With grass growth rates declining and low-yielding first cuts, farmers looking to extend their silage stocks can do so by replacing a proportion of grass silage with straw. Despite being relatively unpalatable, indigestible and low in protein, straw is an excellent base for ruminant diets where silage is in short supply. It is an excellent source of long fibre and there are several ways of improving both animal intakes and their utilisation of straw and making it into an effective substitute for silage.
