best practice management guide for south-eastern Australia - Grains ...

Grazing and fodder conservation
Canola hay and
silage
Canola crops can be cut for hay or silage if the returns are
likely to be greater than taking the crop through to grain
harvest. This alternative proved profitable for many growers
in the poor seasons of 2006 and 2007. However, growers
need to weigh up the risk of weather damage to the hay
and silage while it is still in the paddock, combined with a
volatile market for fodder. Growers without livestock could
be holding expensive hay if market demand falls. The dairy
industry in Victoria has shown some interest in canola hay in
recent years.
Time of cutting
Canola cut for silage is generally of higher quality than
canola cut for hay, but because of its higher water content
is not economic to transport long distances. Crops that are
cut too early in spring for hay take much longer to dry down,
so are more at risk of weather damage if not conditioned.
Hay cut in early to mid spring and conditioned is usually
good quality, whereas crops cut late and baled without
conditioning are generally lower and more variable in quality.
In these crops water retained in the pods and stems delays
baling and results in loss of leaf material.
Cutting canola at early flowering produces the best quality
hay but cutting at late flowering to early pod fill is the best
compromise between yield and quality — and the most
profitable option.
Estimating dry matter yield
Assess the quantity of green material available for hay or
silage by taking sample cuts at mowing height from a
number of locations within the crop and weighing them. Dry
a sub-sample to determine moisture content and calculate
hay yield, making allowances for losses in the hay or silage
making operation. Below 2000 kg/ha standing crop dry
matter the loss percentage increases significantly as more
handling of the green material is required to bale or produce
silage. Quality is also reduced as the most nutritive parts of
the plant (such as leaf and young pods) are lost first. Hybrids
produce more dry matter than open pollinated canola types
so will produce the most hay or silage for a given cutting time.
Quality testing
Canola crops can produce high-quality fodder, but livestock
owners or hay producers need to be aware of the variability
in the quality and should test feed samples before buying to
help develop a feed plan for the animals (Table 11.1).
The two main laboratories for testing feed samples are
NSW DPI Feed Quality Service (Wagga Wagga) and the
Victorian FeedTest Laboratory (Hamilton).
The quality of the final product will depend on the nutrition
of the crop (especially nitrogen nutrition), the stage of
growth at which it is cut and, for hay, whether it has been
conditioned. Silage is likely to produce higher quality feed
than hay. However, any differences in the cost between
producing hay and silage need to be considered when
comparing the value of the two, especially when compared
with the grazing of a standing crop.
Nutrient export in hay crops can be very high and this
needs to be considered when planning the following crop.
A soil test in autumn is essential in paddocks where crops
were cut for hay the previous season.
Feeding canola hay and silage
Canola hay or silage can be fed to any class of livestock,
provided necessary precautions are taken when introducing
these feeds to the diet. Feeding canola hay and silage is
Table 11.1 Canola hay and silage quality (2006 and 2007)
NSW DPI Feed Quality Service
Baled canola hay (samples) Crude protein (%)
Dry matter
digestibility (%)
Metabolisable energy
(MJ per kg dry matter)
2007 (257)
Average 17.7 63.4 9.1
Range 8.6–33.6 45.0–83.0 5.8–11.9
2006 (106)
Average 21.0 69.4 10.0
Range 12.0–31.0 57.2–76 7.9–11.6
Baled canola hay (samples)
Victorian FeedTest Laboratory
2007 (708)
Average 15.1 64.5 9.5
Range 5.9–27.7 31.9–85.3 3.9–13.1
2006 (579)
Average 15.9 66.4 9.8
Range 4.0–27.2 33.0–85.3 4.1–13.1
Canola silage (samples)
Victorian FeedTest Laboratory
2007 (135)
Average 17.9 67.3 10.2
Range 8.8–33.4 42.9–83.6 6.9–12.4
2006 (219)
Average 17.7 65.2 9.9
Range 7.3–28.4 42.0–81.7 6.8–12.4
Source: NSW DPI Feed Quality Service, Victorian FeedTest Laboratory
68 Canola best practice management guide