AHDB Dairy: Making the best silage for dry cows

Episode 341,   May 20, 2022, 06:00 AM

Milking cows and dry cows have very different requirements from their diet. What might be high quality silage for one animal is another’s poison! As forage makes up the major part of a cow's ration it is vital that silages are made with the end use in mind, and targeted to the dietary requirements of the group.

Planning a silage strategy starts well before the mower comes out of the shed. Sward type, slurry and fertiliser applications, and timing of mowing are all vital in producing optimum silage quality that meets the requirements of the specific stock on your farm.

In this episode, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager David Ball is joined by Matt Jackson from Penllech Bach in Wales, part of our strategic dairy farm programme, and Dave Davies from Silage Solutions, to find out how the two have been working together to ensure Matt is optimising forage quality for his dry cows.

Find more tools and resources on silage
Follow Penllech Bach's strategic farm journey

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This episode was produced and edited by Kate Smith, Marcomms Executive (Dairy).