Advanced Grain and
Wholecrop Preservation
1 Visit us online at www.molevalleyfarmers.com
Safe Easy Processing
and Storage of Farm
Grain & Wholecrop
Maxammon® Grain
Maxammon® grain is the name given to
an exceptionally cost effective and efficient
system of grain storage and preservation,
where enhanced pH and increased protein
result in huge benefits. Mature grain off the
combine can be lightly rolled, treated with
Maxammon® and stored on farm to be fed later
to livestock. It is also possible for whole grain
to be Maxammon® treated with rolling
or crimping done at feed out as necessary.
To extend farm grown cereals, dry grains
may also be Maxammon® treated throughout
the year to further enhance its feed value.
Maxammon® Wholecrop
Where cereal crops are grown for wholecrop,
the Maxammon® treatment can be used in
place of conventional treatments giving a
stable, cost effective alternative which offers
the nutritional benefits of raised pH and
protein. Crops should be harvested at a mature
75–85% dry matter stage rather than at the
normal earlier fermented wholecrop stage.
Mole Maxi Starch Feeds
Mole Valley Farmers is also able to supply a
ready treated range of Maxammon® wheat,
barley or maize (see page 7).
The Maxammon®
Process
The Maxammon additive is a combination of
feed grade urea, full fat soya bean, essential
oils and an advanced grain enzyme and is
easily mixed in a diet feeder or through a
crimper machine, preferably fitted with flat
rollers for best throughput.
®
Ammonia is released within the ensiled grain
thereby rapidly preserving the grain without the
need for drying or any further processing. The
Maxammon® process aggressively releases
ammonia into the mature whole or cracked
grain which inhibits the growth of yeasts and
moulds and attacks other spoilage organisms
present on the harvested grain. This also raises
the pH of the treated material to an alkaline
level between 8.5 and 9.5 pH and acts as a
buffer to acidic forages when fed.
At the same time this activity enhances fibre
digestibility of the grain and raises the protein
level by approximately 30%.
As a result, stock can be provided with part
or all their concentrate requirements from one
pit in the form of Maxammon® grain depending
on livestock age and performance required.
One of the big benefits of using Maxammon®
is the simplicity of the treatment and storage
of the finished product. Treated grain should
be sealed for two weeks from the day of
treatment. During the preservation process the
advanced Maxammon® grain enzyme converts
all of the added soluble feed grade urea to
ammonia. After a two week period, indoor
clamps should be opened and the plastic cover
completely removed.
Outdoor clamps of Maxammon® grain
or Maxammon® wholecrop must be sheeted
carefully to contain the ammonia produced
during the 2 week preservation period and
to exclude all rain. It then needs to be left
covered with plastic, only opening to feed out
as required.
Maxammon® grain or wholecrop is also
ideal for storage in an Ag-Bag, a simple,
efficient and cost effective system compared
to conventional grain storage.
Safe Feeding of High
Starch Cereals
pH Effect
Ammonium bicarbonate, produced from the
Maxammon® treatment, is strongly alkaline.
and RDP (rumen degradable protein) which
are the two critical components for optimising
rumen performance and feed intake.
Optimum rumen pH for thorough digestion
is pH 6.2. The addition of Maxammon®
grain to diets rapidly increases the pH in
the diet helping to attain an optimum rumen
environment resulting in better feed digestion
and feed conversion efficiency (FCE).
Due to the fact that the mature grain is cracked
rather than finely processed during the
Maxammon® treatment the release of starch is
slower in the rumen than conventionally rolled
cereals.
This alkaline preservation coupled with the
slower release of starch results in a feed that,
while high in starch, is very rumen friendly and
is why much higher feed rates of Maxammon®
grain can be fed than traditional forms of cereal
feeding.
The benefit of this is a higher energy diet giving
improved milk yields, milk quality and fertility
or improved daily liveweight gains for cattle
reducing days to slaughter and total feed used.
Maxammon®
Protein Benefit
Increased Protein Content
One of the benefits of using Maxammon®
is the increased protein content of treated
grain or wholecrop.
Treated grains and wholecrop are left with
a high pH (8.5 – 9.5) which will buffer and
counteract the acidity in the rumen when fed.
This powerful buffering action supports
and enhances the natural buffer-sodium
bicarbonate, which is contained in a ruminant’s
saliva. These buffers are essential to combat
fermentation acids which can make the rumen
too acidic.
Feeding alkaline preserved feeds presents the
rumen microbes with vital fermentable energy
2
3
Did You Know?
Maxammon® Grains can be fed as an
ideal complement to grass for dairy
replacements and beef cattle from the
age of three months upwards.
