The farm
The French dairy farm “Gaec du Champet” has 560 hectares. The milk production goes into the cheese production, which is why this, and therefore also the basic fodder production, is subject to the strict conditions for the production of Époisse cheese.
- 3 partners
- 150 dairy cows, with 40 replacement heifers
- 560 hectares of UAA, including 200 hectares of cereals, 100 hectares of alfalfa, 80 hectares of maize, 180 hectares of grass
Silage
- 40 hectares of grass silage in spring (80% alfalfa & 20% grass)
- 80 hectares of maize silage
- The silage is stored in bunker silos and usually remains closed for 2 months
Why use a preservative?
- 4 years ago the Gaec du Champet started the production of grass silage.
- For the latter and to ensure the quality of the basic feed they decided to use a silage inoculant – Josilac.
- Since the dairy farm is subject to the strict requirements of the production of Époisse cheese, the requirements for the quality of the basic feed are high. Because this affects the quality of milk, which is subject to strict controls.
- For 2 years, the silage inoculant has also been used for maize. Before using Josilac®, the farm had problems with the levels of butyric acid. Here they achieved values of over 2000 in the milk control.
The Result
Since the use of Josilac® combi, the butyric value has decreased (approx. 400, max. 800). The silo drops less, therefore less material is consumed in the fermentation process and consequently there are less losses on the silo. There is considerably less mould and rot in the silo and it does not heat up. Even in the summer the front of the silo is not damaged and the silage remains tasty all day long on the feeding table.
“Yes, I recommend Josilac® combi, absolutely. It’s a product that works. The major advantages include lower levels of butyric acid in the milk. Also, there is no heating of the ensiled material in the summer, neither in the silo nor at the feed table. In addition, there is no rotting and we have no losses. The silage inoculant has paid off, you can see that quite clearly! ”
(Stéphane Sauvageot)
You might be interested in the following contents:
Ensiling made easy
Would you like to feed your cows with a high-quality silage, and facilitate excellent dry matter consumption? In that case, you are in exactly the right place at JOSERA with the Josilac® silage additives
Effects of silage quality on feed costs and animal health!
Every year, when introducing grass and maize silage, it is important to achieve the best result in accordance with the weather conditions and the care and fertilisation measures as well as the work procedures.