Each of two smaller bunkers/piles can be filled more quickly than one large one. Consequently, equipment to harvest, transport and fill the storage as well as labor should be capable of filling the storage rapidly. Filling the storage quickly (within 3 days) limits the forage exposure to air throughout filling. Packing the forage to form a high- density mass reduces entrapped air and limits penetration of air into the forage mass. The progressive wedge technique of filling continually covers previous layers of forage, thus reducing exposure to air. Penetration of air and precipitation supports aerobic organisms, which cause forage deterioration throughout the top surface of exposed forage. The top of the forage mass is a large area exposed to air and precipitation during filling. The recommended procedure for filling a bunker silo or silage pile is to spread the forage in thin layers on the sloped filling face and driving over it several times with one or more heavy tractors. Remember to keep the blower operating to dissipate silo gas, which may be present. The denser top surface limits air infiltration. At the end of each day’s filling process, the top surface should be leveled and walked on to compact the forage. Thus, equipment to harvest, transport and fill the silo, as well as labor, should be available to fill a tower silo rapidly (within 3 days). A tower silo that is filled slowly has more low-density forage exposed to the air for longer periods than does a rapidly filled silo. Forage heating results from both processes. This air supplies oxygen to aerobic organisms as well as for plant respiration that both consume readily available carbohydrates. Such material traps air between particles and lets air penetrate the mass easily. Consequently, forage near the top of the mass is low-density, porous material. Harvesting when dew is on the hay and/or adding some water at the blower can help reduce alfalfa leaf loss.įorage in a tower silo is packed by the weight of the forage above. Harvesting at the correct moisture content minimizes the amount of lightweight particles, thus reducing the quantity of particles suspended in the air and lost. This loss is evident as forage particles in the air outside the silo while filling and as a deposit of forage particles on barn roofs and the ground following filling. Some of these particles can be blown from the silo and lost. Storage Fillingĭry, lightweight forage particles (alfalfa leaves) can become suspended in the air while blowing forage into a tower silo. This article addresses the modes of loss experienced and provides recommendations for minimizing these losses for each of the major silage storage systems. Table 1 lists estimates of dry matter loss for filling, storage and emptying a variety of silage storages. In fact, they may experience appreciable (5-20%) losses before they see visual evidence of molds on forage. The obscurity of microbial deterioration has led many producers to believe they have minimal forage loss. Most microbial deterioration is invisible and may only be detected by a temperature rise in the forage or a darkening as the forage oxidizes. Escape of forage can often be observed as forage lying on the ground or on top of equipment surfaces. Forage loss occurs primarily by two modes: 1) escape of forage from the mass of forage as it moves through handling and storage processes and 2) microbial deterioration. This article is one in a series of three that addresses the issue of forage loss in harvest, storage, and feeding of animals.
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