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January 12, 2011
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A Penton Media Property
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Why Silage Density Is Important
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 The higher a silage’s dry matter density, the more
silage can be stored in a silo or pile, the less will be lost to
spoilage and the more profit a producer should be able to realize.
So said ag engineer Richard Muck, who works at the U.S. Dairy Forage
Research Center operated by USDA's Agricultural Research Service in
Madison, WI, during the center’s Forage Toolbox series held at World
Dairy Expo last fall.
“First, in terms of what you get in a silo, say you have a density of
10 lbs of dry matter/cubic foot with a capacity of about 400 tons of
silage. If you double that density, you’re going to get 20 lbs.
You’re also going to be up over 800 tons in that silo. It really
affects your storage costs if you can get more material in that silo.”
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Improving Aerobic Stability In Silages
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Aerobic stability in silages is crucial to maintaining
quality, said Limin Kung, University of Delaware dairy nutritionist, who
spoke at last month’s California Alfalfa and Forage Symposium in
Visalia.
“Silages that have short stability spoil rapidly when exposed to air,
and that leads to a reduction in nutritive value, a reduction in intake
and problems with animal production,” he said.
To keep silage as stable as possible when moved between storage
structures and exposed to air, move the product quickly and in cool
weather. Good packing density and plastic-covering management are also
critical, he said.
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Silage BMPs Can Help Meet Air, Water Quality
Regulations
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California dairy producers must utilize and maintain
silage best management practices to ensure good-quality feed as well as
to comply with air- and water-quality regulations.
That’s the message from Jennifer Heguy, University of California dairy
farm advisor for Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, and Noelia
Silva-del-Rio, her Tulare County counterpart. Heguy presented feed
management survey results – and how the silage-making process will be
affected by new air and water regulations – at the California Alfalfa
& Forage Symposium in December.
About 17% of dairy producers contacted in the two farm advisors’ three
counties completed 120 surveys in 2009. Herds surveyed ranged from 160
lactating cows to 6,600, with a median herd size of 950 milking cows.
Results showed that 85% of respondents stored silage in piles, and 75%
stored it on concrete. A total of 54% said they used bacterial
inoculants.
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