Stage Three - PROCESSING
The grain must be cracked preferably using a
flat roller crimping machine. Cracking should
break the grain but NOT turn it to meal as
Maxammon® gasses need to percolate through
the clamped grain (Do not Hammer Mill).
Grain should be treated as soon as possible
after harvesting (to avoid fermentation) unless
dry enough for long term storage and later
treatment with added water. The Maxammon®
needs to be well mixed with the grain at the
required rate. We recommend one of two
methods.
• Load the Maxammon® into a mixer wagon
along with the cracked grain and dry mix.
Maxammon® grain is thus a useful and cost
effective source of RDP the value of which,
when compared to a typical RDP source such
as rapemeal, will help to offset treatment costs
and ultimately help to reduce the overall farm
feeding costs.
From Field to Storage
Stage One – GROWING
The cereal crop should be grown to it’s
maximum potential with fully mature grain.
According to the farm’s feed requirements
the decision can then be made to harvest as
Maxammon® treated wholecrop or, to harvest
the grain separately using the Maxammon®
preservation system, leaving the straw crop
for feeding and bedding.
4
Stage Two - HARVESTING
For Maxammon® grain, the mature crop
should ideally be harvested between
16-22% moisture using a conventional
combine harvester. Whilst the grain is mature
the process does not require dried grain
so the crop can be harvested in damp
conditions and a little surface moisture will
help the grain cracking and preservation
process. For grain outside of this range please
speak to Mole Valley Farmers for further advice.
Do not harvest grain which is immature, green
or sprouted.
Maxammon® wholecrop cereals should
be harvested when dry matter is over
75% (ideally closer to 85%), using a grain
processor fitted to a forage harvester.
Wheat is the usual choice for wholecrop but
triticale can also be used. The crop has to be
good quality (minimal disease and weeds)
with a high grain yield
The use of a Glyphosate is recommended
for both Maxammon® grain and Maxammon®
wholecrop for desiccation of any weeds and
remaining green crop which could cause
spoilage in the clamp.
It is possible for whole grain to be preserved
and clamped with Maxammon® but this will
need to be rolled/crimped after a minimum of
two weeks storage, for feeding.
Stage Four - STORAGE
Maxammon® grain should be stored well
sealed under a high quality plastic sheet that
extends down the store sides. This can be
an indoor or an outdoor store but rainwater
must be excluded. The floor should also be
lined with a sheet of plastic. After opening
the face should be protected from rain and
covered with the sheet whenever possible.
The Maxammon® grain process directly
discourages vermin and birds.
10
Recommended maximum
clamp height (feet)
Typical grain crude protein levels of untreated
wheat and barley are in the region of 11% CP.
By applying the Maxammon® treatment this can
be increased by approximately one third. This
will help to reduce the protein supplementation
required, but not necessarily eliminate the need
for it, dependant on the diet being fed and
performance required (please speak to your
Mole Valley Farmers nutritionist for specific
feeding advice).
• Add the Maxammon® into the crimp/roller
machine hopper using a calibrated loader
bucket.
Did You Know?
When using Maxammon® the urea in the
additive is ENTIRELY broken down to
ammonia by the advanced enzyme action,
and it is the ammonia gas that acts as the
preservative. Ammonia destroys microbes
and moulds and effectively sterilises the
crop. The gas also reacts with lignin in
plant cell walls to enhance the digestibility.
Instructions For Use
Application Procedure
Option 1 - Mixer Wagon (5 tonne mixer):
• A
dd 1 tonne of grain to the mixer/mixer
wagon.
• A
dd 5kg Maxammon® and15kg
Maxammon® Feed Grade Urea per tonne of
grain to be mixed i.e. 5 tonne mix add 25kg
(5 x 5kg) Maxammon and 75kg (5 x 15kg)
Maxammon® Feed Grade Urea.
• Mix briefly (1 to 2 minutes) with the
1 tonne of grain to activate the Maxammon®
reaction, then add remaining grain
(4 tonnes). If treating dry grain (below 16%
moisture) add 60-100kgs water per tonne
of cereal to activate the Maxammon®.
• Mix thoroughly for 3 to 4 minutes
and discharge.
Option 2 - Crimper Application
•
Add 5kg Maxammon® and 15kg
Maxammon® Feed Grade Urea per tonne
of grain to be treated through a calibrated
application hopper or calibrated loading
bucket.
•
If treating dry grain (below 16%
moisture) add 60 -100kgs water per
tonne of grain while crimping to
activate the Maxammon®.
9
8
7
6
5
4
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Moisture content (%)
5
Option 3 - Wholecrop Treatment
• Ripe wholecrop should be harvested
using a primary processing mill fitted
with a grain cracker on a self-propelled
forage harvester.
