The value of quality silage: a key driver of dairy farm profitability

As milk prices continue downwards, farmers are scrutinising costs of production, with many focussed on the cost of feed. Jonathan Hill, principal consultant with Promar International, explains the value of making more milk from high-quality forage.

For dairy farms, good quality silage is key to maximising milk production from forage and helping to reduce purchased feed costs.

Technical efficiency is a major driver of profitability on any farm and is something that sits firmly within our control.

At the present time of a lower milk price it is more important than ever to challenge feed use to optimise margin over purchased feed.

Why silage quality matters

When silage quality falls short, the cost is quickly reflected in reduced milk output or increased concentrate usage.

Even small improvements can have a significant impact. A 0.5 megajoule increase in silage metabolisable energy (ME) can support an additional litre of milk per cow per day. Across a 200-cow herd over a full winter, that improvement alone could represent an additional 30,000-40,000 litres of milk, or £10,000 more income.

Reducing feed costs

Feed remains the largest variable cost on most dairy farms. Producing better quality silage can significantly reduce reliance on bought-in feeds.

Improving the crude protein of your silage by 2% per kilogram of dry matter can allow a reduction of up 0.75kg of rape meal per cow per day. At current feed prices, this could equate to savings of around £6,000 for a 200-cow herd over winter.

Working with trusted advisors and using forage analysis effectively can help ensure these gains are realised in practice.

The role of silage additives

Silage additives are sometimes viewed purely as an additional cost, but when used correctly they can provide a strong return on investment.

Products designed to optimise fermentation help ensure the crop ferments rapidly and efficiently, reducing the growth of undesirable bacteria and preserving valuable nutrients within the forage.

For many farms, the cost of a silage additive represents only a small proportion of the overall cost of producing the crop. The benefits of improved fermentation, reduced losses and better feed value can be significant when combined with good clamp management and harvesting practices.

A whole-farm perspective

Every farm system is different, but the principle remains the same: the more milk produced from forage, the more resilient the business becomes.

Working with trusted advisors such as Promar can help ensure that every tonne of forage harvested delivers maximum value back to the business.