2010 Hay Production School
Baled Silage
Baled Silage
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Specialist
Crop and Soil Sciences – UGA
Wilting
2-5% loss
Quality Advantages
Baled Silage
Can be more efficient…
• Lowered
Baling
2-5% loss
Fewer Losses
Accumulate With
Each Step
• Less
Feeding
Minimal loss
shatter loss
• Higher
i h

Storage
4-10% loss


End Result:
90% of Original DM

1
risk of rain damage
forage
f
quality
li 1
Lower NDF, ADF, ADL
Higher CP
Increased digestibility
Increased palatability
Han, et al. 2005; Hancock and Collins, 2006.
Silage & Haylage
SILAGE - Forage that has
undergone anaerobic
fermentation
Less dependent on
weather
Makes use of some
forages that other-wise
wouldn’t work.
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
Details
1
2010 Hay Production School
Baled Silage
Silage Fermentation
Silage pH
Silage pH
pH 6.0
pH 4.2
6.0
5.0
pH 3.8
Alfalfa
4.0
Acetic acid bacteria
1 2 3 4
7
Lactic acid bacteria
14
Days after ensiling
20
pH
28
3.0
Sorghumsudan
2.0
1.0
Acetic acid, like propionic acid in hay preservatives, is
an antagonist to yeast/fungal growth. Plus, there is
very little oxygen for the fungus to grow.
0.0
Bale Wrapper Selection
Baled Silage Costs
Plastic Cost:
$5.00 - $15.00/ton DM
Consider:
Cost, Labor, Speed, Volume
Wrapper cost:
$2.00 - $5.00/ton DM
Fuel & Repairs:
$0.50 - $5.00/ton DM
Labor:
$0.75 - $2.00/ton DM
Total:
$12 - $25/ton DM
Wrapping System Determines
Through-Put
• Cut
mid-afternoon on one day,
bale & wrap the next day.
• Amount
cut = how much can be
baled and wrapped the next day.
• Bales
should be wrapped w/in
12 hrs of baling.
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
2
2010 Hay Production School
Baled Silage
Choose an Appropriate Site for
Wrapping
Make Good Bales
• Wrap at the storage site
• Optimize bale size
 reduces handling
 reduces risk of spoilage
 match to tractor
 dense bales
popular
p
 4’x 5’ bale is most p
 900-1300 lbs, dep. on %M
 square edges
• Use plastic twine or net
 sisal twine degrades plastic
Apply enough plastic but no more.
Bale at the Right Moisture
Ideal Range, 50-65% Moisture
Toxic Potential
70%
(Clostridial,
Listeriosis)
40%
Moisture
Poor
Fermentation
6-10 layers
(+ double on joints)
4-6 layers
Rule of thumb:
bale when the forage is no longer wet
enough to wring juice out of a handful.
Baled Silage – An Option for
Harvesting High Quality
Alfalfa silage & hay
2, 4, or 6 layers of film
Treatment
Hay
CP
TDN
%
%
16 1
16.1 a
62 9 b
62.9 b
Ryegrass Baleage
16.3 a
65.9 a
174 a
1.94 a
Ryegrass Hay
14.7 b
62.4 c
133 b
1.26 b
0.22
0.35
3.2
0.341
B
Bermuda Hay
d H
6 layers
2 layers
Storage Treatment
2 layers
4 layers
6 layers
Hay
4 layers
LSD0.10
Consumption
53%
84%
88%
44%
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
3
RFQ
ADG
(lbs/hd/d)
116
116 c
1 56 b
1.56 b
2010 Hay Production School
Baled Silage
Resources
Questions?
Dr. Dennis Hancock
Extension Forage Agronomist
4
www.georgiaforages.com
1-800-ASK-UGA1