2026 has been a mixed year for fodder. After a dry summer, plenty of farms went into autumn with less silage in the yard than they’d like, and the harvest didn’t help: an IFA grain committee survey puts Ireland’s total grain output at around 1.92 million tonnes, roughly 14% down on 2025, with yields about half a tonne per acre behind last year.
The good news? The same dry weather meant this year’s straw was saved in excellent condition. Used well, it’s one of the most practical ways to make silage go further.
Do your fodder budget now – not in February
Count your bales, measure your pit, and work out how many weeks of feed you have against the number of stock you’re carrying. If there’s a gap, it’s far easier (and usually cheaper) to fill it in October and November than in the depths of winter, when everyone’s looking at once. Get your silage tested too, so you know its real feeding value.
Where straw fits
Straw is high in dry matter and fibre but low in energy and protein, so it suits the animals that don’t need a high-performance diet:
- Dry cows – straw in the diet helps control body condition before calving.
- Young stock and stores – as part of a balanced ration alongside silage and meal.
The Irish Grain Growers Group has pointed out that adding around 2kg of straw and 1kg of rolled barley to the ration for young stock or dry cows can help extend silage stocks over the winter. As always, talk to your nutritionist or Teagasc adviser to balance the diet for your stock – straw replacing silage needs the energy and protein made up elsewhere.
Why chopped straw makes life easier
Long straw is slow to process, wraps around augers and leads to sorting at the feed barrier. That’s why we developed two products for diet feeder users:
- FibreGold ReadyFibre – a precision chopped fibre made for modern TMR systems. Consistent chop length, straight into the mixer. No messing. Just feed.
- Diet Feeder Ready Straw – pre-chopped straw that mixes evenly, cuts mixing time and reduces waste.
Both are produced here on our farm in Foulksmills, Co. Wexford, from straw we grow and harvest ourselves.
Don’t forget bedding
If straw is going into the diet, make sure you’ve still got enough for bedding. Our KosiBed dust-extracted chopped straw bedding goes further than long straw and keeps calf and sick pens clean and dry.
Get a quote
Stocks are moving well this autumn. To get a price on ReadyFibre, Diet Feeder Ready Straw or KosiBed delivered to your yard, message us on WhatsApp at 087 283 2443 or contact Kehoe Farming.
Sources: Agriland – Irish grain output could fall to below 2Mt in 2026; Agriland – Can Irish straw and grains help alleviate the fodder crisis?
