excluding air from the clamp, don’t let it back in again. As well as a top sheet to cover the whole clamp, good quality side sheets all the way to the floor and coming up to give a 1-2 metre overlap on top of a cling film-type sheet on top of the silage are essential for success. 

There is no single step to good maize preservation,” says Mr Smith. “It needs a multi-step approach.

We’re happy to help with our free Cut to Clamp silage audits. To find out more, get in touch with our team today or request your free on farm silage consultation online.

More milk from well-preserved maize sets farm up for future

Growing and feeding more maize and conserving it well have seen some big milk yield increases for one North Wales farm – to the extent it is now ready to enter a period of consolidation.

The last 10 years have witnessed some big changes at Pengwern Farm, Rhuddlan, not far from Rhyl on the North Wales coast.

Run by Huw Jones in partnership with his wife and mother, in addition to expanding the commercial Holstein Friesian herd from 200 to 500 milkers plus 300 followers, average milk yield per cow during this time has been boosted by 30%, from 7,500 to 9,800 litres.

The latter, in no small part, has been due to a big increase in forage maize feeding, believes Huw. The area of maize ensiled has increased from 13 to 300 acres over the last decade: it now makes up the majority of the silage in the complete diet. But hand in hand with this goes strict attention to detail in how the crop is harvested and conserved to maximise its nutritional value. 

We’re trying to get more milk out of forage because feed prices are going up,” explains Huw, who is third generation on the farm. “We’re saving a lot on feed but not losing production. We mainly only buy in protein.

Cropping at Pengwern comprises 400 acres of grass, 200 acres of winter wheat for crimping for the dairy herd, and 210 acres of forage maize. The remaining 90 acres of maize are purchased as a standing crop from a neighbour. A further 550 acres of arable land are also contract-farmed.

Milk is sold on a liquid contract, averaging 4.10% butterfat and 3.35% protein, with calving from 1 August to the end of February. Lower-yielding cows and those in-calf are grazed outside from spring, while freshly-calved and higher-yielding cows remain housed, only transitioning to grazing when yield drops below 27 litres. “I haven’t got enough land to have them all out,” explains Huw, “or to have them spring-calved.”

With such an intensive herd expansion, maize was therefore an ideal, high energy forage for the farm’s system. “After starting with 13 acres about 10 years ago and then growing 75 acres for a few years, we then tried some wholecrop, but it didn’t work, so we finished with it and increased the maize. We’re now at 60% maize silage in the diet and 40% grass silage. I think the maize is behind the milk yield increase,” Huw adds.

Also included in the complete diet are the homegrown crimped wheat, along with rapemeal, soya hulls and Trafford Syrup. A kilo of cake is fed in the parlour, with some adjustments for yield, at each of the twice-a-day milkings. 

But while growing more maize is one part of the equation, the other part is conserving it well. To achieve this, great care is taken with ensiling, but also with harvest to ensure the crop is in the best possible condition when it goes in the clamp.

Maize is harvested in a narrow range of 30-32% dry matter and produces a typical starch content of 32-34%. “If it’s too dry, I don’t think the cows perform on it,” Huw adds. 

With maize operations, we do everything bar the sowing and harvesting. We do the carting and clamping.

Two years ago when we built new clamps, we had them built higher so that silage wasn’t piled high over the top where it’s more difficult to consolidate, so that we have less waste.

"We have six clamps. Most are 60 feet wide but we’re moving to 25 feet. A new one we’re building that is 25 feet wide will also have two open ends so we can alternate which end we feed from. We always like to have some year-old maize silage. We find if we feed it fresh it’s not as good.

We also roll it well and pay a lot of attention to detail with the sheeting. Dad drummed into us to produce good silage,” he adds.

As well as lining clamp walls with side sheets and using an oxygen barrier film below the top sheet, care is taken to weight with sandbags not only all around the clamp edges but also at the bottom of the ramp for a complete seal. 

To enhance preservation of the farm’s different silages, a proven inoculant for improving fermentation is used on the grass, while a related, dual-acting inoculant – designed to both improve fermentation and stop heating (aerobic spoilage) – is used on the maize. “Maize is fed all through the summer,” says Huw, “so we need to keep it cool then as well.

 “Additives are a bit like minerals in the diet, in that you can’t see them working, but there is a big investment in a clamp full of silage to protect. We use Ecosyl on the grass. They say you get more milk from the additive. And we use Ecocool on the maize.

We have also started to roll the top sheet back at feedout, rather than cutting it. It’s not an easy job but the weight of the roll on the top edge of the face helps to stop it from going off.

As well as increasing milk yield, the increased maize silage in the ration and attention to detail has also been accompanied by nearly a 40% uplift in milk from forage – from 1,800 litres per cow two years ago to 2,500 litres today.

