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Winter feeding

Winter Feeding Programme

Assessing the fodder requirement and quality

  • Be aware of the amount of fodder necessary to carry various classes of stock through the winter - see Table 1.
  • Calculate the amount of fodder available on the farm - see Table 2. (See Appendix 1 for fodder balance sheet)
  • Have the silage analysed to determine its intake characteristics and production potential.
Bails of winter feed

Table 1: Estimated monthly feed requirement for various classes of stock

  Silage (tonnes/month) Small hay or straw bales/month
Dairy cows in milk
1.5
17
Dry spring calving suckler cow
1.2
14
200-250 KG store
0.7
7
350-400 KG store
1
10
Ewe
0.15
2N
Note : Assume all stock are fully housed

Table 2: Quantity of roughage in large bales

Roughage Large round bales
(1.3m diameter)
weight (KG)		 Equivalent no. of
small rectangular
bales/large bale		    Large square bales
(2.5x0.9x1.2m)
weight (kg)		 Equivalent no. of
small rectangular bales/large bale
Silage unchopped
450-500 (1)
N/A
770
N/A
Silage chopped
600-700 (1)
N/A
N/A
N/A
Wheat straw unchopped (2)
220
15
250
17
Wheat straw chopped (2)
230
15
N/A
N/A
Hay unchopped
275
14
400
20
Note:
(1) Silage dry matter 22-25 percent.
(2) Barley straw produces a denser bale than wheat straw and as a result will weigh more.

Assessing the quantity of silage in a clamp.

Measure the volume of silage in cubic metres, that is:
length (m) X width (m) X height (m)
The number of tonnes can then be calculated using the conversions in Table 3.

Table 3: Conversion factors to convert silage volume to tonnes of silage

Silage dry matter content
(percetage)		 Conversion
(volume in metres cubed to tonnes of fresh silage)
18
Multiply by 0.81
20
Multiply by 0.77
25
Multiply by 0.68
30
Multiply by 0.60

Worked example

If the silage in a silo measures 28 metres long x 10 metres wide and 2.7 metres deep = 756 metres3.
To convert to fresh weight for a 25percent DM silage then multiply 756 m3 x 0.68 = 514 tonnes of fresh silage.

Tonnage of hay and straw

Count the number of bales and multiply by the weight of each (see Table 2).

Minimum roughage requirement

Ruminants require fibre in their diet for rumination (chewing). Evidence suggests that a diet should contain 25-35 percent neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in the dry matter and that 75 percent of this should come from forage. Table 4 shows the estimated minimum requirements for a dairy cow in milk and a dry suckler cow.

Table 4: Estimated minimum roughage requirements for dairy and suckler cows

  Minimum fresh silage (KG/day) Minimum hay/straw (KG/day)
Dairy cow
(giving 30 litres/day)
25
(4.5t) (1)
5.8
(1.0t)
Suckler cow
(550 KG dry cow)
10.2
(1.8t)
2.3
(0.4t)
Note (1) Figures in brackets (Table 4) denote the quantity required per cow over a 180-day winter.

Additional comments

  • To meet the animal’s feed requirement high levels of concentrate will need to be fed along with the minimum roughage levels shown in Table 4. Such diets increase the risk of acidosis and laminitis in cattle.
  • Consult your local DARD Development Adviser if you are considering feeding the minimum amounts of roughage so that a suitably balanced concentrate can be recommended.

General points in relation to feeding cattle and sheep

  • Compare the price of compounds/straights/roughages from several different sources.
  • Consider the use of value for money by-products as straights (see Table 5) to replace a shortfall in roughage.
  • Analysis of roughages should be carried out before any rations are formulated.
  • Producers involved in home mixing must be aware of the need to register with DARD. This will include farmers who buy in complementary feeds (such as mineral feedingstuff or protein concentrates) containing additives and mix them with their own material.

Relative feed value of straights

Where a fodder shortage exists for stock you intend overwintering, extra feed will have to be purchased. Table 5 shows the relative values of various straights when fed.

Table 5: Relative feed values of straights compared with barley/soya

(Assume barley @ £85/tonne and soya meal @ £130/tonne)
   £   Effective ME Protein percentage
Barley
85
11.4
9.5
Wheat
85
11.4
11
Maize (high silage diet)
95
13.2
8
Maize (high concentrate diet)
105
13.2
8
Maize gluten (growing cattle)
91
10.9
18
Maize gluten (finishing cattle)
82
10.9
18
Maize germ meal
86
10.5-12.5
10
Molasses
57
8
4
Molassed sugar beet pulp
79
10.6
9
Sunflower
84
8
27
Soya
130
11.6
46
Rapeseed
113
10.8
36
Cottonseed
97
9.5
30
Maize distillers
106
11.6
26
Fishmeal
153
12.2
62
Copra
98
11.5
20
Note:
  • Values calculated using DARD relative feed value programme.
  • Barley at £85/t excludes a £10/t rolling/milling charge.
  • Prices of barley/soya prevailing at mid October 1998. By comparison feeds such as maize gluten, maize distillers, copra and rapeseed are good value for money however they are more variable in composition.

Rationing Fodder

  • Mark silo walls with each month’s ration of silage for the stock on the farm. One bay of a silo 35 ft (9.1m) wide, 15ft 9 (4.8m) long, and filled to a settled depth of 6ft (1.8m) holds 53 tonnes of silage at 25 percent DM.
  • Where stock are fed restricted quantities of roughage ensure adequate feed space is available (for example, weanling 500mm, suckler cow 750mm). This may mean reducing stock numbers in a pen or providing additional feed space such as a ring feeder.

Table 6: Standards used when formulating rations for the various enterprises

  Good
silage		 Average
silage		   Hay    Straw Beef conc. Dairy conc.
DM percentage
25
20
85
86
87
87
CP (percent DM)
15.8
14
8.5
4
17.2
20.7
ME (MJ/KG DM)
11.5
10.8
8.6
6.5
11.8
13
Cost (3/t fresh)
14
11
75
55
120
120