Silage helps to ‘future proof’ Gippsland beef enterprise

Gippsland beef producer, Anthony Snow, has commissioned three 350-tonne silage stacks in a bid to ‘future proof’ his breeding enterprise.

Anthony and Sarah Snow run about 400 Angus cows and calves across three properties totalling 520 ha in the Bengworden district, 20 km south-west of Bairnsdale, VIC.

Although located in a reasonably safe 600 mm rainfall region and having a 200 ML bore irrigation licence, the properties are not immune to drought.

“The last drought event made me realise that we needed to do things better,” Anthony says.

“We were running about 220 cows at the time and we wanted to continue to grow the herd.

“We ended up spending about $60,000 on hay, which was expensive and time consuming.

“Until then, we’d been making up to 600 bales of baled and tube-wrapped silage each year.

“Baled silage is good but it has its limitations in terms of quality and storage life.”

The three silage stacks were built and prepared over the past two springs and last autumn.

The first stack, which comprises whole-crop barley and clover silage, was harvested and prepared by an Orbost-based contractor.

The other two stacks – comprising wholecrop oats and clover, vetch and annual ryegrass, respectively – were harvested and prepared by Yarram-based contractors, Wayne and Hayden Bowden.

“We really didn’t have to do anything differently from what we normally do each year,” Anthony says.

“We plant dual-purpose cereal crops oversown with clover every year for grazing during winter and then harvest what’s left.

“Last year, we locked up about 120 ha and the contractors did the rest.”

The project was partially funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Future Drought Fund.

“We got funding for part of the first stack but we paid for the other two,” Anthony says.

“Each stack cost about $30,000 but it’s cheap insurance.

“This is quality forage that contains about 12% protein and 12 MJ energy.

“You can’t buy this type of feed at any price when you need it.

“When you’re in a drought, you could be looking at $500/t for even poor quality hay by the time it’s landed on the farm.”

Harvested forage was treated with MAGNIVA Classic forage inoculant during processing. MAGNIVA Classic contains two strain-specific, lactic acid-producing bacteria, Pediococcus pentosaceus NCIMB 12455 and Lactobacillus plantarum CNCM MA 18/5U, that were specially selected for ensiling pasture species.

In addition, it contains a number of enzymes to assist with rapid fermentation.

“What I really love about bulk silage is that it’s all done in a day by experienced contractors using really good gear,” Anthony says.

“We have good equipment but there’s no comparison to what these guys are using.

“Having a fleet of harvesters, tractors and trucks show up at your front gate certainly boosts your confidence.”

The 20 x 50 m stacks were then covered with Silostop Max oxygen barrier film to limit 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 plastic in preventing the entry of oxygen into silage.

The heavy-duty 80 micron film is protected by an outer layer of SilageKeeper UV covers, a dense polyethylene mesh that provides additional protection against sunlight and potential damage caused by animals and environment.

The two layers are sealed using SealKeeper gravel bags, a re-useable and environmentally-friendly alternative to car tyres.

The three stacks are located adjacent to the laneway system on the Snow’s largest property.

“It’s a good feeling driving in and seeing 1,000 dry tonnes of feed in front of you,” Anthony says.

“Having these stacks means we can go into every winter or a long-term drought event with some degree of confidence.”

Anthony is now toying with incorporating bulk silage into his yearly feeding program.

“Originally, the plan was to continue feeding baled silage during autumn and winter and save the bulk silage for the next drought event – but I am now starting to wonder if our feed dollars can be better spent,” he says.

“Bulk silage is better processed, less wastage and is going to last at least five years.

“Having more bulk silage would allow us to ‘super-charge’ our operation.

“In a perfect world, we’d like to be running 500 breeders and maybe have up to five stacks, feeding out one each year and replacing it as we can.”

Anthony has already purchased a secondhand feed wagon, as well as a shear grab that will enable him to remove silage from ‘face’ of the stack without allowing spoilage-causing oxygen to enter the stack during feeding out.