For the future, having put a lot of work into building up the farm system to where it is currently, Huw believes it is now time to consolidate and improve what he has with the cows.

“Increasingly, sustainability is in our mindset, both financial and environmental. We put Italian ryegrass in after the wheat, which gives us a silage crop in May and prevents us having bare fields over winter. And we’ve gone to multi-cut grass silage, taking five cuts for the first time this year, when we used to take three or four.

We don’t want to increase cow numbers any further. We reckon we can produce another 150,000 litres of milk a year just by letting the less productive cows go.

Clamping down on maize losses

Creating narrow clamps to minimise the size of the open silage face that is exposed to air at feedout, and to allow faster progression back through the clamp to stay ahead of air ingress, is a key method for reducing maize losses from spoilage and heating, says Peter Smith of Volac, who offers silage advice to Huw and other farmers. 

Heating losses are caused by yeast and mould growth in the presence of air, Peter says, so the more air you can keep out, the better.

Similarly, oxygen barrier films help because they are sucked down into the surface contours of the silage to minimise trapped air pockets. If possible, you should also position clamp faces so they are North-facing, so the sun isn’t hitting them which exacerbates heating.

When it comes to additive use, the beneficial bacterial strain Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 in Ecosyl has been shown to cut dry matter losses by about half. With typical losses even in a well-fermented untreated clamp running at about 10%, this equates to saving around 5% of the total dry matter. But what’s also important to remember is that this 5% is likely to be the more nutritious parts of the dry matter – such as sugar and starch, which are what you grow maize for in the first place – and not just the less nutritious fibre.

“For maize and other drier silages, the additive Ecocool contains this same bacterial strain for improving fermentation as in Ecosyl but also a second strain, Lactobacillus buchneri PJB/1, for tackling heating and spoilage.

“Thinking about sustainability, you don’t want silage wastage of any sort. So considering a dual-acting additive is important.”

For more top tips, explore our silage advice or download our Handy Maize Guide today. 

Win With Our 2022 Volac Forage Calendar Competition

Have you entered the Volac Forage calendar competition yet?

If not, get snapping!

The winners will receive a printed canvas of their winning image plus loads of Volac goodies, along with being featured in the Volac Forage 2022 Calendar. The best images will also be showcased on our blog and across social media!

Competition categories 

• Silage Making

• Farming Views

• Young Farmers

• Maize Pics

• Sheep Dogs

• Silage Clamp

• Family Farming

• Favourite Cow

• Cattle Sheds

• Baling Pics

• Farming Sunsets

• Winter Farming

How to enter

To enter, simply post your photo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, using #VolacCalendarCompetition2022 or you can email your photo to enquire@volac.com.

Please make sure you provide your name, address and contact number so that we know where all the fantastic photos have come from!

The competition is open now, and will run until October 15th 2021. 

Rules

1. The photo must be taken by the person entering.

2. We can only accept digital images.

3. You can enter one photo. Make sure you have a file size of at least 1Mb (incase you win).

4. Include your name and farm address with your entry.

5. The closing date of the competition is 15th October 2021.

6. Photos must depict ‘any of the categories mentioned above’.

7. Judging will take place within 2 weeks of the closing date and we’ll contact all prize-winners within 21 days.

8. Volac will not accept responsibility for lost or damaged entries.

9. Volac reserves the right to use any entry for commercial use.

Terms and conditions

1. The competition is only open to residents of the United Kingdom and Ireland. All entries (received by the 15th October 2021) will be judged by Volac – the judges decision is final.

2. By entering this competition you are giving Volac permission to use your photographs for commercial purposes.

3. This competition is being run by Volac International Ltd, who can be contacted at Volac House, Orwell, Royston, Herts, SG8 5QX. Telephone: 01223208021.

Good luck! 

Visit us at UK Dairy Day 2021

The countdown is on to UK Dairy Day 2021. Join us, at The International Centre in Telford on Wednesday 15th September 2021, for a day jam-packed with all things dairy (and silage of course!)

This year is all about sustainability, if you're looking for advice on how to get the most out of your home grown forage to reduce brought in feeds on your farm, we are here to help. So if you’re visiting UK Dairy Day, why not pop to our stand for a chat, you could pick up some silage making techniques to improve your home grown forage.

Volac aims to set the bar high for sustainable and ethical sourcing of materials, one example includes the use of HDPE plastic, known as the most environmentally stable of all plastics when recycled. Why not join us for hot topics on farming sustainability on stand H133. You’ll also have the chance to get hands on with some interactive exhibits on the stand and with sustainability at the heart of everything we do, you can learn more about Volac sustainability policies and how these can be implemented on your farm.

