With the real possibility of having a good spring, farmers should consider which paddocks may be good for hay or silage making now and conserve forage for future production or drought needs.

Most crops of pasture can be used for hay or silage.

If the aim of any conserved fodder is to allow weight gain in livestock, then the fodder needs to be of premium quality. Low quality hay or silage will not be good enough for animals and may not be worth the expense of making it in the first place.

The spring of 2005 showed many farmers the advantage of silage. In a good spring it was possible to make excellent quality silage early in the season when feed quality was high.

Unfortunately, many farmers tried to make hay from old mature pasture or worse, waited to make hay then changed to silage, which was a waste of money.

Silage should be a premium high quality conserved forage if make correctly.

The most important decision to be made is the time or maturity to mow or harvest. This timing influences the quality and quantity of the final product more than any other decision.

When feed quality is the aim plants should be cut at an earlier growth stage. For pasture grasses this means cutting when the seed stem are first emerging.

From this point onwards the quality will quickly decline. To have the best possible chance of producing as much premium quality hay or silage as possible the preparation of paddocks needs to begin in the winter months.

Weeds can dramatically reduce the quality of any conserved fodder. They should be controlled early or they will be more difficult to kill and compete with the growth of your desirable plants.

Some weeds are poisonous and will still be dangerous to stock in hay or silage.

Ensure all herbicide holding periods are observed. Some chemicals have long stock with holding periods which include the cutting of fodder for hay or silage.

Adequate fertility for the paddock should be achieved to allow the fodder to grow at optimum rates.

Topdress early if nitrogen is needed.

Before pastures grow too tall, take the opportunity to remove any hazards or mark anything that can’t be moved such as rocks or logs so they don’t cause breakdowns later.

Contractors should be organised well before they are needed. If you are having a good season then it is likely that others are too.

There will be many people wanting hay and silage making contractors at the same time.

For more information contact your local NSW DPI District Agronomist or consider doing a Topfodder silage course.

See the PROfarm page for current courses or contact Topfodder co-ordinator Neil Griffiths on (02) 4939 8940.