SILAGE MAKING
• Silage -grass or other
fodder compacted and
stored in airtight
conditions typically in a
“silo”.
Harvesting the forage: The
forage is harvested when it is
at the optimal stage of
maturity, typically when it
has reached a target dry
matter content. This can vary
depending on the crop being
used.
Chopping: The forage is then
chopped into small pieces, typically
0.5 to 2 inches in length. This
increases the surface area of the
forage and helps to promote a faster
and more efficient fermentation
process.
Packing: The chopped forage is
then packed tightly into a storage
structure, such as a silo or bunker.
This helps to eliminate oxygen from
the plant material, which is
necessary for the fermentation
process.
Sealing: The storage structure is then sealed to prevent air from
entering the silage. This can be done with plastic sheeting, which
is applied over the top of the silage and weighted down with tires
or other heavy objects.
Fermentation: The fermentation process begins as the plant
sugars are converted into organic acids, which lowers the pH of
the feed. This process can take several weeks and is influenced by
factors such as moisture content, temperature, and the presence
of bacteria.
Feedout: Once the
fermentation process is
complete, the silage can be
fed to livestock. It's
important to remove only
the amount of silage
needed for each feeding, as
exposure to air can lead to
spoilage.
Advantages in Silage Making
Increased feed quality: Silage is a fermented feed that has a
higher nutrient content than fresh forage. The fermentation
process increases the digestibility of the feed, making it easier
for animals to extract nutrients.
Extended feeding season: Silage can be stored for several
months, allowing farmers to have a consistent supply of feed
throughout the year. This is especially useful in regions with
short growing seasons or where pasture is limited.
Reduced feed waste: When properly made and stored, silage has
minimal waste compared to other types of feed. This can help
reduce feeding costs and minimize environmental impact.
Versatility: Silage can be made from a variety of crops, including
corn, alfalfa, grasses, and other forages. This allows farmers to
choose the crop that best suits their needs and availability.
Increased animal performance: Animals fed silage have
improved growth rates, milk production, and reproductive
performance compared to animals fed fresh forage or hay.
Convenience: Silage can be stored in a variety of ways,
including in silos, bunkers, or bags. This makes it easy to store
and transport, and can help reduce labor costs associated
with feeding.
Disadvantages
Risk of spoilage: If not made or stored properly, silage can
spoil, which can reduce its nutritional value and make it
unpalatable to animals. This can result in reduced feed
intake and decreased animal performance.
Investment in equipment: Making and storing silage
requires specialized equipment, such as silage choppers,
packing equipment, and storage structures. This can be a
significant investment for farmers, especially those with
smaller operations.
Safety concerns: Silage can produce harmful gases such as
nitrogen dioxide and methane during the fermentation process,
which can pose a risk to both animals and humans if proper safety
precautions are not taken.
Potential for mold growth: If the moisture content of the forage is
too high or if it is not properly packed or stored, mold can grow in
the silage. Moldy silage can be toxic to animals and can cause health
problems such as mycotoxin poisoning.
Physical Appearance and Texture Silage Characteristics and
Interpretation
Leafy, soft texture Likely to have high ME. Crude protein is probably high.
ME for leafy tropical pasture silages is lower than for
temperate pasture silages at the same growth stage.
Leafy, but leaves more fibrous
Lower digestibility and ME. More typical of tropical
Stemmy, fibrous; seed heads present grasses.
Proportion of legume If high proportion of stems/or seed heads are present,
ME and crude protein are likely to be low. Crop cut too
late.
present in silage
As the proportion of legume increases, silage crude
Presence of mould or rotten protein content (and often ME content) will increase.
Air has entered the silage. DM has been lost and silage
silage quality (ME content) will have declined during
increase.
Very well; effluent seeping
Color Silage Characteristics and Interpretation
Very dark olive green Weather damaged, and/or very wet silage with a poor
fermentation. Sour or putrid aroma. Usually occurs if high
legume content, or immature grass that may have been
fertilized with a high rate of nitrogen.
Dark olive green/brown
Normal color for wilted legumes, which are usually a darker
color grass silages.
Light green to green/brown
Normal color range for grass, cereal and maize silages.
Pale green/straw yellow Normal color range for wilted grass silages. Heavily wilted
ristricted fermentation tend to be greener.
Light amber brown Some heating has occured during storage or due to aerobic
spoilage during feedout. Some loss in digestibility and heat
damage of protein. More common with wilted silages.
Brown
More extensive heating. May also be some black patches of
silage on the surface. Significant loss in digestibility and high
Dark brown proportion of protein is heat damaged and unavailable to the
animal. Inadequate compaction, delayed sealing or poor air
exclusion.
Aroma Silage Characteristics and Interpretation
Mild, pleasantly acidic, sour Normal lactic acid fermentation - desirable.
milk or natural yoghurt smell Heavily wilted silage with little fermentation,
especially from crops with low sugar content.
very little smell, but slight
Stronger aroma as DM content falls.
sweet aroma
Yeasts have played an active role in the fermentation.
sweet, fruity alcoholic aroma Ethanol levels high. These silages are often unstable
during feed out.
sour vinegar smell
Poor fermentation dominated by bacteria producing
rancid butter,putrid aroma acetic acid. Common with low DM, low sugar.
strong tobacco or caramel
Poor fermentation dominated by clostridia bacteria
smell, with flavoe of burnt that produce high levels of butyric acid. Silage wet and
sometimes slimy. Rub silage between fingers, warm
sugar the hand for few seconds and then smell. The
presence of butyric acid is easily detected.
musty or moldy aroma
with only milld fermentation aroma
