Odos Logotype
Log In
Contact us
ODOS Tech — Improving Forage Quality (Preview)

Animal Nutrition & Feeding

Improving Forage Quality

Improving forage quality raises the digestibility of grass and maize silage, so cows convert feed more efficiently and produce less methane per unit of output.

See the cost breakdown →
Impact on FootprintLow
Impact on productionMaintained to positive
Farm fitSilage with room to improve
Upfront costNo product cost

01 · Context

How It Works

Digestibility is the share of the feed a cow can actually break down and use. Higher-digestibility silage is easier for the cow to convert into milk, so she gets more from the same feed.

This strategy assesses the current digestibility of grass and maize silage, and models the effect of improving it through better silage management: cutting at an earlier, more digestible stage, wilting quickly, and sealing silage well to keep air out.

The lever is silage-making practice, not a product or new infrastructure.

Same Silage, More Put To Use Illustrative. Digestibility is the share of feed the cow can use. Lower-digestibility silage Less energy for milk Higher-digestibility silage More energy for milk Same amount of silage fed Digested and used Not digested Illustrative only. Modelled precisely for your farm in the ODOS Tech platform.
Better Forage, Less Methane Per Litre Illustrative. A change in emission intensity, not total emissions. Less methane per litre Before Current silage After Higher digestibility Enteric methane per litre of milk Not a farm-specific prediction. Modelled precisely for your setup in the ODOS Tech platform.

02 · Emissions

Impact On Emissions

Enteric methane forms as feed ferments in the cow's rumen. Higher forage digestibility reduces it per unit of product, since better feed conversion means less feed, and therefore less methane, is needed for each litre produced.

This is a reduction in emission intensity, not total farm emissions. Because dairy footprints are usually measured per litre or kilogram of milk, it shows up directly in that figure.

Your specific reduction, based on your current silage digestibility and the improvement achievable, is modelled precisely for your farm in the ODOS Tech platform.

03 · Production

Impact On Production

Better forage digestibility can increase milk production through improved feed conversion, as more of the silage the cow eats goes into milk.

There's no negative production trade-off. Expected milk output is recalculated alongside emissions, so any gain is modelled for your farm rather than assumed.

The emissions benefit and any milk gain come from the same improvement.

Production Snapshot

Based on farms with room to improve silage digestibility

Milk output
Maintained to positive
Feed conversion
Improved
Methane per litre
Reduced

No negative production trade-off

milk output can rise with better feed conversion

04 · Costs

Cost & Economics

No product cost, with potential milk gains.

The economic benefit comes from the value of additional milk produced, calculated from the improved feed conversion at your milk price. There's no product cost, though achieving higher digestibility may involve changes to harvest timing or silage-making practice.

How much you gain depends on how far your current silage quality can improve. This is exactly the kind of comparison ODOS Tech runs against your own milk price.

See how it's modelled →
  • Benefit based on the value of additional milk produced
  • Calculated at your own milk price, not a fixed rate
  • No product to buy and no infrastructure change
  • Harvest timing or silage-making practice may change

05 · Fit

Where This Works Best

Strong fit

  • Farms whose current silage digestibility has room to improve
  • Farms able to adjust harvest timing or wilting management

Less suited

  • Farms whose silage is already highly digestible, with limited room to improve
  • Farms looking for a product or infrastructure solution rather than a practice change

06 · Model

How We Model This

The digestibility of grass silage and maize silage is adjusted per farm. The model then recalculates both emissions and expected milk production based on the adjusted values.

Standard starting valuesStandard digestibility values for grass and maize silage are the starting point, then adjusted to each farm.
Each silage set separatelyGrass silage and maize silage digestibility are assessed and adjusted independently.
Emissions and milk recalculatedEnteric methane and expected milk output are recalculated from the adjusted digestibility.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How is forage digestibility improved in practice? +

Mainly through harvest timing, cutting grass or maize at an earlier, more digestible stage, and through good wilting and ensiling practice.

Does this increase milk yield? +

It can. Better digestibility improves feed conversion efficiency, which can lift milk output alongside the emissions reduction.

Is there a cost to this strategy? +

No direct product cost. The main consideration is a change to harvest timing and silage management practice.

How much can digestibility realistically improve? +

This depends on your current silage quality and harvest practice. It's set per farm based on your existing values, rather than a fixed assumption.

Does this apply to both grass and maize silage? +

Yes, both can be assessed and improved independently.

See This Modelled On Your Farm

We’ll show you the reduction range and cost comparison, based on your farm’s own data.