Climate Change, Environment, and DRR (CCEDRR) Unit

Combating Land Degradation and Biodiversity Loss by Promoting Sustainable Rangeland

Management and Biodiversity Conservation in Afghanistan (GEF7)

Silage Making Basics

Introduction
Silage is a fermented feed resulting from the storage of high moisture crops under anaerobic conditions
in a structure called as silo. In brief, Silage is a high moisture fodder that farmers use to feed their
animals, especially during the winter and dry season. Made up of grass, corn, maize, and others, silages
are made by chopping the crops into small pieces and then storing them. The common methods used to
store silages are silos, silage bags and silage bales. Silos are used when there are large quantities
present, whilst bags and bales are used when there are only small quantities to be stored and can be
transported to the nearby market/farms in a short time. 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. The process offermentation is done to improve dry matter intake and create a more
digestible feed.

Advantages
 Will keep forage in good condition for a very long time without an excessive loss of feed
nutrients (e.g. compared to hay).
 Provides high-quality ruminant feed during the winter or dry periods.
 Allows for other products to be added (e.g. molasses) to prepare a more complete feed
ration.
 Can be made when it is not possible to make hay due to weather conditions such as rain.
 Requires less storage space compared to hay.
 Can enable fields to be cleared early for other crops to be planted.

Limitations
 Requires equipment and labour.
 Needs to be prepared quickly and correctly.
 Can spoil if not prepared correctly.
 Can only be marketed if made in easy-to-transport containers.
Raw Fodder Material Used for Silage Making
You can use any green forage crops for silage, preferably those with a high nutritional value. It is essential
to avoid silage ingredients to which herbicides or pesticides have been recently applied. Some commonly
used crops for silage making are described as below.

1. Grass

You can make an excellent silage from the grasses or mixtures of grasses and clovers that are ordinarily
used in pasture or for hay, To achieve high-quality grass silage, it is crucial to harvest pasture grass at the
preferable time of maturity (55-70% moisture content).

2. Maize (corn)

Maize is a common silage crop wherever it can be grown successfully. Silage made from corn is very
tasty, Maize needs to be cut at 15 cm from the ground and chopped into pieces of around 1 cm. The
kernels are the primary source of starch in maize silage, and they must be cracked before being placed in
the silo.

3. Sorghum

Various varieties of sorghum, including the forage sorghum are suitable for silage. Sorghum, in general,
contains less grain than maize and thus has less feeding value. Sorghum has a higher water content, and
therefore it might need to be dried longer than other crops. Sorghum can be grown under less favorable
conditions than maize.

4. Legumes

You can successfully make silage from all legumes contain a low fermentable sugar content, and a high
protein and calcium content. Therefore, you must take extra care to ensure that you chop it very finely,
pack it tightly, cover and drain it adequately. It is also important that you harvest the legumes at the
correct water content.
Additives
Sometimes you can use additives, such as sugar supplements (e.g. molasses) and Wheat bran.

1. Molasses

You can add molasses 7 kilograms (kg) of molasses per 400 kg of silage) to provide fermentable sugar to
favor the development of the correct bacteria and speed up the fermentation process. Molasses can also
be used to improve the tastiness and smell of the silage, which will increase the amount of silage eaten.
Steps in silage Making
The silage making process can be divided into six steps.

1. Determine the amount of silage you need.

2. Build the silo.
3. Harvest and chop the forage.
4. Dry the crop to the correct moisture levels.
5. Fill the silo and compact the silage as much as possible.
6. Seal the silo.

1. The amount of silage required, and therefore the size of the silo, depends on the following
factors:
 Number and type of livestock to feed.
 Length of the feeding period.
 Percentage of silage in the full ration.
 Water content of the silage.
 Losses in percentage.
 Density of the silage.

Let’s take a look at an example, using the following details:

 One cow
 Feeding period of 90 days.
 Kg silage required for one cow = 20 Kg
 On average 15% losses due to spoilage etc.

Therefore, the amount of silage and silo space you will need would be as follows:

 Kg feed required: 1 cow x (20 kg) x 90 days = 1 800 kg of silage

 Total minus losses: In general, there are about 15% losses due to spoilage etc.

