This year has seen fantastic growthin our acreage of maize seedworking closely with Thomas BrosNash and with the support of ourMaize seed suppliers HorizonSeeds and their parent companyGrainseed.

Our clients maize crops are lookingvery well despite the variablesummer weather we have seenand thoughts now turn towardsharvest. ES Ballade, Dominator,Picker and Coastguard have allgrown well with bumper cropsexpected. Good reports are com-ing back on our starter fertiliserMaxi Maize which has ensuredcrops got off to a good start.

The key to quality as ever will beto allow crops to mature fully toallow starch yields to be optimisedand thus ensuring feed value ismaximised. This could mean awider than normal harvest windowthis autumn due to the extendedperiod between the earliest andlatest maize plantings in the spring.

To ensure maize silage has a fastand efficient fermentation reducingdry matter losses and preventingheating at feed out, we recommendtreating with a well proven additivesuch as Double Action Ecocorn

Our clients have had great successwith the new clear plastic “clingfilm” silage sheets along withsecure covers, which haveensured there is little or no surfacewaste . (Contact us for prices.)

We will once again be hosting anopen day on Monday 10th Octoberat Thomas Bros maize trial sitenear cardiff where visitors canenjoy hot coffee and bacon rollswhilst reviewing new and currentmaize varieties.

Neil Groom of Grainseed will onceagain be on hand to offer advice onmaize variety choice and agrono-my. (Invites will be sent out shortly)

Maize Update September 2011

Tel 07795 373433 or email dairyconsultancy@aol.com

Ask us about ourrange of maizeadditives,silage

sheets and securecovers to ensureyou get the best

possible value fromyour maize silage

this autumn.

Dairy Consultancy ServicesAutumn Newsletter - Maize Edition

www.dairyconsultancyservices.com

With the high cost of growing maize silage and theeven higher cost of bought in feeds it makes senseto use a maize silage additive that will ensure a fastefficient fermentation leading to improved animalperformance and also reduce aerobic spoilage.

Double Action Ecocorn combines the fermenta-tion and animal performance benefits of MTD/1inoculant with reduced aerobic spoilage frompottasium sorbate, a safe, non-corrosive foodand feed approved acid salt preservative - all inone easy to use pack.

MTD/1 Inoculant - is the unique high performancestrain of Lactobacillus plantarum proven over a widerange of crops and ensiling conditions to improvefermentation and animal performance. This isachieved by increasing the speed and efficiency offermentation, reducing fermentation losses andimproving palatability.

At Dairy Consultancy Services we believe that anyproduct that we recommend or supply should beproven both on farm and with good published trialresults.

With 15 independent dairy trials, MTD/1 is supportedby more animal performance evidence than anyother inoculant. Trials with maize and whole cropcereals have shown increases in milk yield of be-tween 1.8 and 2.2 litres/cow/day respectively.

Potassium Sorbate - Trials by the Maize GrowersAssociation and Kingshay have shown repeatedlythat chemicals are more robust than inoculants forpreventing aerobic spoilage.

In the 2002 MGA trial Double Action Ecocorn(MTD/1 + Potassium Sorbate) was the only producttested that reduced the daily loss in income £ due toheating and spoilage.

Ask for your free copy of ourmaize harvesting guide toensure you allow your maizecrop to reach optimum drymatter %.

Harvesting at the correctmaturity allows cobs to max-imise starch yield and qualityresulting in improved feedvalue and the opportunity toreduce bought in feed costs.

15 Independent dairy trials (see graph above)

Trials have shown significantly longer silage stabilitySee table below showing days stable. This alsoprevents heating in the feed trough.

Maize Harvesting - Additive Selection

Crop Untreated DA Ecocorn

Wheat 2.4 8

Barley 2.1 5.3

Maize 1.3 1.3

Maize Harvesting Tips

ClampingChop to 1 cm for easier compaction, if targeting

high BF % then consider chopping at 2 cm

Apply Double Action Ecocorn to ensure fast

efficient fermentation with reduced spoilage

Ensure clamp is filled rapidly, ideally same day if

not then sheet overnight.

