Silage over Grass

CloughCasey1

At what point in the year does medium to good quality silage start to out perform grass while finishing cattle? (assuming goodish weather)

Willfarman

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

At what point in the year does medium to good quality silage start to out perform grass while finishing cattle? (assuming goodish weather)

Provided cattle have a mouthful of hay or straw, and grass is reasonable supply and assuming goodish weather cattle would be bombing along on a bit of barley.. When they go in on silage they tend to go back at first while gut adjusts.

FeelTheBern

You know the way people say the power has gone out of grass this time of year but has it really or is that just old world views?Suppose less sugar maybe if less sun but how does grass of a good grazing height in Oct compare in terms of energy to the same grass height earlier in the year?

Mooooo

Energy and dry matter would be way back. Earlier in the year grass would be in its reproductive phase and have a lot more energy. Dm was measured during the dry weather just gone and it was only at 14.5. In wetter or even damp days it drops to 12 and cattle struggle to get in enough. If you had good silage you could buffer with that but try to set up for spring grass as it has better value then than in the autumn

Sam Kade

FeelTheBern wrote: »

You know the way people say the power has gone out of grass this time of year but has it really or is that just old world views?Suppose less sugar maybe if less sun but how does grass of a good grazing height in Oct compare in terms of energy to the same grass height earlier in the year?

If you have grass banked up the power really goes out of it after the new year. I often had cattle grazing up to Christmas on grass only and they kept thriving even in wet weather. That was with 1.5 year + cattle any younger would want to be supplemented on grass.