Name: Mark Cielo T.
Cameros Course & Year: BSAAG 3rd Year
Introduction
Crop-growing and animal-rearing are considered forms of agriculture. Animals require
high-quality feed at the appropriate times. The animals can only be expected to reach their full
potential if they are fed high-quality food in the right amounts. In tropical regions, poor yields per
acre, periods of fodder scarcity, and a lack of fodder altogether significantly lower livestock
productivity. The best way to get through a moment of scarcity might be to preserve fodder. When
these silages are fed to animals, they give them various nutrients in varied amounts. For livestock,
silages are regarded as a vital source of nutrients and carbohydrates. The quality of the silage is
the most important factor that affects animal productivity when feeding animals any form of silage.
Given the significance of silage in the agricultural and livestock industries, this overview is
structured to address the function of silage in animal feed while also addressing indirect ways to
raise the quantity and quality of silage.
For animal feed, silage refers to chopped forage plants such corn (maize), legumes, and
grasses that are kept in pits, tower silos, or trenches. Forage, like hay, should be gathered before
the crop reaches maturity because as it matures, the amount of protein falls and the amount of fiber
increases. In order to ensure proper packing and the removal of air from the chopped material
mass, the green material should be chopped fine enough. Compaction and air exclusion are made
easier when the ensiled material has a high moisture content. But too much moisture (more than
70%) seeps out and takes important nutrients with it. The fermentation processes in the silo that
result in the highest-quality silage may potentially be hampered by excessive moisture. The silage
keeps for several months and ferments slightly if stored properly.
Objectives
The objectives are the following:
To ferment 25kg of silage without contamination
To make not less than 25kg of silage and;
To be able to feed cows
Materials
Salt
Sack
Sickle
Napier
Molasses
Plastic bag
Gardening gloves
Tire wire/ tie box
Knife/Shredder machine
Methods/Procedure
Prepare the materials needed.
Harvest grasses or forages such as napier grass.
Bring the harvested grasses or forages into the shade and chop or shred at a length of not
more than 1 inch.
Be sure that mats are clean to avoid contaminations.
Used the mats to dry up the chopped grasses or forages.
Spread the chopped grasses or forages on the mat and expose under the sun (2-3hours).
Then the partially drying grasses or forages mix it with salt and molasses.
The mixture of molasses and salt must be for every kilo of molasses, add 200 grams of salt.
Slowly add this mixture on top of the compacted chopped forage inside a silage bag.
Be sure to cover the silage tightly after vacuum packing.
Discussion and Observations
Producing a steady feed with a high recovery of energy, dry matter, and highly digestible
nutrients in comparison to the fresh crop is the aim of silage production. When soluble
carbohydrates in forages ferment without air, they produce a range of byproducts, the most
important of being silage is a preserved forage crop. on the other hand, it is harmful for the
pregnant cow to consume contaminated silage since it causes dizziness, and if the silage bag is not
well sealed, black and red fungi will grow and cause contamination.
Recommendations
The silage bag it is needed to be sealed or tightly close and does not have air inside to avoid
the growth of fungi, if you have a vacuum then vacuum it to secure that there is no air inside. Then
the mats or sacks are clean and sanitize also the blade you use or the shredder machine to prevent
from contamination. Also strictly follow the procedures, because the more molasses you put, it
will be sticky and difficult to mix with grasses or forages.
Documentations
Harvesting Napier Cutting/Shredding Drying
Molasses Salt Mixing
Sacking Feeding cows