The process of silage making includes cutting fresh (green) fodder, compacting it, and storing and fermenting it under controlled conditions in a silo, where air cannot come in contact with the silage. Any green forage crop can be made into silage.
Dry matter : Dry matter should be above 30 per cent.Crops of high moisture should be ensiled with the addition of preservatives and additives. In poor weather, wilting should be avoided and additive should be used for good fermentation.
Crops should be cut at a proper stage of maturity as it is the most important factor for controlling the silage quality. The appropriate stage of growth for cutting different fodder crops for silage making is given below:
Crop should be chopped before ensiling. For good silage, the shorter the chop length, the better is the quality. Chopped silage is more palatable to livestock and has little chance of secondary fermentation.
Chopping : Crop should be chopped before ensiling. For good silage, the shorter the chop length, the better is the quality. Chopped silage is more palatable to livestock and has little chance of secondary fermentation.
Filling of silo : Silo should be filled rapidly and should not be left open. It should be sealed as soon as possible. Packing is important to create anaerobic conditions. It should be thoroughly pressed so that no air pocket is left in the silo otherwise chances of mould formation will be there which will spoil the silage. After filling, silo should be covered with polythene sheet followed by that of a layer of soil, etc.
Removal of silage : After 45 days of ensilage, the silage can be removed for feeding to animals. Care should be taken in removing the silage from silo. It should not be allowed to deteriorate after the silo is opened for feeding. Covers should be kept firmly in place as long as possible and the minimum face should be exposed at one time. The sugars, proteins and lactic acid present in the silage are subject to attack by mould growth and oxidation as some air is allowed to fermentation and causes loss of feeding value and intake by the animals.
Silage quality : Silage quality is determined mainly by the odour, physical state, pH, ammonical nitrogen, volatile acids and lactic acid. For desirable fermentation, the forage should be rich in water soluble sugar (more than 5% on dry-matter basis). A good-quality silage should have the following characteristics: (i) pH 4.5- 5.0, (ii) ammonical nitrogen- less than 10 per cent of total N, (iii) butyric acid- less than 0.2 per cent, (iv) lactic acid 3 to 12 per cent, and (v) volatile acids, alcohol should be low.
