Table 1

Good Silage Management Practices

Silage Practice
Harvest crop at correct maturity and DM:
• Corn silage: 1/2 or 2/a milk line, 35% DM
• Grasses: boot-bunk or bag silo, 35 to 45% DM
• Alfalfa: <1/,o bloom; bunk or bag silo, 35 to 45% DM;  conventional
  upright, 35   to 50% DM; oxygen limiting silo, 45 to 60% DM
• Small grains: boot to dough, 30 to 40% DM

Why?
• Optimizes nutritive value (protein, fiber, energy, etc.)
• In some cases, optimizes DM content
• Ensures good packing, elimination of excess oxygen
• Minimizes seepage losses.
• Prevents clostridia) (butyric acid) fermentation

Chop material to correct length:
• About 3/8 to 1/2 inch Why?
• Promotes good packing and elimination of oxygen
• Promotes cud chewing by cow.
• Harvest, fill, and seal quickly:

Why?
 • Quick elimination of oxygen reduces DM losses from respiration and
    prevents growth of undesirable aerobic organisms
• Sealing minimizes exposure to air
• Pack to proper density to eliminate air
• Wilt and chop during dry weather:

Why?
• Prevents extensive DM losses from rained on forage
• Promotes rapid drying

Check that all equipment is in proper working order:
• Sharpen chopper knives
• Ensure silos are free from leaks
• In upright silos, a good distributor helps to distribute and pack silage
Allow silage to ferment for at least 14 to 21 days:

Why?
• Properly ensiled silage will minimize production losses during
  silage changeover

Table 2

Amounts of Common Fermentation End Products in Various Silages 

Item

Alfalfa
Silage 
30-35% DM

 Alfalfa
Silage
45-55% DM

Grass
Silage 
25-35% DM

Corn
Silage 
35-40% DM

HM
Corn* 
75% DM

 pH

 4.3-4.5

 4.7-5.0

 4.3-4.7 

3.7-4.2

 4.0-4.5 

 Lactic Acid %

 7-8 

2-4

 6-10

 4-7

 0.5-2.0 

 Acetic acid % 

2 - 3

 0.5 - 2.0

 1 - 3 

1 - 3 

<0.5 

 Propionic acid % 

<0.5

 <0.1

 <0.1

 <0.1

 <0.1 

 Butyric acid %

 <0.1

 <0.1

 <0.1

 <0.1 

<0.1 

 Ethanol %

 0.5 - 1.0

 0.5

 0.5 - 1.0

 1 - 3

 0.2 - 2.0 

 Ammonia-N % of CP

 10-15

 <12

 8-12

 5-7 

<10 

               *High moisture

Table 3

 Possible Fermentation Pathways in Silage

 Type of Fermentation

 End-Products

 Theortical DM 
 Recovery  

 Theoretical Energy
Recovery 

 Homolactic (glucose)

 lactic acid

 100%

 99%

 Heterolactic (glucose)

 lactic acid ,ethanol ,carbon dioxide

 76%

 98%

 Heterolactic (fructose)

 lactic acid ,acetate, mannitol, carbon dioxide

 95%

 99%

 Yeast (glucose)

 ethanol carbon dioxide

 51%

 99%

 Clostridia (glucose & lactate) 

 butyric acid carbon dioxide

 49%

 82%

Table 4

Summary of Animal Responses to Microbial Inoculants (1990 -1995)

 Milk 

Intake

 Gain

Milk Production 

 Number of studies

 67

 15

 36 

 Studies with positive results

 28%

 53%

 47%

Table 5

Effect of Feeding Silage Inoculated with Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 
from 14 Studies on Silage DM Intake and Milk Yield from Lactating Cows

 

Silage DM intake (Ib/d) CONTROL

 Silage DM intake (Ib/d) MTD/1 

 Milk yield (Ib/d) CONTROL

 Milk yield (Ib/d) MTD/1

Average

 23.1

 24.2

 57.2

 59.8

Difference

 -

+4.8%

 -

+4.6%