Detailed close-up of ripe corn on the cob in a sunlit field during harvest season.

Is Your Maize Silage Heating Up?

Protect More of What You Grow with F1 Ice Gold

Vibrant green corn stalks with visible tassels under the bright sun.

Growing a good crop is only half the job. The real return comes from keeping as much of its energy, protein and dry matter as possible from harvest through to the feed passage.

Maize silage, wholecrop and drier grass crops can present particular challenges at ensiling. Their higher dry matter can make effective consolidation more difficult, increasing the risk of air remaining within the clamp. Once the clamp is opened, exposure to oxygen can also encourage yeasts and moulds to become active, leading to heating, spoilage and valuable feed being lost.

AHDB guidance highlights several situations where a silage additive may help maintain maize silage quality, including crops harvested above 35% dry matter, wide clamp faces, slow feed-out rates, feeding during warmer weather and where aerobic spoilage has been experienced previously.

Heating Silage Is More Than an Inconvenience

A hot clamp face is not simply annoying. Heating is a visible warning that the forage is becoming unstable.

When yeasts and moulds begin using the nutrients stored within the silage, dry matter and energy can be lost as heat and carbon dioxide. The forage may become less palatable, leading to sorting, reduced intakes and inconsistent performance.

AHDB notes that invisible dry matter losses from silage clamps can exceed 15% in some circumstances, while good management and preservation techniques can reduce losses to below 5%.

Every percentage point lost is forage that has been grown, harvested, carted, rolled and covered, but never reaches the cow.

What Is F1 Ice Gold?

F1 Ice Gold is a dual-action forage additive developed for:

Maize silage
Fermented and drier wholecrop
Drier grass crops
Forages at increased risk of heating and aerobic spoilage

It combines competitive silage bacteria with feed-grade salt preservatives. The two components work together to support rapid fermentation while helping to control the yeasts and moulds responsible for heating and spoilage.

This makes F1 Ice Gold particularly suited to challenging crops where achieving a fast, stable fermentation and maintaining clamp stability may be more difficult.

Fast Fermentation Helps Protect Nutrients

Successful ensiling relies on removing oxygen and creating the right conditions for fermentation as quickly as possible.

The homolactic bacteria within F1 Ice Gold are designed to produce a rapid and efficient fall in pH. According to the product specification, the competitive bacterial strains are intended to complete fermentation within two to three days.

A faster fall in pH can help:

Reduce the breakdown of true protein
Limit ammonia production
Preserve more usable energy
Reduce dry matter losses
Maintain forage palatability
Support more consistent intakes

Achieving the correct pH during fermentation is important because it helps preserve the nutritional value of the crop until it is exposed to air again at feed-out.

Added Protection Against Yeasts and Moulds

The bacterial component supports fermentation, while the feed-grade preservative salts provide a second line of defence.

When applied at the recommended rate, the preservatives cover the forage in a matrix of salts designed to restrict the activity of unwanted organisms. This can help reduce:

Yeast and mould growth
Heating at the clamp face
Spoilage during feed-out
The effects of soil-borne bacteria
Losses caused by poor aerobic stability

The result is a more stable forage that is better able to retain its feeding value after the clamp is opened.

This is especially relevant to drier wholecrop, which AHDB describes as being more susceptible to yeasts and moulds. AHDB advises that an appropriate additive can help support fermentation and improve keeping quality once the forage is exposed to air.

Better-Preserved Forage Supports Better Feeding

The objective is not simply to produce silage that looks or smells better. It is to retain more of the crop’s nutritional value.

Well-preserved, palatable forage supports higher intakes and more consistent livestock performance. Poorly preserved forage can introduce greater variation into the ration, making it more difficult to maintain stable dry matter intakes and formulate diets accurately.

By helping to preserve energy, protein and dry matter, F1 Ice Gold is designed to help farmers get more feeding value from every tonne harvested.

That matters whether the forage is being used to support milk production, growing cattle or finishing animals.

Correct Application Matters

One pack of F1 Ice Gold is mixed into 200 litres of clean water and applied at a rate of two litres per tonne of fresh forage.

The preservative salts should be dissolved before being added to the applicator drum. The bacterial sachet should be mixed separately with a small quantity of water and added immediately before use to protect the viability and shelf life of the bacteria.

Accurate calibration is essential. Check the applicator before harvesting begins and monitor application throughout the job to make sure the correct volume is being delivered.

An Additive Cannot Rescue Poor Clamp Management

F1 Ice Gold should be used alongside good harvesting and clamp management, not as a replacement for it.

For the best results:

Harvest at the correct dry matter
Adjust chop length to suit crop conditions
Fill the clamp quickly
Spread the crop in thin, even layers
Consolidate thoroughly
Seal the clamp immediately
Maintain a clean, tight clamp face
Move across the face quickly enough during feed-out

AHDB recommends harvesting maize at approximately 28% to 35% dry matter, consolidating it well and sealing it completely to create rapid anaerobic fermentation.

