Storing Forage in Silage Piles
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Storing Forage in Silage Piles Jerry Clark UW Extension Educator Chippewa County Dr. Brian Holmes UW-Extension Dept. Biological Systems Engineering
description
Jerry Clark UW Extension Educator Chippewa County. Dr. Brian Holmes UW-Extension Dept. Biological Systems Engineering. Storing Forage in Silage Piles. Silage Piles-advantages. Short or long term storage Inexpensive - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Storing Forage in Silage Piles
Storing Forage in Silage Piles
Jerry ClarkUW Extension
EducatorChippewa County
Dr. Brian HolmesUW-ExtensionDept. Biological
SystemsEngineering
Silage Piles-advantages
• Short or long term storage
• Inexpensive
• Filling through Feedout Dry Matter Losses Less Than 21% with Good Management
Silage Piles-disadvantages
• Dry matter losses greater than 50% without proper management
• Space requirements
• Possible distance from feeding area
Siting
• Need all weather access
• Best is concrete or asphalt slab
• Macadam surface can work
• Bare ground or macadam may lead to feed contamination
Macadam Drive
Siting
• 2% slope to allow rainfall and seep drainage• More than one pile
– May form feeding center
60
100-120
100-120
260-300
N
CommodityShed
CommodityBins
Silage Piles – Long Term Feed Center Plan
Dispose of Drainage Properly
60
100-120
N
CommodityShed
CommodityBins
Silage Piles – Phase I
Dispose of Drainage Properly
60
100-120
100-120
260-300
N
CommodityShed
CommodityBins
Silage Piles – Phase II
Dispose of Drainage Properly
60
100-120
100-120
260-300
N
CommodityShed
CommodityBins
Silage Piles – Long Term Feed Center Plan
Dispose of Drainage Properly
Siting -Wells
• Locate > 100 feet from well
• Down slope from wells
• Lighter soils – distance may be greater
• Collect leachate and dispose properly
Effect of Seepage
Tank Inlet
Settled SolidsScreen
Filling
• 3/8" to 3/4" theoretical length of cut
• Better fermentation if cut short
• Whole plant moisture– 65-70% corn silage – 60-65% hay silage
Effluent vs Silage Dry Matter
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10152025303540455055
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Silage Dry Matter (%)
Efflu
ent (
gal/T
)0
5
10
15
DM
Los
s (%
)
Effluent Liquid Effluent DM Loss
Bastiman 1976
Filling
• Progressive wedge technique• 6” layer maximum• Side slope of 3:1
(horizontal:vertical)• Triangle cross section for small
piles• Trapezoid cross section for larger
piles• Pile height limited by reach of
unloading equipment
31
6
100
10
(Plastic & Tires)
Macadam Storage Base ($0.50 / sq ft)
Covered Silage Piles
Surface Exposure
Steep Layers Minimize Surface Exposure
Silage Layers
Needs ShallowerSide Slopes
Packing
•Pack! Pack! And Pack some more!!!
GO PACK!
Packing• Packing Tractor
– Shuttle shift– Roll over protection &
seat belts– As heavy as possible– Duals add safety not
necessarily better packing
Packing
• Packing time_ Multiple passes/multiple directions– 5 minutes per ton of wet
forage– ½ hour before and after filling
0
2
4
6
8
10
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Harvest Rate, t as fed/h
Packing Time, min/t as fed
Max. Packing Time – One Tractor
46
810
12 15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
02468
101214161820222426283032
Den
sity
(lb
s D
M/c
u ft)
Figure 3. Density VS Tractor Weight & Layer Thickness
30.0-32.028.0-30.026.0-28.024.0-26.022.0-24.020.0-22.018.0-20.016.0-18.014.0-16.012.0-14.010.0-12.08.0-10.06.0-8.04.0-6.02.0-4.00.0-2.0
9 ft Avg. Depth35 % DM Del. Rate = 25 TAF/hr Cont. Pack = 4.8 min./ TAF
Density(lbs DM/cu ft)
46
810
12 15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
02468
101214161820222426283032
Den
sity
(lb
s D
M/c
u ft)
Figure 4. Density VS Tractor Weight & Layer Thickness
30.0-32.028.0-30.026.0-28.024.0-26.022.0-24.020.0-22.018.0-20.016.0-18.014.0-16.012.0-14.010.0-12.08.0-10.06.0-8.04.0-6.02.0-4.00.0-2.0
9 ft Avg. Depth35 % DM Del. Rate = 100 TAF/hr Cont. Pack = 1.2 min./T AF
Density(lbs DM/cu ft)
Covering
• Cover as soon as possible
• 6 mil plastic • Tires touching each
other• Seal edges
Needs MoreTires
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
O 2
AerobicZone
Effects of Oxygen ExposureRaised pHDM LossHeating
Indigestible ProteinEnergy LossMore Ammonia
Higher FiberReduced Bunk Life
Reduced Feed Intake
Feedout
• Minimum 12 inches removal per day-minimizes spoilage
• Keep Smooth Face –Consider Facer
• Less can be fed out during winter
360 ft - one year
or
180 ft
180 ft
120 ft
120 ft
120 ft
or
Example:360 day feed storage period
Total Length of pile(s) should be 360 feet long, consider several piles
Feedout
Summary
• Inexpensive way to store forage
• Direct expenses include pad, labor, packing & unloading equipment, plastic, fuel
• Indirect expense is forage dry matter loss
$
Tips for Success
• Harvest at correct moisture
• Proper siting and construction
• Thorough packing• Immediate covering• Proper feedout
