TopFodderTM silage
Course details
| Name: |
TopfodderTM silage |
| Description: |
This course covers the science of silage, crop selection, and making, storing and feeding high-quality silage. The program includes hands-on inspection and assessment of silage on farms using both bulk and baled silage. |
| Cost: |
After NSW Government subsidy, $335 GST-free.
Includes highly acclaimed Successful Silage manual.
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| Course aims: |
- Improve the quality of silage
- Evaluate the role of silage and hay when developing drought, flood, sustainable grazing and weed management plans
- Reduce losses and wastage (during harvest, storage and feed-out)
- Develop a better understanding of fodder conservation costs
- Make silage production more profitable
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| Learning outcomes: |
- Compare the advantages of silage versus hay
- Understand the fermentation process
- Identify where losses occur and minimise them
- Recognise how silage quality affects animal production
- Interpret a feed quality analysis report
- Recognise silage as a management tool
- Understand the impact of growth stage on quality and quantity of silage
- Assess wilting level and dry matter content
- Understand how additives work and when to use them
- Develop strategies for dealing with adverse weather conditions
- Compare storage and feeding methods
- Identify the costs of fodder conservation
- Calculate fodder requirements during drought
- Develop a contractor agreement
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| Length: |
3 days |
| Course program/structure: |
Day 1
- Introduction
- Using silage in the farming system
- Principles and science of silage making
- Understanding feed quality
Day 2
- Crop/pasture selection for silage
- Mowing, wilting and harvesting
- Storage of silage
- Use of additives and inoculants
Day 3
- Feeding silage
- Effect of chop length on storing and feeding
- Economics of silage
- Working with contractors
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| Resources and method of delivery: |
Participants will receive the following resources:
- TopFodder Successful Silage technical reference manual. The 420 page hardcover book contains many diagrams, pictures and tables.
- Successful Silage workbook.
- TopFodder Successful Silage DVD.
This course is mainly delivered indoors, but includes farm visits and demonstrations.
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| Accreditation: |
This course is mapped to the national unit of competency RTE5015A - Manage the harvest of agricultural and horticultural crops.
This short course was developed jointly by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Dairy Australia.
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Upcoming dates
There are currently no registered dates for this course. Please register your interest using the link below.
