LPM 121: Fodder Production and Grassland Management (1+1)

WHEN TO OPEN THE SILO?

• Within  a  period  of  two  to  three  weeks  the  forages  will  be  converted  into  silage. Depending upon the type of the crop used for ensiling, addition of additives, packing and sealing of the silo pits and the atmospheric condition, the duration of silage getting ready may vary.
• However a maximum of 6 - 8 weeks is enough for the anaerobic fermentation of the forage crops to get itself converted into a good silage material.
• The  silage  may  be  taken  out  of  the silo from  the  top  in  case  of  tower  and  trench  silos  and  from  the  front  side  in  case  of  a  bunker  silo.  After  opening  it  becomes  necessary  to  feed  a  pit  completely. 
• A  two  to  four  inch  layer  of  silage  must be  removed  daily.  In  case  the silage  is  not  used  for  livestock  feed  immediately  after  its  preparation,  the  accumulation  of  by-products  of bacterial  metabolism  will  tend  to  preserve  the  forage  material  as  silage  for  an  indefinite  period  unless  air  is  permitted  to  enter.