Feeding silage

[Bobbi]

For all of you who feed silage to cows. Do you also give them roughage(chopped straw or hay)? If you do is it because they shouldn't eat just silage or are you just extending your feed supply with cheap straw? We switched to just silage 10 years ago and have never had a problem but now we have been told that this is not good for the cows that they need some chop too. We put up 2 kinds of silage 1.-Barley silage 2.-Grass/alfalfa silage. We mix the two together and figured there was enough roughage in it. What is your opinion?

[dfarms11]

I don't know whats right either, but this year we have just been feeding straight bagged barley/triticale silage and putting pea straw in the manger to eat. 90 cows eat about a bale a day. Seems to be working ok, dont know if its the best, but its keeping them content.

[jmillang]

From a nutritional standpoint there is nothing wrong with feeding one feed source, ie all silage or all hay. Some managers feel that straight silage gives the cattle a gutty appearance. We have fed straight silage to our cows for 20 some years, the reasons that we added hay was for abetter Ca level, or to extend the silage pit. We have in some years gone to hay as the silage was to good for the cows early in their pregnancy.

The best way to feed your cows it have your feeds analyzed and then a ration built for your cows, your environment and you feeds.

[rrmoon]

An interesting question - !!

We too have been feeding straight silage, other than whatever bedding the cows might eat. Our silage is usually alfalfa-grass, but it really shouldn't make any difference.

I have had several people in the past comment on how " You can't just feed straight silage to your cows - they need to have some hay as well.." , but when I say "Oh, why's that?", there never has been an answer !!!