Futureproofing with silage is no bull

Southern Downs producers, John and Nikki Cleary, have established a bull testing depot 20 minutes west of Warwick on Avilion. The Cleary’s prepare 550 bulls annually on behalf of Valera Vale Droughtmasters, this involves the socialisation and backgrounding of all bulls in preparation for the on-property sale at Charleville, Western Queensland.

Arriving at approximately 12 months of age from Charleville, young bulls are fed a ration of minimum 60% silage, mineral supplements, protein meals and other commodities, depending on availability and quality. The bulls are housed at Avilion for 6-8 months before they are shipped back to Valera Vale for the bull sale.

“We prepare and manage all of the bulls for Valera Vale Droughtmaster on what is considered a safe and specific ration. It is important that all bulls are prepared at Avilion as they are being tested under the exact same environmental conditions allowing for accurate comparisons,” said John.

2022 saw the Cleary’s make barley and forage sorghum silage and when we visited them earlier this year they were in the process of making corn silage.

“Once we had established the depot, we acknowledged that silage was going to play a critical role in the ration and have been utilising a variety of crops since 2017.”

“We were in the situation of being new to preparing bulls but we had feed to store so we took the opportunity as a drought mitigation strategy.”

“We know if you have the feed, you can plan for it. For us it is about reducing risk,” John said.

Avilion utilises the full range of Lallemand silage technology, including Silostop Max oxygen barrier film, black and white PE film, SilageKeeper UV covers, and silage treated with MAGNIVA Platinum inoculant.

Silostop limits the growth of spoilage-causing yeasts and moulds. Independent testing has confirmed these multi-layer polyethylene films are up to 100 times more effective than conventional polyethylene film in preventing the entry of oxygen into silage.

SilageKeeper UV covers protect silage against the impact of sunlight and damage caused by animals and environment. These woven covers are ideal for covering Silostop oxygen barrier or conventional PE films. With proper care, these reusable woven UV covers will last for a minimum of three years.

MAGNIVA Platinum is a new-generation inoculant that combines a patented bacterium strain, Lactobacillus hilgardii CNCM I-4785, with the industry standard, Lactobacillus buchneri NCIMB 40788. This unique combination provides fast-acting ‘front end’ fermentation with proven ‘back end’ aerobic stability, allowing silage to be opened earlier and last longer after opening.

“For some of our crops we utilise three layers on our silage bun stacks as we did not know how long they were going to be down for,” John said.

“Currently we are using around 2,000 tonne per year and ultimately, we want to get to a place in which we have 18-24 months of silage on hand.

John has been working with Nathan Lister, technical services manager, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, on getting the process right.

“John has been good to work with and is keen to understand all the steps. It is rewarding to work with clients are keen to work on the process from the start to finish and to see the results at the trough and in the animal,” Nathan said.

“Feed quality is the most important aspect at Avilion.”

“It is positive to see that John and his team have a strong focus on quality in to ensure they received a quality outcome for these high value animals,” says Nathan.

John and Nikki have recently started adding Levucell SC to maximise animal health and productivity. Levucell SC (S. cerevisiae CNCM I-1077) is a specific live yeast used to optimise rumen function. Studies have shown that adding Levucell SC to your ration can significantly improve average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (+3% to +6%).

“The bulls are excelling in the weight gains but what will be really telling is when we go to measure semen quality and overall bull performance including feed efficiency.

“A quality probiotic like Levucell SC will allow producers to drive animal performance naturally from enhancing rumen function, increasing fibre digestibility and ultimately improve beef production,” Nathan added.

“If you want the best product at the end, you have to give them the best chance to get there, which is why are adding Levucell SC to the ration,” John said.

The Cleary’s have been able to provide a safe ration which has been visible in the health of the animals. Silage has provided an even level of nutrition which has led to an even feeding pattern. The confidence in the ration has also mean that the team can focus on cow comfort and enrichment.

“We really wanted to get the right feeding outcome for these bulls so that we can set them up for a long career, adding value for our clients business.”

“We are trying to maximise animal health and productivity and I want to make sure that every dollar that we spend is well spent.”

The health of the animals is mirrored in the excellent morphology results we have been receiving since the beginning.

Come September the Cleary’s will put 120 of Valera Vale’s best bulls on the truck for auction, while the balance of the 550hd are offered privately in the paddock and sold across northern Australia. Then it’s a matter of waiting for the next truckload of bulls to arrive and do it all over again.