Silage

Question 1

field and storage losses depend on method of harvest

Answer 1

• feild and storage is lowest when DM is 60%
• take forage from feild to maximize harvest
• as it dries we increase feild loss and decrease storage loss
• wet forest: lower risk for harvest and increases storage loss
• efluent leakage - water and sugar/ acids nitrogen and non portein nitrogen sources
• ideally you want 65% moisture or 35% DM

Question 2

silage management

Answer 2

• goal relatively immature plant
• high NDF digestibility
• good starch concentration
• silage is preserved via fermentation

Question 3

crop to silage % scale

Answer 3

• large drop in sugars
• slight drop in CP
• large increase in lactate ( which inhibits microbial activity)
• pH drops
• ammonia slight increase
• ## acetic acid and butyric acids ( small levels, good arobid ability, perservatice that inhibits mold)

Question 4

how is silage preserved

Answer 4

• fermentation
• in complete fermentation - saves it for cattle
• rapid reduction in pH
• soluable sugars ferement - lactate ( and some acetate)
• relatively low SCFA concentration ( at least 75% - low propinoate and butate )
• ammpnia concentration increases - suddle redution in crude protein

Question 5

stage 1 of silage fermentation

Answer 5

• aerobic respiration
• O2 entrapped in silage during filling ( loading and packing decrease as much as possible with packing)
• plant proteases will degrade some protein

Question 6

stage 2 of silage fermentation

Answer 6

• fermentation
• innoculants/ natural bacteria will produce lactic acid
• anaerobic
• lactive acid bacteria increase
• unstable - changes in LA and CP content
• best not to open for 3-4 weeks, opening early will cause a restart aerobic stage

Question 7

stage 3 silage fermentation

Answer 7

• storage
• should be stable and maintained as an anaerobic system - can keep for a long time
• storage conditions matter
  oxygen barrier films = helps maintain behaviour

Question 8

stage 4 silage fermentation

Answer 8

• feed out
• use systems to keep air out
• exposure to air (open one end of the pit, tires and sand bags to hold down)
• prevent yeast and mold growth

Question 9

management of crops and silage

Answer 9

• harvest DM and maturity ( corn 1/3 to 1/2 milk line - watch reccomendations because of different corn gorwing in different climates)
• chop length
• inoculants
• packing of silage
• covering/sealing
• managing the face- feed out

Question 10

chop length

Answer 10

differences around you
- how to asses chop length - particle size sepparator
- dont chop snout - sorting/ packing becomes harder

Question 11

inoculants

Answer 11

• dont need them but they are helpful

Question 12

managing the face: feed out

Answer 12

• ration evaluation - how much of the silage pit do we need to remove daily
• if you could a meter would be great but the lowest is 12 cm
• the more the better

Question 13

why should you not move silage around at an angle

Answer 13

• silage avalanches kill people every year
• need to make sure that the producers safety comes first

Question 14

what issues do frost cause

Answer 14

• cannot see the milk line
• need to measure DM