Visit Volac on stand H153!

With the drive to farm sustainably, be sure to capitalise on the excellent potential in this year’s forage maize crops as a high-energy, home-grown feed for dairy cows. Do this by minimising nutrient losses and wastage when turning maize crops into silage.

Those are the forage messages from Volac at this year’s UK Dairy Day. The company says this season has set the scene for some very good maize crops. But maize can harbour a range of undesirable microbes – for example on dying leaves and on rotting tassels that collect in leaf joints – which can feed on its nutrients and interfere with preservation in the clamp.

Volac silage expert Ken Stroud says: “Unless prevented, undesirable bacteria, yeasts and moulds can cause losses equivalent to between one and two trailer loads of dry matter out of every 10 trailer loads ensiled”. More importantly, losses aren’t just the least nutritious parts of the dry matter. They are likely to be sugars and starches, which are the main energy sources that maize is grown for.”

The event is completely FREE to attend, with no pre-registration required, so it’s also a great opportunity to get out and catch up with friends and colleagues in the dairy industry, after what feels like an eternity in lockdown. We would love for you to join us at UK Dairy Day, where we can assist you with any queries relating to producing consistently better silage on your farm, along with any other dairy concerns.

If you can’t make it on the day, you don’t have to totally miss out, as we’ll be sharing the day’s events on our social media channels. So be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and check in throughout the day to find out what we’re getting up to.

Find it at The International Centre, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 4JH.

Can’t wait to see you there!

Beating bad bugs in maize silage

If you grow maize, chances are you’re serious about maximising milk from forage. Because maize silage is an ideal partner for grass silage.

But after all the expense and effort put into growing it, have you ever thought about the number of ‘bad bugs’ – bacteria, yeasts and moulds – that can be present on the crop when it’s ensiled, and which can affect its dry matter (DM) content and nutritional quality?

As well as fungal diseases that can live on maize, such as eyespot, smut and Fusarium, decomposing crop debris and dirt can become trapped in leaf joints. And if the crop is harvested after it has started senescing, then dead tissue is a breeding ground for undesirable ‘bugs’.

These are in addition to any soil microbes that get up onto the stem base, especially in muddy conditions.

Would you ensile grass in the same state?

No? Then what can be done?

Inhibit growth

In a nutshell, minimise the number of bad bugs that get into the clamp in the first place, then inhibit the growth of any that do.

Firstly, make sure the clamp area and any machines coming into the clamp are completely soil-free. But also, harvest at the correct time and cut at the correct height. 

Modern maize varieties often reach the optimum 30-33% DM content for harvest while still green. You don’t have to wait for them to die back. Also, as well as the stem base being a source of soil and mould spores, it is of low nutrition value anyway. So always leave at least 15 cm of stubble. 

To minimise the growth of bad ‘bugs’ that do get into the clamp, a suitable dual-active additive not only helps improve the fermentation, so that the pH falls faster and bad bacteria are inhibited sooner, it also inhibits the activity of yeasts and moulds that cause heating. That’s important because heating is a sure sign that some of the hard work and expense you put into growing maize is going waste.

Finally, consolidate the clamp thoroughly and seal fully. Maize needs compacting to a density of 700 kg of fresh weight per cubic metre. To aid consolidation, consider a chop length of 1.5–2 cm and fill clamps in horizontal layers no more than 15cm deep, not in a wedge shape. 

Seal with an oxygen barrier film on top. Use side sheets folded over this using a minimum 1-2 metre overlap, followed by a top sheet pulled tight, a well-weighted woven sheet, and netting to stop birds damaging the sheet and letting air in.

Maize silage can be prone to losses from inefficient fermentation. These losses are invisible and can run at about 8% for maize harvested at the recommended dry matter content. However in some cases they may be higher – e.g. with some suggestion that DM losses can be as high as 20-30% between the field (pre-harvest) and what finally ends up in the rumen.

Some examples of the benefits of including Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 bacteria to produce a faster, more efficient initial fermentation:

• Makes better use of available sugars

• Preserves more nitrogen as true protein

• Reduces fermentation DM losses

• Minimises undesirable microbial activity

• Animal performance
  

Some examples of the benefits of including Lactobacillus buchneri PJB/1 bacteria to inhibit the activities of the yeasts and moulds that cause aerobic spoilage:

• Less heating

• Lower DM losses

• Less physical waste

• Higher energy feed

• Less risk of mycotoxins
  

An example of an additive containing both of these beneficial bacteria is Ecocool.

For more top tips, explore our silage advice or download our Handy Maize Guide today.

Contact Ken Stroud for more information on how you can beat bad bugs in maize silage, 07713 197084 or via ken.stroud@volac.com