Shropshire Farming Talk: Be aware of deficiencies this autumn

This could lead to nutrient deficiencies this autumn and winter, so getting forage sampled ahead of feeding could be advantageous.

Maize that’s still in the ground is struggling; it’s pale and needs some extra nutrients – the same goes for grass.

We can assume that in the silage cuts which have been already taken, some of the nutrients would have already been washed out of the soil, so the silage may be lower in some minerals and vitamins.

Fertiliser applications may also impact the finished forage. For some, the weather window was only there to get out with fertiliser or slurry just before silaging – so levels of contamination and nitrates might be high.

With a lot of rain falling onto the soil in the winter and spring, combined with stock grazing, there has also been a lot of compaction. This interferes with nutrient availability and creates a long-term impact on the growth and quality of silage.”

Deficiencies can manifest themselves in poorer fertility and lower milk yields. Look out for deficiencies in trace elements too, like selenium, zinc and copper. It’s worth being mindful of magnesium deficiency, too, which is possible with drastic changes in the weather like an autumn flush of grass.

This is where testing forages ahead of winter can pay dividends. A clamp face sample is always better than a core sample, as a core sample is very small compared to the rest of the silage in the clamp. A clamp face sample is taken across the whole face and is much more representative.

And it should be done at least three to four weeks before opening the clamp. The mineral level of the silage isn’t going to change when it’s in the clamp, but it takes time to analyse the samples and create an appropriate supplementation pack.

Wynnstay offers a forage mineral audit which involves sampling silage, analysing the mineral level, and putting this alongside individual farm needs in terms of animal health and milk requirements. It then creates a bespoke supplementation package. It’s important to plan and prepare now, so that the cows don’t end up deficient halfway through the winter.

Wynnstay will be running a campaign from the beginning of September for six weeks in which all minerals under one tonne will be discounted by £25/t. These can be delivered up to mid-December, so people can take advantage and stock up for the whole of the winter.

We have our standard range of minerals but also a bespoke formulation service, where we can analyse forages and the complete diet to formulate an appropriately balanced mineral pack.

Beth Parry, technical product development manager at Wynnstay.