‘My Grass’ roadshow illuminates the science of feeding on Kerry visit

WOULD you buy a concentrate feed without knowing its full nutritional value?

That’s the question Sinclair McGill grass mixture experts asked as they rolled out the latest generation of mix - available now at Kelliher’s Feed and Agri Supplies Ltd.

Up until now, most grass mixtures have been formulated based on the agronomic performance of varieties, such as yield, with little thought towards how these varieties may be utilised by the animal.

“The LG Animal Nutrition mixtures have been formulated by combining the optimum proportions of varieties, with superior nutritional attributes, to create a mixture with a balanced quality profile that meets the requirements of your livestock.

“The foundation of this unique mixture development is a comprehensive database of individual variety feed characteristics, generated from extensive pan-European grass quality trials. This, combined with our nutritional expertise, has allowed us to choose the best possible combination of varieties in the correct proportions to maximise animal performance,” the company state, offering the following breakdown of performance and areas of interest within the whole subject.

Dry Matter

This is the percentage of feed available to an animal, excluding its water content.

Animal intake is linked to DM%. Target Grass DM 20% +

Protein Content

The protein content in grass varies typically from 16-28%. Occasionally, protein levels in grass will dip during a period of stress e.g. a drought. It is important to note that high protein grass in spring is not sufficient to meet the needs of the early lactation cow, and should be supplemented.

Target Grass Protein 18% +

Fibre Content (NDF)

The fibre content of grass differs throughout the year depending on growth stage. Young leafy grass can have a fibre content of 35% whereas, older stemmier grass can have a fibre content in excess of 50%. The minimum fibre content for dairy cows is 30% of the forage fed. Too little fibre can cause rumination problems.

However, too much fibre suppresses dry matter intake and consequently energy intake, reducing animal health and performance.

Target Grass NDF 30 - 40%

Energy (MJ/kg DM)

The energy source in grass is supplied primarily from sugars (WSC) and fibre (NDF). Fibre is the key supplier of energy but it does need to be of high quality (as discussed under dNDF).

Target Grass ME 12MJ/kg DM +

Digestible Fibre (dNDF)

Fibre in grass presents in three main forms; Lignin, Cellulose and Hemicellulose. Lignin builds as the grass plant ages throughout the season and is largely indigestible. The Cellulose and Hemicellulose found in high proportions within younger plants, is largely digestible. The dNDF score indicates the digestible percentage of the total fibre present. The dNDF content of grass differs throughout the year, depending on the growth stage. In addition, the dNDF content of grass will differ from variety to variety. Target Grass dNDF 85% +

Photo by Valerie O’Sullivan Graham Parnell, Sinclair McGill, John Lynch, Kellihers Feed & Agri Manager, Adam Heffernan, Kerry Feed & Agri Supplies, Kevin Cunningham, Sinclair McGill at the recent My Grass Roadshow which took place in Listowel and Milltown.