Top tips for making good quality baled silage

As contractors and farmers are busy saving baled silage when the weather allows, Ciaran Beatty, Drystock Advisor at Teagasc Castlerea, shares some topical tips to ensure that you make the best silage possible.

Mowing

Aim to mow when the grass is dry and thus easier to preserve. Ideally, cut grass in the afternoon when sugars are at their highest. Monitor the weather forecasts and try to gauge for 2-3 fine days together. When planning your silage cut, wait until the dew has evaporated to help with the wilt.

Wilting

Aim for a wilt of 24-36 hours to improve preservation and reduce effluent production. It also has the benefits of reducing the number of bales per acre and thus reducing costs in the long run. If the grass crop is heavy or drying conditions are limited, use the spreading out / tedding option which maximises the quantity of grass exposed to the air and sun.

Baling and wrapping

Aim to produce dense, well-shaped bales. Try to ensure that the sward is full width when entering the mouth of the baler. Aim to wrap bales within 2-3 hours after baling and ensure adequate plastic film is used. You may wish to consider extra plastic layers if you want a longer shelf life for the bale.

Ideally transport your bales to the storage area and wrap them there. Unfortunately though, this is not always practical on Irish farms today with both pressure on farmer and contractor to complete. It is vital to move wrapped bales to the storage area immediately, as this will reduce the risk of bird damage in the field. Many farmers paint their bales in a bid to repel the threat of bird damage but quick removal is the best option.

Stacking

Under Conditionality regulations, round bales cannot be stored within 20 metres of a Waterbody and can only be stored 2 bales high in the absence of adequate facilities for the collection and storage of any effluent that may arise. Store bales on a level, smooth, hard surface - preferably concrete or hardcore - with good access so that bales can be easily retrieved.

Inspect bales as soon as possible for any damage and repair immediately using appropriate adhesive tapes. Noticing bales at time of feeding is a little late!

Silage quality

The quality of silage made on farms is determined by the grass it is made with. Grass that has been recently reseeded and harvested at the correct time will produce high-quality, digestible and leafy silages with good dry matter digestibility of 70% plus. Unfortunately, we are still producing too much poorer silages that are too strong, overgrown and stemmy on our farms today barely hitting a 60% dry matter digestibility.

Remember that the costs of producing excellent silage or poor silage is the same when you are paying your contractor. On a final note, try to notify your silage contractor in plenty of time and make him/her aware of your plans as they are under a lot of pressure this time of year, especially with the broken nature of our current summer.

This article was first published in the Longford Leader