What is silage process?
Silage is a fermented feed resulting from the storage of high moisture crops under anaerobic conditions in a structure called as silo. The silage is then fermented to provide feed for livestock. The fermentation process of silage is done in multiple phases and takes around 3 weeks to be completed.
How do you make good silage?
10 steps to making better quality silage
- Decide on silage quality needed:
- Cut at the right growth stage:
- Do not sacrifice quality for bulk:
- Do not wait ‘for Nitrogen to leave the crop’:
- If in doubt, test sugars:
- Wilt for a day:
- Choose additives based on need:
- Reduce post-harvest losses:
How do you prepare silage for cattle?
Silage Making for Profitable Dairy Farming
- To begin with, make a pit and then place a big polythene sheet on it.
- Make sure you cover the walls so that the forage does not come into contact with the soil.
- Cut the fresh forage in small pieces say for about 1 to 1.5 inches in length using either a panga or a chaff cutter.
What is the purpose of silage?
The goal of silage production is to minimize biological degradation and conserve digestible nutrients. To do this, oxygen must be eliminated and silage acidity must increase rapidly so that lactic acid bacteria grow and stabilize the silage.
What does good silage look like?
Assessing silage quality by sight and smell Colour: Well-preserved silages are green, yellow, or pale brown. Dark brown silage is generally poorly preserved. Smell: Well preserved silage has a sweet, tobacco smell. Foul, rancid smells indicate the presence of butyric acid from poor preservation.
Which crop is best for silage making?
The fodder crops, such as maize, sorghum, oats, pearl millet, and hybrid napier rich in soluble carbohydrates are most suitable for fodder ensiling. Quality of silage can be improved with the use of suitable additives such as molasses, urea, salt, formic acid etc. 1.
Is silage more expensive than hay?
Crop hay and silage can be of very good quality if managed correctly. Silage is cut at an earlier growth stage, making it of higher quality than hay, but is less cost- effective to transport long distances.
What time of year is silage made?
Silage is a fermented feed (that’s right, our cows have been on a fermented diet long before it became trendy). Grass is preserved through fermentation and we use this to feed the cows from late autumn until early spring.
Which crop is not suitable for silage making?
Crops like maize, jowar, bajra, hybrid napier, oat are most suitable for silage making. Leguminous crops like berseem, Lucerne, Cowpea is not suitable, unless molasses are sprayed on these crops while filling silo pit.
What is the best time to cut silage?
Typically, first-cut silage may have been taken around mid-May, depending on location. But multi-cut could take that well into April, especially further south. When it comes to cutting, avoid cutting too low. Remember, you want rapid regrowth, because you’ll be cutting again in a few weeks’ time.
Why is silage cut at night?
Sheeting at night helps cut silage losses between clamping and feeding out. The average clamp loses about 25%, or one load in every four put in, but the best silage makers keep losses down to 8%-10%, one load in every 10 or 12.
What is the best fertilizer for silage?
Grass silage has a large nutrient demand and adequate N, P & K is essential for maximising grass yield and producing sufficient winter feed. Nitrogen (N) is the key driver of grass yield. Grass swards with high levels of perennial rye grass will use N more efficiently than older swards.
What is the best time of the day to cut silage?
Optimal Silage The target digestibility value of 67-70, which means cutting in early-to-mid May for most regions. During first good spell of dry, consistent weather grass should be cut. A bright day is ideal to increase the sugar content of the grass as this results in improved fermentation.
What happens if silage is too wet?
Too Wet. Harvesting corn silage at moisture levels above 70% will not only yield less but will result in seepage and a very undesirable clostridia fermentation. Clostridia bacteria are very inefficient and convert forage sugars and organic acids into butyric acid, carbon dioxide and ammonia.
What is the best time of day to cut silage?
How long after fertilizer can I cut silage?
A: Wait a minimum of six to seven weeks between spreading N and cutting the silage. The rule of thumb is that two units of Nitrogen are used up every day under ideal growing conditions.
How do you know when to cut silage?
Optimal Silage The target digestibility value of 67-70, which means cutting in early-to-mid May for most regions. During first good spell of dry, consistent weather grass should be cut.