Shamrocks and Silage: The story of Irish Contractor Patrick Nagle Patrick Nagle moved to New Zealand in 2011 from Ireland and went straight to his happy place – driving contracting machinery. Fast forward to 2019 where he and business partners Mark & Nicky Robinson set up Nagle Contracting in Methven, Canterbury. He has now been […]
Recognising the Symptoms: Livestock exposed to mycotoxins may show: Temperamental behaviour (e.g. not walking easily to the shed, kicking off cups during milking Scouring – indication of poor gut health Increased somatic cell counts in milk Lameness and rough coat Liver damage Reduced reproductive performance and infertility Aflatoxin M1 contamination in milk Heat stress and […]
Managing the challenges of winter saved and spring pasture Winter saved and early spring pastures are often wet, with variable tonnage and contain higher dead matter at the base. Mowing height, time of harvest, wilting and weather are key points to consider when making silage and baleage. These pastures create challenging and risky fermentations due to being […]
Boot proof, dog proof, even Pukeko proof – SiloStop® AntiUV covers, partnered with SiloStop® Orange Oxygen Barrier Film are the perfect combination to protect your maize silage this coming season. Maize silage is prone to surface spoilage – how many stacks do you see with a layer or patches of spoilage at the top/shoulders? The […]
Good site preparation key to quality silage By Trish Lewis, Forage and Nutrition Consultant Good preparation of a silage stack or pit site before the contractor arrives is a critical component of making quality silage. It is a waste to cut a young, leafy crop of grass, wilt it well but then contaminate it with […]
Last season was a challenging season for many, with very wet conditions in some areas and extremely dry conditions in others. Grass silage demand soared, and in most cases there was not enough feed to go around. Now that we have an opportunity to replenish our supply of grass silage, it is a good time […]
Silage quality is made up of not just the nutritional quality of the crop when it is cut, but also the fermentation and hygienic quality. Managing air is a critical step in reducing damage and losses in silage caused by these ‘bad bugs’ or spoilage organisms that thrive on air. Getting rid of the air […]