• No green material should remain in
the crop at harvest (use glyphosate
as necessary).
• Weigh each individual full trailer once
before returning to the clamp.
• Add 5kg Maxammon® and 15kg
Maxammon® Feed Grade Urea per tonne
of wholecrop to be treated through
a calibrated loading bucket.
• Apply the appropriate amount of additive
per tonne of wholecrop once the trailer
has been unloaded by sprinkling it over
the load from the loader bucket.
• The wholecrop can then be pushed
into the clamp, rolled and sheeted.
Storage
a damp proof course the floor should also
be sheeted.
Maxammon® grain can be clamped outdoors,
however moisture must not enter the clamp as
this will lead to spoilage.
The treated Maxammon® grain should be
pushed into the clamp – DO NOT COMPACT
BY DRIVING ON THE GRAIN. The surface of
the Maxammon® clamp should be level.
Mole Valley Feed Solutions
Ready Made Maxammon® Products
Mole Valley Feed Solutions are able to supply a range of Maxammon® treated grain products
to extend farm grown grain or as a complete replacement where it can be used to complement
other feeds used on the farm.
Maxammon® Products
Treated grain clamp height is determined by
the grain moisture content (see graph, page 5).
Once completed the clamp should be
sealed immediately with the NEW polythene
sheeting/cover.
If more grain is to be added to an already
sealed Maxammon® clamp within 2 weeks,
open the clamp and complete the task
as quickly as possible ensuring minimal
disturbance to the existing grain.
The top sheet should be weighed down and
sealed adequately to prevent Maxammon®
ammonia escape for optimum preservation.
Prepare the clamp by thoroughly cleaning and
power hosing the floor and walls. An insecticide
should be sprayed on all store surfaces in
advance of filling the clamp.
With indoor pits, 1 week after treatment
check under the cover for the presence of
condensation/moisture. If moisture is present
remove the cover. The sheet/cover MUST be
removed after 2 weeks.
All walls should be sheeted with NEW
polythene. If the clamp does not contain
Outdoor Grain clamps and Wholecrop clamps
should be left covered for weather protection.
Mole Maxi
Starch Maize
Mole Maxi
Starch Wheat
Mole Maxi
Starch Barley
Maize, ground and treated
with Maxammon® to increase
the protein content and
provide an alkaline finished
feed. With a high level of
bypass starch, Mole Maxi
Starch Maize can be fed as
a sole starch source or as a
replacement for part of the
wheat in the diet. The alkaline
pH allows higher starch levels
to be fed and, as an effective
rumen buffer, it will reduce the
risk of acidosis.
Wheat, crimped and
treated with Maxammon® to
increase the protein content
and provide an alkaline
finished feed. With a pH of
8.5 – 9.5 Mole Maxi starch
wheat is a ready-made
alternative to farm treated
soda wheat or rolled wheat
and provides an effective
rumen buffer minimising the
risk of acidosis.
Crimped barley treated with
Maxammon® to increase the
protein content and provide
an alkaline finished feed.
With a pH between 8.5 – 9.5
it provides an effective rumen
buffer to minimise the risk of
acidosis. For Intensive Beef
Finishing diets Maxi Starch
Barley, with its increased
protein level, may be fed as
the sole feed with mineral
supplementation. (Please ask
for nutritional advice)
Typical Analysis
Typical Analysis
Typical Analysis
DM (%)
80
DM (%)
80
DM (%)
80
pH
9
pH
8.9
pH
8.7
CP (%)
13.8
CP (%)
13.5
13.5
ME (MJ/kg DM)
12.8
CP (%)
6
For all Mole Maxi Starch products please ask
Mole Valley Farmers for specific feeding advice.
11.7
ME (MJ/kg DM)
14
ME (MJ/kg DM)
Starch (%)
70
Starch (%)
65
Starch (%)
62
Oil (%)
3.3
Oil (%)
2.3
Oil (%)
2.5
NDF (%)
10.5
NDF (%)
18
NDF (%)
12
7
Contact Information
Lifton Alternative Feed Office:
01566 780261
Arable Office:
01769 576232
Feed Line:
01278 444829
Fertiliser Line:
01769 576405
Feed & Nutrition
Forage & Arable
Animal Health
Fuel & Renewables
Agricultural Inputs
Mole Valley Farmers Ltd., Exmoor House, Lime Way,
Pathfields Business Park, South Molton, Devon EX36 3LH
Tel: 01769 573431 Fax: 01769 573821
Email: [email protected] Web: www.molevalleyfarmers.com