Silage quality is about more than the amount of dry matter stored. As well as feed that is physically lost, poor-quality silage can mean less protein, energy and digestibility reaching the vat.
Rowan O’Connor of Braeburn Enterprises made this point in Dairying by Design’s September 2026 article, “Saving wastage and improving feed quality,” which looked at silage storage on Matt O’Regan’s farm.
As Rowan put it: “Protein and energy affect the vat, and what doesn’t go in the vat is a big loss.”
The article also included a comparison of estimated feed losses for different storage options, credited to Rowan O’Connor, Braeburn Enterprises.
Source: “Saving wastage and improving feed quality,” Dairying by Design, September 2026, p. 135. Rowan was quoted in the article and credited as the source of the feed-loss figures.
View the full article online at Dairying by Design September 2026 (page 137).