Outwintering livestock: Feeding hay or silage

When it comes to providing quality forage for livestock, farmers often face the decision between hay and silage. Each option has its advantages and challenges, and understanding these differences is crucial for effective forage management.

Cost versus feed quality

Storage and handling of silage bales can be more complex than dry hay.

Wrapped forage (e.g. silage bales) tends to be more expensive but preserves higher nutritional value, making it better suited for growing or lactating stock. It tends to be made from more digestible material and less reliant on weather conditions.

Dry hay is cheaper and may be sufficient for maintenance diets.

Feed suitability

The choice between hay and wrapped forage depends on the nutritional needs of the stock class.

Higher-quality forage is essential for young, growing or lactating animals, while dry hay can sustain dry cows and mature animals at maintenance.

Practicality for bale grazing

Hay bales require no plastic disposal and are easier to handle in winter conditions, but there may be more waste if not well managed. It is also susceptible to further losses in feed value during field drying, especially in poor weather.

Silage is more palatable to livestock due to its high sugar content and reduced protein breakdown. Wrapped bales also reduce waste but come with added costs and handling challenges.

Water infrastructure

Providing consistent access to clean, unfrozen water is essential for maintaining livestock health and performance during outwintering.

In the UK, water availability must be planned alongside forage supply, with careful attention to the risk of freezing, accessibility and the suitability of infrastructure for mobile or fixed systems.

Inadequate water access can limit feed intake, which in turn impacts both nutrition and body condition.

To reduce the risk of water freezing, consider insulated troughs, slow-flow systems and underground piping.

Infrastructure considerations

• Mobile troughs should be easy to relocate, ensuring access to water while maintaining practical management of forage areas
• If you have fixed water systems in permanent or semi-permanent wintering sites, you may need to bury the pipes, use frost-proof valves and/or strategically place header tanks to keep water flowing even during freezing weather
• Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent blockages, leaks and freezing

Site selection and use of natural water sources

When possible, choose wintering sites with natural, flowing water sources, e.g. streams, rivers or springs, that can serve as either primary or backup water supplies.

Ensure livestock access points are well managed to prevent bank erosion, water contamination and pollution, in line with environmental regulations, e.g. preventing livestock from polluting watercourses.

Gravity-fed and header tank systems

Many UK farmers use header tanks with gravity-fed pipelines as a low-maintenance water supply solution, reducing reliance on electric pumps.

Proper positioning of header tanks relative to topography and fencing is essential to ensure a reliable flow of water to troughs.

Portable water troughs and freezing prevention

Position troughs carefully to minimise soil damage and encourage even grazing distribution.

Continuous-flow troughs can help prevent freezing in colder spells but require a consistent water supply, which may not be practical in all grazing locations.

Insulated troughs or slow-flow systems are effective for reducing the risk of freezing.

Monitor dung pats

Monitoring dung pats can provide valuable insight into dietary balance, digestion and overall health.

Changes in dung consistency often reflect the quality of forage and whether enough nutrients are being supplied.

Firmness and shape

Optimal: Dung should form a solid, soft pile with a slight dome shape.

Too loose: Watery dung may indicate a high-protein, low-fibre diet, such as excess legume-rich forage.

Too firm: Hard, compact dung suggests low-protein forage, excessive stemmy material or inadequate intake.

Colour

Bright green: High nitrogen content from lush grass, legumes or well-preserved silage bales.

Dark brown: Indicative of a balanced forage diet, often seen with mixed grass hay or a mix of dry hay and silage.

Pale or yellowish: May signal low-quality, overly mature forage or poor digestion.

Undigested material

Large fibre particles suggest poor rumen breakdown, often due to overly stemmy hay or insufficient intake of digestible fibre.

Odour

A mild, earthy smell is normal.

A strong, sour-smelling dung may indicate imbalanced forage, e.g. excessive legume intake without sufficient fibre.

Further information and next steps