Leslie and Sam Caldbeck, who milk 250 cows on a 350-acre platform near the village of Tullaroan, have been happily using Ecosyl for the past 10 years.

Liam Gannon, business manager at Ecosyl, first visited the Caldbeck farm last spring, and upon returning at feedout time, the brothers shared why they have been long-term users of Ecosyl Additive. We captured their experience on camera, showcasing the real impact of Ecosyl on their silage quality.

Having used Ecosyl for years, the Caldbecks were able to demonstrate the difference it makes. On his visit, Liam Gannon saw first-hand how the silage additive had helped preserve quality, reduce waste, and improve feed efficiency—solid proof of why they continue to trust Ecosyl.

“Since we started farming back in the 1980s, we’ve been using an inoculant and we began using Ecosyl in 2015,” said Leslie.

“The harvester that we bought at the time featured a liquid applicator so we looked at the various products available and that’s when Ecosyl came to our attention. Since then, we’ve been using it in liquid form at a low volume rate and I have to say it’s an excellent product. It’s very easy for the contractor to mix a two-litre tub of Ecosyl with water - you’d have it done in a few minutes with the mix then catering for application for anything between 30 acres and 120 acres.”

Ecosyl, by Volac International Ltd, caters for an extensive range of crops and ensiling conditions, delivering improved fermentation and animal performance. It contains MTD/1, a special strain of bacteria which is exclusive to Ecosyl’s range of silage additives.

MTD/1, which puts farmers in the driving range of silage preservation, was selected by Volac due to its highly efficient fermenting function, which can work in multiple crops over a wide range of conditions. A special manufacturing process also ensures that MTD/1 bacteria are produced in peak condition, enabling its immediate function.

“There are a lot of challenges to consider when making silage – and the weather probably presents the biggest and most regular challenge of all,” according to Sam.

“Nonetheless we aim to produce silage with a DMD (Dry Matter Digestibility) in excess of 75 per cent and that’s what we aim for all of the time. Our last DMD test came in at 77, which we were very pleased with. While we might not get a huge yield off it, we utilise all of that. If a cow is getting 15 kilos of silage, we know those 15 kilos are going to be very productive for her.”

Leslie added: “We moved away from making huge volumes many years ago and changed our emphasis to producing really high-quality silage. We’ve our own way of cutting silage – a strip grazing system which keeps the grass as fresh as possible - but if we let grass go uncut for two to three weeks later than we normally do, we’d probably end up with a cut less and a heap more silage but with a depleted feeding value. We calve and are milking by the first week of January and we feed five to six kilos of concentrates and nuts in the parlour. That’s what we do and it works well for us.”

Despite more changeable winter conditions of late, Leslie acknowledged his farm’s favourable topography when it comes to getting – and leaving – cows out.

“We’ve a natural advantage by location given the level of dry land we have, which means we're able to keep the cows out as long as possible,” he said.

“While they mightn’t have much to graze on outside, we also bring them in for buffer feeding before they go out again. At the back end of last year, there was plenty of grass but we found that it didn't do a whole lot for the cow but once we started feeding the silage, we got better yields from the cows.”

One of the Caldbecks’ main annual objectives is to avoid waste. Why? “Because waste is expensive,” said Sam. “It’s our biggest single expense.”

“Most years, we’re putting out 2,500 tons of silage and we’re probably throwing out less than five tons of waste. It really does pay to use Ecosyl because that’s what gets your silage right, that’s what keeps it stable and that’s why it feeds out well. The fact that there’s so little waste is obviously an excellent sign in terms of DMD and demonstrates the quality and reliability of silage that we produced from the previous harvest. Ecosyl is playing a huge role in maintaining that reliability and that’s why we’ll continue to use it.”

A high-quality additive from a trusted company, Ecosyl is scientifically proven to work efficiently from application through to improved animal performance.

“We're very happy with how Ecosyl continues to perform,” said Leslie.

“It works so well for us, it helps to sustain the quality of the silage, it rarely goes off and there’s little or any secondary fermentation. High quality silage leads to more efficient conversions to beef and milk – so everyone gains. Our silage is utilised to the last, our milking cows have an excellent level of condition and that really is the name of the game. And should things not go to plan, then we’ll adapt accordingly: that’s what farmers have always done and will continue to do. But, all things being equal, 2025 will be a productive and profitable year for us.”

To identify the steps required to improve silage quality, contact your local silage expert or visit www.uk.ecosyl.com/products

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