Last year’s relatively mild and dry autumn allowed many livestock farmers a welcome extension of the grazing season, which reduced some pressure on forage stocks following the summer drought conditions. Despite the extended grazing period, some farms have been rationing silage stocks this winter by supplementing diets with lower-quality forages such as straw, whilst others have continued with their standard winter diets with one eye on spring.
January has brought cold and very wet conditions for many and thoughts will once again be on what the weather may have in store for spring growth and suitable ground conditions for turnout. Farmers anxious for an early spring to maintain growth or milk production are advised to act now to reduce the risk should the weather not be kind, by altering diets to extend their forage availability.
Extending silage with low quality forages and molasses
All fibrous forages including silage, haylage, hay and straw benefit from supplemental sugar from molasses to improve fibre digestibility which in turn will increase dry matter intakes. Research has shown that when supplementing diets with 6% or above dry matter intake as six-carbon sugars, we stimulate not only the bacteria within the rumen, but also and perhaps more importantly, the protozoa, which are very efficient at digesting fibre. Nutritionists tend to focus discussions with farmers around bacteria in the rumen, and although they play a vital role in the fermentation of feeds, protozoa are perhaps overlooked in their value in terms of fibre digestion.
Protozoa thrive on sugar and play a fundamental part in breaking down fibrous material. This is especially the case with low-quality forages such as straw but is just as important when feeding high-quality forages to ensure as much nutrition is utilised from the diet as possible.
As ever when making changes to diets, it is helpful to do so gradually, so acting now to reduce silage inputs and replace with increased straw or similar and a QLF molasses product to stimulate digestibility, will allow more flexibility later to assess what the spring weather may have in store. Should further silage savings be needed, the sugar-supplemented rumen population will be well placed to cope with increased fibre diets, and the molasses will help mask any palatability changes for the animals.
Protein supplementation through molasses
In most cases forages used to extend silage stocks such as hay or straw, tend to have a considerably reduced crude protein content. Without sufficient rumen degradable protein available, the time it takes for these forages to break down in the rumen can be long, even with the help of an increased protozoa population from sugar supplementation. Long dwell times will ultimately mean reduced dry matter intake and severely reduced growth or milk production.
A simple and reliable means to provide a suitable source of rumen degradable protein to drive fermentation is through QLF’s Timed Release Protein molasses products such as the TMR or Quali-Pro ranges. Timed Release Protein provides a safe and continuous source of ammonia to rumen bacteria, due to the unique urea-phosphoric acid bond slowing the breakdown of urea to maximise feed value. Protein molasses products are suitable for animals over 12 weeks of age.
Replacing grass silage completely
It is important to note that although protein molasses with straw or hay is an excellent way to extend silage stocks if any farmers find themselves needing to fully replace silage with lower-quality forages, further energy supply needs to be considered. Rolled cereals can be a useful option if available on farm, however, a combination of a Wynnstay compound feed and QLF molasses can provide an excellent balance of protein, energy and protozoa-loving sugars to ensure the greatest nutrition is recovered from the diet as possible. Contact your Wynnstay representative to discuss the best options for your individual farm needs.