Therefore, you would need 15% more silage, which means 15% x 1 800 kg = 2 070 kg of fresh silage for
each cow for 90 days.

 Silo space required: Density of 400 kg per m3; therefore 2 070 kg/400 kg =5.2 m3 of silo
capacity per animal.
 For 10 cows at the diet of over 90 days, you would therefore need:
 10 x 2 070 kg = 20 700 kg of silage; and 10 x 5.2 m3 = 52 m3 of silage space.

Construction Of Silo
The silos applicable to smallholders’ farmers are stack or Pile, trench, or bunker silos; small containers
and bags can be used as well.
 1. Stack or Pile Silos

Stack silos are silos without walls and do not require permanent construction. However, they are the
most prone to damage to the covering material, which would then lead to exposure to air. Like all silos,
you will need to cover it with plastic and pack it tightly to exclude air. The advantage of a stack silo is the
low cost of investment, but you will need a greater surface area (piece of land) to stack the same amount
of silage as compared to bunker or trench silos.

2. Trench Silos

Trench silos are underground bunker silos. Make extra sure that these trench silos have sufficient
drainage (especially when using dirt walls), as water can affect the quality of the silage. A sloping floor
will also assist with drainage. If you use dirt walls, you must cover them with a plastic sheet to avoid soil
contamination to the silage. The advantages of trench silos are that they are generally easier and
cheaper to construct compared to bunker silos.

3. Bunker Silos

A bunker silo is a silo with wood or concrete walls but open at the top. You will need to dig a ditch
around the base of the wall and add drainage to avoid water damage. A sloping floor will also assist with
drainage. You must build the walls solidly to sustain the sideways pressure from the silage, and the walls
must be sloped outward by making the top slightly wider than the base, allowing for easier compaction
right up to the walls. The advantages of a bunker silo are easier feed-out, less spoilage and easy filling.

Harvesting and Chopping of Forage

Harvesting time

The quality of the forage depends on the season which the forage will have a higher protein and sugar
content, and a lower fiber content.

 The Poaceae family should be harvested from pre- spike stage.

 Fabaceae or legumes should be reached to at the 10% bloom Stage.
 Maize - When the milk line passes through the middle part of grain.
 Stem, Leaf and grain should have moisture content of 65-70%
Moisture levels
The proper moisture content is essential to producing high- quality silage. Moisture content that is too
high will increase the risk of nutrient losses and the formation of butyric acid, which creates a foul smell.

There are many techniques you can use for measuring the moisture content, but a crude and simple test
is the hand method (or grab/squeeze test):

[Link] a handful of chopped forage.

[Link] it into a ball for 20 to 30 seconds.

[Link].

The palm of your hand should feel a bit wet after applying pressure. Chopped forage is too wet to ensile
if the ball stays together (or if you squeeze water out of the ball) and too dry if it quickly falls apart.
Forage that slowly falls apart is ready to be ensiled. If the chop length is too long, the ball might also fall
apart, so keep an eye on the correct height of the chop.

The Ball Method

Chopping
The fodder needs to be chopped to ensure a proper ensiling process. Make sure that the chopper blade
is sharp. A chopped length of the forage between 2 and 4 cm is desirable; shorter lengths will not
stimulate the rumen (the cow’s stomach) activity sufficiently, and longer lengths will make it more
challenging to achieve a proper ensiling process. You can cut shorter more mature crops, while younger
forage can be cut larger.

Fodder Chopper Machine

Silage Preparation and planning
Plan to carry out the Construction of the silos well before harvest. If available Clean the silo as much as
possible. If there is crumbling, dirt walls should be re-cut to give a straight, clean edge. Repair any
damage to the floor of the silo that may have occurred while feeding out during the previous season.

For small-scale silage – for example, to prepare 2 000 kg of silage with two people, one animal traction
cart or wheelbarrow and a fodder chopper – the estimated duration of silage making is as follows:

 Manual harvesting: 3 hours

 Loading: 1 hour
 Transporting: 1 hour
 Chopping: 1 hour
 Filling and compacting: 4hours
 Sealing: 1 hour

Therefore, the total time needed is around 11 hours; this does not include the time you will need for
drying/wilting the forage. Make sure you have this time available before you start filling the silo.