When good clamp management is combined with the right forage treatment, farmers have the best opportunity to protect the crop they have invested in growing.

Protect the Feed You Have Already Paid to Produce

Once maize or wholecrop has been harvested, there is no opportunity to replace the nutrients lost through heating and spoilage.

F1 Ice Gold provides dual-action protection by supporting rapid fermentation and helping to control yeasts and moulds. For farms dealing with drier crops, slow feed-out, wide clamp faces or a history of heating, it can provide valuable additional protection.

Before harvest, speak to the TBA team about your crop, dry matter, clamp dimensions, feed-out rate and previous silage results.… Read the rest

Is Your Maize Silage Heating Up? Read More »

SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets, F1 Ice Gold, F1 evo and the NEW F1 ForageSafe Silage Preservatives

News / Trevor Birchall

When it comes to making the most of home-grown forage, preparation matters.

Let’s talk silage! A good crop is only part of the story. The way it is preserved, protected and managed through the clamp can make a real difference to feed value, dry matter retention, palatability and overall performance. With input costs still front of mind for every farm business, making better use of what you grow has never been more important.
At TBA Ltd., our mission is simple: to assist farmers in achieving optimum yields and profits using their forage and feed crops, then balancing them with the best proteins, energy, fibre and supplements available to achieve their target output.
That is why we are pleased to supply a range of high-performance products to support the silage-making process and beyond. From our superior SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets to our silage additives F1 Ice Gold, the new F1 ForageSafe and F1 Evo for grass silage only, we have got you covered.

Protecting the value in your clamp

Silage making is an investment. From seed selection and crop management through to harvesting, clamping and livestock feeding, every stage matters.
Once the crop is in the clamp, the priority is to preserve as much quality as possible. Poor sealing, oxygen ingress and a slow pH drop can all contribute to spoilage, waste and dry matter losses. The right combination of sheet, additive and on-farm advice can help support better preservation and reduce unnecessary losses.

SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets for better clamp protection

Good clamp coverage is one of the simplest and most important steps in protecting forage quality.
SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets help to create an effective seal, reducing oxygen ingress and supporting the fermentation process. They also play an important role in protecting the clamp surface from weather, contamination and avoidable waste.

TBA Ltd supplies a high-performance silage sheeting solution as sole agents for SealPlus Silage Systems in the South West. SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets are designed to provide excellent oxygen exclusion through their multi-layer construction and reduced permeability, helping to minimise oxygen penetration and support better preservation of valuable forage.

Whether you are covering grass, maize or wholecrop silage, the right silage sheet can play an important role in protecting forage quality and reducing losses throughout the storage period.

F1 Ice Gold: supporting challenging silage conditions

F1 Ice Gold is a silage preservative designed for use in more challenging conditions, including higher dry matter grass silage, wholecrop and maize.
The higher dry matter content and/or the specific texture of these forage crops make them more difficult to compact during clamping, resulting in a more open structure of the clamp and thus retaining more oxygen and also becoming more easily affected by exposure to oxygen once the clamp is opened.
As a dual-action silage additive, F1 Ice Gold combines beneficial bacteria with a feed-grade salt preservative to support the ensiling process and help limit spoilage from yeasts and moulds and where aerobic stability is more challenging.
For farms looking to reduce waste, improve clamp performance and protect the nutritional value of their silage, F1 Ice Gold is a practical option to discuss with the TBA sales team.

NEW F1 ForageSafe silage additive and F1 Evo

F1 ForageSafe is a new silage additive suitable for all silage crops, helping farmers preserve forage quality from harvest through to feeding.

A new 3 strain formula helps support aerobic stability and contributes to reducing the risk of spoilage from yeasts and moulds, particularly when silage is exposed during feed-out. A faster pH drop, better preservation, cooler silage resulting in a stable feed-out.

Alongside F1 ForageSafe, TBA Ltd also supplies F1 Evo, a proven silage inoculant designed specifically for grass silage. The most suitable product will depend on crop type, dry matter, clamp management and individual farm objectives.

The right product choice will depend on crop condition, dry matter, clamp management, rate of silage use and the wider ration. This is where experienced advice matters.
More than products: practical advice for your farm

TBA Ltd supplies a wide range of products to support livestock performance and forage utilisation, including:
• Blends, straights and moist feeds
• Compound feeds
• Protected proteins
• Performance feed supplements
• Minerals
• Liquid feed
• Calf milk replacers
• Silage additives and preservatives
• Grass and clover seed mixtures
• Cereal and maize seeds
• Hygiene products

Our focus is not simply on supplying products. It is about helping farmers make informed decisions that suit their system, their forage, their herd and their performance targets.

