Cereals can help bridge forage gaps

With spring weather disrupting grass growth in some areas, dairy farmers are being encouraged to consider cereals as a flexible insurance policy to help balance grass and maize silage stocks.

Lientjie Colahan, silage technical support specialist at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, highlights the role cereals can play in supporting homegrown forage supply. She advises using results from the first and second cuts of grass silage to guide decisions around cereal harvesting.

“A key benefit of cereals is their flexibility,” says Mrs Colahan. “You don’t need to decide how to use the crop until after you’ve had two, or even three, cuts of grass.”

She explains that wholecrop cereal silage is ideal for filling clamps when grass silage yields are low, while crimped cereals offer a high-energy feed if silage is plentiful but lower in nutritional value.

Beyond yield concerns, wholecrop silage can improve ration quality by adding effective fibre, especially when balancing lush, high-energy early-cut grass silage or wetter, more acidic batches.

The choice between producing wholecrop silage or crimped grains largely depends on the crop’s dry matter (DM) content, which determines the ideal harvest time.

“Wholecrop silage should be harvested at 35–40% DM, while crimped cereals have a much higher DM and act as a concentrate,” she says. “This flexibility allows farmers to tailor their forage based on the quality and quantity of grass or maize silage available.”

However, successful use of cereals as forage hinges on proper harvesting and clamp management.

Mrs Colahan advises using a shorter chop length to help with consolidation in the clamp and warns that the waxy cuticle of cereal crops can make compaction more difficult.

“If you’re taking cereals as wholecrop silage, using a small grain processor in the harvester is highly recommended to improve digestibility,” she adds.

Due to their higher dry matter and straw content, wholecrop silages require more intensive compaction than grass silage to prevent spoilage.

“Poor compaction can lead to oxygen pockets, which increase the risk of yeasts and moulds,” she explains. “Use your narrowest clamp to reduce feed-out face time and aim to spread the crop in 20cm layers for optimal consolidation.”

To retain energy and reduce losses, she also recommends sealing the clamp quickly and using a targeted inoculant like Magniva Platinum Wholecrop.

This inoculant contains a blend of antifungal and acidifying bacteria—Lactobacillus hilgardii, Lactobacillus buchneri, and Pediococcus pentosaceus—alongside enzymes that release bound sugars to fuel fermentation.

“This unique combination supports a fast, stable fermentation and protects feed quality,” says Mrs Colahan. “Investing in the right clamp management and inoculant helps maximise returns from homegrown forage, reducing reliance on purchased feed this winter.”