Filling
You will need to fill the silo and compact it as quickly as possible, and without interruptions. Never leave
the silo uncovered for more than a day.

In a bunker and Trench silos, before you start filling, spread the plastic on the outer edge of the floor and
the walls and let it hang over the sides so you can cover the silo later.
It is best to if you fill the silo at the coldest time of the day, and as quickly as possible to minimize
exposure to the air. Deposit the forage at the beginning of the silo and spread the material in a thin layer
(max 15 cm) throughout the silo. The thin layer will make it easier to compact the silo. Compact the layer
and repeat the process until the silo is filled and If you use additives like molasses, place them on top of
each layer once compacting has been completed.

Molasses Solution

Compaction
Proper compaction is the key to making top-quality silage, and it is crucial to get as much of the air out
as possible. Good compacting is especially essential when using forage with lower moisture content.
Once all the material is in the silo, continue compacting until the silage contains no soft patches. Critical
areas for the silage are on the sides of the silo, so make sure these areas are compacted as much as
possible.
For compacting you can use:

 Weight of humans or stones for small- scale silage trenches

 Barrels filled with water or sand (for small-scale trenches and stacks)
 Vehicles like tractors for large-scale Silos
 Any other heavy object that can be moved easily.

Compaction Process

Covering and Sealing

You will need cover the silo immediately after completing the filling and compacting. The cover needs to
be made of an airtight material to avoid exposure to air as much as possible. A plastic sheet is the
standard type of cover used. Ideally, use plastic that is at least 10 mm thick and keep the plastic sheet in
contact with the silage over the entire area. Make sure to Weight down your silage cover firmly with
tires, bags of sand, or other material placed closely together. Make sure the cover is airtight and
watertight, and that there is no air under the cover.

Trench Sealing
Keep checking the Silo
After you have covered the silo, inspect it regularly (e.g. at least once a week) for damage and heating.
Inspect the plastic covers carefully for holes or damage by animals or rodents. Make sure the edges and
seams are weighted down. If you notice high temperatures developing after one to four days, this means
you did not follow the ensiling procedures correctly. You should not let the temperature rise above 400C.
Overheating can signify that the moisture content is too low, the forage was too mature or too long, or
the compacting was insufficient.

Feeding Silage
When is the silage ready?

The silage should be ready at least three weeks after preparation, but as a rule of 60 to 70 days produces
an optimum fermentation. The length of time before feeding, however, depends on the quality of the
forage used and the availability of forage to be ensiled.

For example, newly made maize silage contains about 10 percent sugar, and since this could cause
acidosis, it is especially important not to feed newly made maize silage too early.

Quality assessment
Before you feed the silage to your animals, it is crucial to assess the quality first. To do this, you should
evaluate the silage based on appearance, texture, smell and colour. Several factors can affect quality
negatively:

 Rot
 Molds
  Foul smell
 Soil residues
 Moisture.

The silage should smell pleasantly acidic,

The presence of mould or rot indicates that air has entered the silage. If you can squeeze water out of a
handful of silage, then this could mean that the forage contained too much moisture during ensiling or
that water has entered the pit. If the silage is brown or dark brown, this could be an indication that air
has entered the silage, and that the silage has warmed up due to inadequate compacting or sealing.

Opening and closing the silo

Try to open only the part of the silo that you will use in three or four days and cover as best as possible
between feedings. During the feeding of the silage, the area exposed to air should be as small as possible
and the time between opening and closing the silo as short as possible. Uncover and remove just the
silage that you need and not more to avoid any exposure to air and heating. Unnecessary exposure to
the air and heat will spoil the silage with mould. After feeding, keep the leading edge of the plastic
sufficiently weighted down to prevent air from entering.

Feeding silage
Most silage has a high feeding quality, and you should therefore feed it to the top-producing animals as a
priority.

Some additional points of attention for feeding silage:

 Make sure you remove all spoiled silage and do not feed it to your animals.
 Be very careful when removing silage from an earth pit; avoid feeding soil residues to your
animals.

Cows might need to get used to the silage in the initial period of feeding silage because of the smell;
this hesitation will usually disappear after a few days. You can add a bit of molasses or other desirable
feed ingredients to the silage to stimulate eating.