silage test

topgeas

came back at 46% dm and 73%dmd.

stanflt

topgeas wrote: »

came back at 46% dm and 73%dmd.

46dm must have serious problem with mould

C0N0R

What sort of dm are people aiming for? And what is dmd?

flatout11

C0N0R wrote: »

What sort of dm are people aiming for? And what is dmd?

DMD = digestable dry matter essentially its a measure of how much of the forage the animal can break down, the higher the better
but it depends on what your feeding, for dairy cows or finishing stock or ewes a dmd of 75 to 80, for suckler cows 65 (pre calving)
If silage is too dry ie dm of 30 or more you may encounter problems trying to preserve it

bob charles

That will be decent feed if you dont encounter secondary fermentation. High Dm is so important to have high intakes which is half the battle. what are you mixing it with. My comment after if using in a tmr so maybe a bit different if its a stand alone feed

nige2000

with tmr feeding u don't want grass silage over 35% dm firstly total ration dry matter over 50% will actually lower intake so yould be in that territory with 46% dm id be adding in water (hassle)
there is some other issues
you'll need to clear the pit face every two days secondary fermentation is more likely
in tmr dry forages leave the mix easier for animals to segregate meal out of the mix

bob charles

nige2000 wrote: »

with tmr feeding u don't want grass silage over 35% dm firstly total ration dry matter over 50% will actually lower intake so yould be in that territory with 46% dm id be adding in water (hassle)
there is some other issues
you'll need to clear the pit face every two days secondary fermentation is more likely
in tmr dry forages leave the mix easier for animals to segregate meal out of the mix

Well IMO there are loads of cheap quality products available to buy with lower DM to complement a quality dry forage. I would much prefer to have a high DM base forage to build a diet on. My current beef diet is coming in just under 30% DM and IMV its affecting performances even though its a very powerful mix.

nige2000

bob charles wrote: »

Well IMO there are loads of cheap quality products available to buy with lower DM to complement a quality dry forage. I would much prefer to have a high DM base forage to build a diet on. My current beef diet is coming in just under 30% DM and IMV its affecting performances even though its a very powerful mix.

i wasn't suggesting the use of wet forages id go for 25-35%

topgeas

stanflt wrote: »

46dm must have serious problem with mould

no problems yet. have 4 covers on it. just feedin it straight. its high in protein as well. drinkin lots of water.

Muckit

How much silage do the testers require as a sample? How should it be presented so as to be in the best condition for testing?

Like would an empty chinese takeaway container be ok? Or is there a standard container for sampling?

I'I be getting it tested through Teagasc. Sorry for all the questions! I've never sent away a sample before

nige2000

best way to send it in is about two big handfuls in a black ziplock bag but a ordinary ziplock sandwich bag will do (something to do with sunlight) hillsbourgh do sampling, they have their own purpose built bags