As first cut silage harvesting gets well underway there is much debate over how short to chop the grass – with advice ranging from under an inch to over 3 inches.

“In truth there is no black and white answer – it depends on individual circumstances,” says Simon Broddle, forage product manager for Nickerson Direct, which markets the popular range of Circle Leys grass seed mixtures.

“There is no doubt that if the crop is high in dry matter, it has to be cut relatively short to get good consolidation in the clamp. Later cut, more mature material will also benefit from being kept short. But farmers shouldn’t be bullied into shorter chop lengths, for instance, just because it suits the contractor.”

Forage mix

Mr Broddle goes on to say that the key consideration is how the silage will be fed in the ration. Short chop grass is ideal for feeding with wholecrop silage, but can be problematic if fed with maize as the lack of long fibre could cause significant rumen health problems.

“Before deciding on chop length for silage that will be fed as a TMR, take a good look at the cows,” he advises. “The ideal is muzzle width – if it is any longer than this, dry matter intake will be compromised. And remember Holsteins have a wider muzzle than Jerseys.”