As maize harvest approaches, at TBA we have the knowledge, experience and the products to support you and your farm to produce the best silage possible.

… Read the rest

SealPlus Oxygen Barrier Sheets, F1 Ice Gold, F1 evo and the NEW F1 ForageSafe Silage Preservatives Read More »

Heat Stress in Dairy Cattle: Why It Is More Than Just Hot Weather

News / Trevor Birchall

Heat stress in dairy cattle is a multi-factor challenge. It is not simply a case of cows feeling uncomfortable in hot weather. When temperatures rise, especially alongside high humidity, the cow has to work harder to regulate her body temperature. That creates pressure on intake, rumen function, gut health, immunity, fertility and milk production.

For high-performing dairy cows, this can quickly become costly.

What happens during heat stress?

When a dairy cow is under heat stress, one of the first things often affected is dry matter intake, also known as DMI. She eats less because digestion generates heat, and reducing intake is one of the ways the cow tries to limit internal heat production.

The problem is that less intake means fewer nutrients available for milk production, body maintenance and recovery. At the same time, the cow is using more energy to cope with the heat challenge itself.

This is where heat stress becomes more complex than a simple drop in appetite.

The link between heat stress, gut health and inflammation

Heat stress can affect gut barrier function. This is sometimes described as “leaky gut”, where the gut wall becomes more permeable. When this happens, endotoxins can cross the gut wall and trigger an inflammatory response.

That inflammation can further reduce DMI, creating a difficult cycle:

The cow is hot, so she eats less.
The gut may become more vulnerable, increasing the risk of endotoxin challenge.
The immune system is activated to protect the cow.
More energy is used for defence and survival, rather than milk production.
The cow starts partitioning energy away from performance and towards coping with the heat stress challenge.

In practical terms, the cow is not just producing less because she is eating less. She is also using more of the energy she does consume to deal with the physical and immune pressure caused by heat stress.

What does this mean for milk yield?

The impact can be significant. Heat stress can lead to milk losses of up to 6 litres per cow per day in some situations, particularly where cows are already under pressure or where the heat challenge is prolonged.

The concern is not only the immediate loss. Once temperatures return to normal, cows may not automatically bounce back to previous yield levels. If heat stress hits during early lactation, or around the period when cows should be moving towards peak yield, she may struggle to recover fully and may never quite meet her expected peak.

That makes prevention and early action far more valuable than trying to correct the problem once the losses are visible in the tank.

Signs farmers should be watching for

Heat stress can show itself in several ways, including:

Reduced feed intake
Lower milk yield
Increased standing time
Panting or faster breathing
Reduced rumination
Looser dung
Lower butterfat
Fertility issues
Cows gathering around water points or shaded areas
A drop in intakes or milk may be one of the first measurable signs, but by that stage the cow may already be under metabolic and immune pressure.

Practical management: graze at night where possible

One practical step TBA recommends is to graze at night rather than during the day where the system allows.

Night grazing can help reduce the cow’s exposure to peak daytime temperatures and allows her to graze during cooler hours. This can support intake and help reduce the pressure on cows during periods of hot weather.

Other practical considerations include:

Ensuring constant access to clean, fresh water ideally 12-20 degrees C
Providing shade where possible
Avoiding unnecessary handling during the hottest part of the day
Reviewing ration density when intakes are under pressure
Maintaining forage quality and palatability
Monitoring high-yielding and fresh-calved cows closely
Checking trough space and feed availability
Supporting rumen function and overall digestive health
You could also set up a water sprinkler system on entry and exits of the parlour to help evaporative cooling

Every farm system is different, so the best approach is usually a combination of environment, grazing management, nutrition and close observation.

Nutrition has an important role to play

During hot weather, cows may eat less but still need to maintain performance, immune function and health. This means ration balance becomes even more important.

Supporting dry matter intake, rumen stability and nutrient supply can help reduce the impact of heat stress on performance. Good-quality forage, consistent feeding, fresh feed availability and appropriate supplementation all have a part to play.

TBA works with farmers to review forage, feed and nutritional strategy so that cows are supported through seasonal challenges, including periods of heat stress.

Act before the drop happens

The best time to plan for heat stress is before it starts showing in the milk tank.

If you know warmer weather is coming, now is the time to look at grazing patterns, water access, feed presentation and ration support. Small changes made early can help protect cow comfort, intake and performance.

For advice on supporting your herd through heat stress, speak to the TBA sales team. We can help you review your current feeding approach and identify practical steps to support your cows through warmer weather.

Important note

If you are concerned about the immediate health or welfare of any cattle, seek advice from your vet as soon as possible.

Written by Trevor Birchall and Sophie Parker-Norman of Abireo

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