Poor quality silage

feartuath

I have about 15 bales from a paddock that was neglected in 2015.
The cows are reluctant to eat these but will eat them when there is nothing else.
I fed one of these with this years bales and they ignored it so far.

Is there anything i can add to make these more palatable rather than dumping them.Moylasis ?

The cows are in great shape, there is no mould or waste in the bales but the pasture was old and with lots of docs.

Base price

feartuath wrote: »

I have about 15 bales from a paddock that was neglected in 2015.
The cows are reluctant to eat these but will eat them when there is nothing else.
I fed one of these with this years bales and they ignored it so far.

Is there anything i can add to make these more palatable rather than dumping them.Moylasis ?

The cows are in great shape, there is no mould or waste in the bales but the pasture was old and with lots of docs.

Molasses mixed with water and poured over the silage. If the paddock was neglected watch out for ragwort in the bales.

Signpost

Same as straw, wait until no silage infront of them, feed the poor bale and don't give them anything else until its eaten, then give them a good feed of nice silage again. Repeat a few days later until all gone. Won't be happy but if they are getting plenty good silage one fill of poorer quality won't do them any hard in the week.
I'd be slow to put money into making a poor feed valuable, just save the money for a concentrate and force them to eat it.

pedigree 6

You learn the hard way about making silage. Now you'll know in future.

I was the same one wet year, the grass grew and was ready to be harvested but it was too wet to cut and it collapsed to the ground and it regrew and I eventually got it cut and baled. It looked ok when feeding but I nearly starved the cows giving the cows that silage they lost weight instead of maintaining or putting on weight.
Lesson learned. Your going to have to feed some concentrate with this silage or else feed other silage.

Edit: it's only 15 bales and cows in good order so I'd go with the molasses on the bales.

davidk1394

Molasses is the best option. Use it here on bales of silage and the odd bale of hay if we want to use it up. What we do is stand the bale up like a barrel the day before your going to use it. Cut off the plastic off the top of the bale but leave the sides. Pour the bucket of molasses all over the top of the bale and leave it soak down through the bale. It means nearly all the bale is covered in molasses but you still stay clean aswell

lookinghere

Molasses is a worth a try

Sugarbowl

Anyone know the price of molasses per gallon from their co-op?

feartuath

19 Euro for 25 lt drum from Co op in Buntatty

10 Euro for gallon can, 3lt from Dan Mc Inerney Ennis.

I will give them a few good bales tonight and pour some molasses on the other bales next time i feed them.

Sugarbowl

feartuath wrote: »

19 Euro for 25 lt drum from Co op in Buntatty

10 Euro for gallon can, 3lt from Dan Mc Inerney Ennis.

I will give them a few good bales tonight and pour some molasses on the other bales next time i feed them.

Thanks. By the way, how much roughly do you put on a bale?

alps

feartuath wrote: »

19 Euro for 25 lt drum from Co op in Buntatty

10 Euro for gallon can, 3lt from Dan Mc Inerney Ennis.

I will give them a few good bales tonight and pour some molasses on the other bales next time i feed them.

Whoever owns that store in Bunratty should be burned at the stake....

If i recall there are 180 gallons of molasses in a tonne which means these beauties are charging €620 per tonne....

There are extortion rackets going on all over the world, but I would say the mafia have more class than this.....

Who2

I think I paid 7 a five gallon drum( bringing in my own drums) last year.

davidk1394

Paid 600 here for 1,000 litres of it. Put 5 litres on each bales using a small blue bucket

Green farmer

davidk1394 wrote: »

Paid 600 here for 1,000 litres of it. Put 5 litres on each bales using a small blue bucket

Premier molasses is in foynes. Went there before and bought it direct. They fill up your ibc tank to whatever you want. From memory think it worked out about 30cent a litre. Of course this would only suit someone in driving distance, but handy all the same.

restive

Does anyone do bulk molasses in the West of Ireland?

charolais0153

restive wrote: »

Does anyone do bulk molasses in the West of Ireland?

I know cormac in tuam do it anyways

Muckit

restive wrote: »

Does anyone do bulk molasses in the West of Ireland?

Joe Murrays in Ballinasloe
Creamery in Athleague used to have it, but maybe not anymore?

alps

Finishing PM....used molasses last March to up energy levels during grass shortage.

It cost €232 euros per tonne from local coop...equating to 32.5c per litre..

It's 74%DM so hitting for 313€ per tonne DM.

razor8

Any suppliers in Leitrim/Cavan area?