Are you getting the most from your big bale silage?.....

Results from The National Baled Silage Farm Survey suggest farmers could be

doing more…..

The National Baled Silage Farm Survey

- Carried out by The Silage Advisory Centre

• 80 farms surveyed throughout England and Wales

• Totalling more than 55,000 bales

Found that………………….

60%of bales with 4

layers of wrap had mould present.

34%

of bales with six layers had

mould.

50%

of farmers who thought they were applying 6 layers

were applying less.

Nearly 20%

of farmers that wanted to apply 4 layers failed

to do so.

•6 layers of film is optimum.

•Follow guidelines and count revolutions to ensure you meet minimum standards.

•When using a contractor discuss requirements before they arrive on farm.

60% of bales wrapped on the field had surface

moulding.

43% of bales wrapped by

the stack had surface moulding.

•Wrap bales away from the field at the storage site to minimise damage.

•Grass stubble or rough trailer beds can puncture silage wrap.

•Film damage will increase oxygen penetration + promote mould growth.

•When wrapping in the field is unavoidable, apply more layers, and remove from the field the same day to avoid bird

damage.

•At the storage site, ensure bales are covered with a net to protect from birds and ensure any hardcore base doesn’t

contain sharp objects.

•Bales stored on grass/soil had more surface mould.

•Bales stored on hardcore/gravel had the lowest surface mould cover.

•Sampling is a cost saving exercise.

•Understanding silage quality will enable savings in concentrate and winter ration costs.

•Samples should be taken from 3-5 bales from each cut.

50%of farmers had never analysed

their silage

SILAGE ANALYSIS

Visit

www.fwi.co.uk/silageadvice

for a host of advice and resources to help you get more from your silage

Read more from The Silage Advisory Centre at www.silageadvice.com