🎯 Key Targets for High-Quality Dairy Silage
| Parameter | Target | What It Means |
| Dry Matter (DM) | 30–40% | Sweet spot for fermentation and intake |
| ME (Energy) | >11.5 MJ/kg DM | Drives milk production |
| Crude Protein (CP) | 15–18% | Supports milk and growth |
| NDF (Fibre) | 40–45% | Lower = greater intake potential |
| Ash | <9% | High values suggest soil contamination |
| MPE | >80 g/kg DM | Protein available to the cow |
| MPN | 90–100 g/kg DM | Supports rumen microbial protein production |
🚦Quick Traffic-Light Assessment
🟢 Excellent Silage
- DM: 30–40%
- ME: >11.5
- NDF: <45%
- Ash: <8.5%
- MPE: >80
🟡 Acceptable Silage
- DM: 25–30% or 40–45%
- ME: 10.8–11.5
- NDF: 45–50%
- Ash: 8.5–10%
🔴 Poor Silage
- DM: <25% or >45%
- ME: <10.8
- NDF: >50%
- Ash: >10%
- MPE: <70
📖 Understanding the Main Numbers
DM – Dry Matter (%)
How much of the silage is feed rather than water.
Too wet (<30%)
- Risk of poor fermentation
- Lower intakes
Too dry (>45%)
- Hard to compact
- Increased heating and spoilage
ME – Metabolisable Energy
The cow’s fuel tank.
Higher = more milk potential
| ME | Interpretation |
| >11.5 | Excellent |
| 11.0–11.5 | Good |
| <11.0 | Average/Poor |
CP – Crude Protein
Total protein content.
| CP | Interpretation |
| 16–18% | Excellent |
| 14–16% | Good |
| <14% | Low |
NDF – Neutral Detergent Fibre
Measures stem and structural fibre.
As NDF rises, intake falls.
| NDF | Interpretation |
| <45% | Excellent |
| 45–50% | Moderate |
| >50% | Mature/stemmy crop |
Ash
Indicates mineral content and possible soil contamination.
| Ash | Interpretation |
| <8% | Excellent |
| 8–9% | Good |
| >10% | Possible soil contamination |
MPE & MPN
These indicate the amount of protein actually available to the cow.
MPE
- Drives milk production.
- Aim for 80 g/kg DM+
MPN
- Supports rumen bugs.
- Aim for 90–100 g/kg DM
🔍 Common Causes of Poor Silage
| High NDF | Grass cut too late |
| Low ME | Mature crop, weather damage |
| High Ash | Soil contamination during mowing/raking |
| Low CP | Lack of nitrogen or late cutting |
| Low MPE | Poor digestibility or low energy forage |
| High DM | Wilted too long |
✅ Golden Rules
- Cut early for quality, not bulk.
- Target 30–40% DM.
- Keep ash below 9%.
- Aim for ME above 11.5.
- Keep NDF below 45%.
- Analyse every clamp or cut.
- Build rations from analysis, not assumptions.
The Three Numbers to Look At First
ME → NDF → Ash
If:
- ME > 11.5
- NDF < 45%
- Ash < 9%
…you are usually looking at a very good dairy silage. 🐄🥛