It takes a skillful operator to produce a nutrient-dense forage crop, but that’s just half the job.
A lot of time — and money — can be lost if your forages aren’t properly preserved, which makes silaging and storage important activities on any farm.
“You go through all that expense and work of putting out the best quality feed that you can, so you’re going to want the best quality coming back out of that silage pit or pile,” said Alvin Radcliffe, Nutrition and Production Consultant with Federated Co-operatives Limited in Brandon, Man.
“If you manage it properly, you’re going to have quality forages and nutrients and less waste, which is going to give you an economic advantage.”
By minimizing the oxygen present in the forage, silage storage promotes fermentation and preservation of many crop types, including cereals, corn and alfalfa.
Start the year right
Agronomy is always important, so ensure you’re selecting a forage variety that doesn’t just look good on paper. Yield is one consideration, but the varieties you choose must be suitable for your soil type and environment.
Select a site for success
Is the location of your silage pit or pile helping or hurting your operation?
For the best results, look for a location with a firm base and adequate drainage that can accommodate the amount of silage you expect to produce and provide you with easy, unobstructed access.
“There’s nothing more frustrating than having a pile of great silage to feed to your animals but not being able to get to it,” said Radcliffe. “It’s frustrating for the producer and it can be hard on your equipment and animals.”
Silage quality can be lost as it is exposed to the air. For effective control, Radcliffe recommends removing a minimum of four inches per day from the face of your silage pile during the winter and as much as 12 inches during the warmer months.
Harvesting and chopping
The optimum maturity and moisture content for harvesting forages will vary by crop type, so it’s worth consulting your agronomist. After all, the right moisture content will help you create an environment for beneficial bacteria that will aid the fermentation process.
After harvesting, you may also consider a dry or liquid inoculant, which will help enhance fermentation. Most will be applied at the time of chopping.
“Chop length varies quite a bit depending on the type of forage, but it usually ranges between a quarter and three quarters of an inch,” said Radcliffe.
“Then we have to start filling and packing or building our pile of silage. When we do that we want to make sure the silage bunker or pile gets filled as quickly as possible.”
Keep quality under wraps
At this stage, you want to work quickly, said Radcliffe, so run your equipment continuously. Ensure that packing equipment is sufficient for the rate of fill coming in and don’t worry about over packing.
“The pile itself shouldn’t be spongy. It should be firm when you’re walking on it,” said Radcliffe.
“Once the pile is built and finished, you want to cover it as quickly as possible. I recommend six-millimetre plastic or better. Get that cover on as quick and tight as possible to get all of the air out of it that you can.”