Fill evenly in thin layers

Roll continuously especially on shoulders

If sheeting overnight roll for around max 30 mins

before sheeting.

Use clear “clingfilm” sheet covered with 500

gauge black plastic and weighted with securecover and gravel bags.

Feed OutWait 3 weeks before opening to allow fermenta-

tion to stabilise and grains to soften.

Use a block cutter or shear grab to keep the face

tight. If using a bucket scrape down not up.

Move face back quickly, at least 6 inches a day

in winter and 12 inches in summer.

Cut or roll sheet back as you go weighting the

front edge with gravel bags. Never let it hangdown over face as this will increase heating.

Tidy up fallen silage to prevent it heating .

Secure CoversSecure Covers are made from high quality, finelyknitted, UV stable polyethylene mesh.

The Secure Cover is placed over the normal silagesheet and weighted with gravel bags only at theedges and joins.

Once fitted, Secure Covers' unique constructiondisperses wind gusts making sure that the silagesheet remains in place on the silage pit.

Secure Covers effectively reduce surface waste bykeeping the silage sheet in close contact with si-large surface (contact us for prices).

Silage sheets

We can supply acomplete range ofsilage sheets fromblack plastic andclear “cling film”sheets to securecovers and gravelbags for costeffectively sealingand protecting yoursilage clamp.

Contact us for ourrange of sizes andlatest pricing infoon 07795 373433

Feed Update

Feeding Maize SilageIdentify your milk contract quality requirements

If high BF % required limit maize to < 50% of diet

Limit feeding of starch sources such as wheat

Feed high fibre feeds such as sugar beet pulp,

soya hulls, wheatfeed, (ideally as a blend)

Use a parlour cake high in digestible fibre

Ensure adequate long fibre is fed ie 0.5kg straw.

If high milk protein % required feed > 50% maize

Use feeds high in rumen protein such as rape-

seed ext, high protein molasses or Optigen.

Consider the use of rumen buffers or yeast.

Feeding Maize SilageMaize silage provides an excellent forage source fordairy cows supplying high levels of both energy andstarch. However ensuring maize is effectively includ-ed in your ration needs care to ensure that the cowsenergy, protein and mineral requirements are cor-rectly balanced.

The recommended level of maize silage inclusion willdepend on your milk contract requirements and thequality and quantity of grass silage being fed.

The aim should be to balance energy, protein starchand fibre levels to ensure yield and milk quality isoptimised. If aiming for high BF% limit maize silageinclusion to no more than 50% and ensure plenty oflong fibre is included. Supplement with a high digest-ible fibre compound, blend or straights and balanceprotein requirements particularly rumen degradableprotein.

If higher milk protein % is a priority, for example oncheese contracts then higher levels of maize silageinclusion may be required > 50%. It is advisable tofeed a high digestible fibre cake in parlour and sup-plement any additional starch required in the TMRusing rolled wheat or crimped maize.

If grass or maize silage is low in dry matter and acidicthen it is advisable to include additional long fibre asstraw or haylage to promote cudding and the cowsnatural buffering. In more extreme cases it may benecessary to include rumen buffers such as acid buffor yeast.

Care should also be taken to ensure correct mineralsupplementation as maize silage is very low in allessential minerals. Dairy Consultancy Servicescan provide a forage mineral analysis and completediet check and then supply a custom mineral tobalance your ration.

We can also supply a full range of custom made fixedformulation, open declaration compounds andblends , along with a range of straights, moist feedsand feed supplements, which we group source atbest cost.

Tel 07795 373433 or email dairyconsultancy@aol.com

Call us to arrange a free herd performance and ration check using Interherdand advanced ration software to help you identify areas for improvement.

Dairy Consultancy ServicesIndependent Nutrition Consultancy

Group Sourced Feed OptionsFixed Formula Compounds & Blends

Moist FeedsStraightsMolasses

Custom Minerals & mineral BucketsCalf Milk - Bonanaza Shine Once A Day