corn silage

[K. Peters]

Can someone here explain the process corn silage goes through during fermentation? How do I know when it is completed?
I finished filling 9-19-10 and started feeding off the top right away, today I still noticed some steam in the silage room and I'm worried the corn was higher in moisture than I thought.
Silage was put in a 16X50 conventional tower silo.
Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Animal]

K when I was a kid in Idaho we put silage in pits, it was packed tighter than a mouses ear, and the more it stunk and steamed the better the cows liked it! Their was a black stinking juice that would run at the bottom of the pit, and it you got it on your shoes or clothes you could not get the smell out. I think from the day you put it up until the cattle ate it, that it was a continual fermenting process.

 

[sammydwm]

we always fed as soon as the silo was filled.
The stuff on top will not be fermented like the stuff you get further down.
The process requires an oxygen limited environment. Top of the pack isn't.
I've seen some pretty wet stuff put up and it will all work if the silo is in decent shape.

Fermentation will continue until enough acid is produced to stop bacterial action. The desired degree of acidity, a pH of about 4.2, should occur within 3 weeks after the silo is filled

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G4590

 

[Kevin Schmidt]

Wait 3 weeks from when you finish chopping, it will be fine.

I haven"t experienced it myself, but dad tells me feeding silage right away can lead to problems, and have even had some cattle die from it in the past.

I can"t tell you why though...

 

[K. Peters]

Thanks for the feedback fellas. During the week I was filling silo I was also chopping some into the feeder wagon to gradually get the steers use to it. As for the silage coming out the silo now it smells good and the steers seem to like it, I just don't remember the silage being so steamy a week after filling.

 

[kyhayman]

AS to the process, this is off the cuff, from memory since its been almost 20 years since I studied this stuff in college. In an upright silo the fodder goes through two distinct phases of fermintation. Phase one is aerobic lactic acid fermintation where the bacteria consume the oxygen present. Once the oxygen is consumed assuming the silage is not too wet or too dry the anaerobic propionic acid fermintation begins. At that point the silage preserves and will keep so long as oxygen is excluded. Too wet and it goes into a butyric acid fermintation, too dry and it goes into an ethanol fermintation.

Be careful feeding fresh silage, there are a couple of really nasty silo gasses which can be given off during the first month or six weeks. Been more than one person go to the barn and never come back.

 

[JMS/.MN]

The only danger regarding silo gas is to the farmer, if...he does not set up the unloader immediately- ie, goes up the next day or several days later...without running the blower to exhaust the gas that builds up. It is evidenced by a brown coloring on the surface of the silage, especially in the low spots if the surface was not leveled. I always ran the blower for 15 minutes, then let it idle while I was in the silo, even the first day. Always set up the unloader immediately after filling at home. Sometimes covered the silage on the other farm if it was not to be used until later. Certainly no problem feeding fresh corn silage- yes, it is not fermented, but common practice on any dairy farm that has only one silo.

 

[4010 puller]

I always heard wait 30 days from topping off before feeding. IF you go to climb in silo, do as these guys said for ventilation with blower. I think feeding the day its cut is ok but after its been in silo a couple of days I think I would let finish its fermenting process.

 

[K. Peters]

Yes silo gas can be deadly and I do have the blower hooked up to the silo still. My wife hates silos to begin with so I try to be extra careful.
The main reason I started feeding out right away is it has been so wet here this year that my dry hay supplies are very tight.