Important steps in Silage making
Silage is very useful feed for the dairy cattle and it will give high return to the dairy farmers. The process of making silage for dairy cattle does 2 things. First it ferments the sugars to form acids and then breaks down the forage proteins into simpler compounds. And the silage is very palatable, laxative and highly digestible for the dairy cattle.
Principle of Silage making
Principle of Silage making
silage making is not difficult task but it have risk of failure is more if we don't work proper.
Most important thing in silage making is removal of air from material we use for silage.
In silage making process we press the material using machine like tractor etc. if material is not pressed proper and air is remain in silage bunker or in silage bag the fungus will grow and your efforts material of maize and money will lost .
Protocol
1. green maize with minimum water level is ideal for silage. if water leval is high then possibility of infection is increases.
2. cut maize in small pieces using chap cutter.
3. for 1000 kilo of green maize use urea 1kg + Jaggery 2 kg + salt 1kg in 15 liter water. this mixture spread over layer by layer.
4. after completion of layer press material carefully in silage bag until the removal of air.
Silage are the most common feeds used for the dairy cattle. Their never-ending benefits have made them the first choice of dairy farmers. Silages are considered as a rocket fuel for cows which increases cattle milk production.
Below mentioned are important characteristics of good silage -
- Color
- Aroma
- Taste
- Texture
- Ph level
Process of making silage is very easy you have to follow these process.
Step 1 : decide the type of crops you want to use for the silage. choose hybrid and perennial varieties of crops which can be grown instantly and produced multiple times.
Step 2: Choose a dry place to dig a pit on slightly sloping ground and the depth of the pit should decrease from the higher side of the sloping ground to the lower side by giving wedge like shape. Usually, size and dimension of the pit size depends on the amount of the forage to be stored.
Step 3: Using chaff cutter, cut the forageto be preserved into 1 inch pieces
Step 4: To prevent the silage contact with soil, place the polythene sheet by covering the bottom of the pit and all sides of the pit.
Step 5: Chopped forage should be placed into the pit and spread it into a thin layer and repeat this process until one third of pit is covered.
Step 6: One liter of molasses should be diluted with three liters of water and sprinkle evenly on the forage to be preserved
Step 7:- To prevent the forage from rotting, use garden sprayer to evenly distribute the solution (from step 6) throughout silage pit and this will also help in feeding micro-organisms to make the silage ferment quickly and saving the silage from rotting.
Step 8:- The forage should be pressed with feet to make the air out and protect from fungal attack. This should be done with caution as little air even cause the fungus and damage the forage.
Step 9:- Add more bags of chopped forage after making the room (after pressing) with diluted molasses ( as said in step 6). Repeat the process of adding forage with diluted molasses and pressing until the pit is filled in a doom shape.
Step 10:- Pit should be covered after final processing with polythene sheet on top to prevent from any water contact and dig a small trench around the sides of the pit.
Step 11:- Now the pit should be covered with soil to make the sir out and prevent the polythene damage from rain, birds or any other animals.
Step 12:- The conservation through fermentation may take weeks. Leave the pit until there is a shortage of fodder. The silage can last up to 2 years if it is prepared with well sheeting and good soil cover.
Step 13:- To use the silage, open the pit from the lower side of the slope, take the enough silage fodder for one day and close the pit again.