Storing Forage in Silage Piles
Jerry Clark
UW Extension Educator
Chippewa County
Dr. Brian Holmes
UW-Extension
Dept. Biological Systems
Engineering
Silage Piles-advantages
• Short or long term storage
• Inexpensive
• Filling through Feedout Dry Matter Losses
Less Than 21% with Good Management
Silage Piles-disadvantages
• Dry matter losses greater than 50% without
proper management
• Space requirements
• Possible distance from feeding area
Siting
• Need all weather access
• Best is concrete or asphalt slab
• Macadam surface can work
• Bare ground or macadam may
lead to feed contamination
Macadam Drive
Siting
• 2% slope to allow rainfall and seep drainage
• More than one pile
– May form feeding center
Silage Piles – Long Term Feed Center Plan
N
100120
Commodity
Shed
260300
60
100120
Commodity
Bins
Dispose of
Drainage Properly
Silage Piles – Phase I
N
100120
Commodity
Shed
60
Commodity
Bins
Dispose of
Drainage Properly
Silage Piles – Phase II
N
100120
Commodity
Shed
260300
60
100120
Commodity
Bins
Dispose of
Drainage Properly
Silage Piles – Long Term Feed Center Plan
N
100120
Commodity
Shed
260300
60
100120
Commodity
Bins
Dispose of
Drainage Properly
Siting -Wells
Effect of Seepage
• Locate > 100 feet from well
• Down slope from wells
Settled Solids
Screen
• Lighter soils – distance may
be greater
• Collect leachate and dispose
properly
Tank Inlet
Filling
• 3/8" to 3/4" theoretical
length of cut
• Whole plant moisture
– 65-70% corn silage
– 60-65% hay silage
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
15
10
5
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90 100
Silage Dry Matter (% )
Effluent Liquid
Bastiman 1976
Effluent DM Loss
DM Loss (%)
• Better fermentation if
cut short
Effluent (gal/T)
Effluent vs Silage Dry Matter
Surface Exposure
Filling
Silage Layers
Steep Layers Minimize Surface Exposure
• Progressive wedge technique
• 6” layer maximum
• Side slope of 3:1
(horizontal:vertical)
• Triangle cross section for small
piles
• Trapezoid cross section for larger
piles
• Pile height limited by reach of
unloading equipment
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1
0
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5
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Needs Shallower
Side Slopes
Packing
• Pack!
Pack! And
Pack some
more!!!
GO PACK!
Packing
• Packing Tractor
– Shuttle shift
– Roll over protection &
seat belts
– As heavy as possible
– Duals add safety not
necessarily better packing
Packing
• Packing time
_ Multiple passes/multiple
directions
– 5 minutes per ton of wet
forage
– ½ hour before and after filling
Max. Packing Time – One Tractor
10
8
6
Packing Time,
min/t as fed
4
2
0
0
20
40
60
80
Harvest Rate, t as fed/h
100
120
Figure
Density
(lbs DM/cu ft)
3. Density VS Tractor Weight & Layer Thickness
9 ft Avg. Depth
35 % DM
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Del. Rate = 25 TAF/hr
Cont. Pack = 4.8 min./
TAF
12
15,000
10
er T
hi ck
nes
s (i
n)
25,000
8
20,000
Lay
35,000
6
30,000
4
2-
40,000
30.0-32.0
28.0-30.0
26.0-28.0
24.0-26.0
22.0-24.0
20.0-22.0
18.0-20.0
16.0-18.0
14.0-16.0
12.0-14.0
10.0-12.0
8.0-10.0
6.0-8.0
4.0-6.0
2.0-4.0
0.0-2.0
Density
(lbs DM/cu ft)
32
h
eig
W
ct.
a
r
T
)
ea
s
b
(l
Density
(lbs DM/cu ft)
Figure 4. Density VS Tractor Weight & Layer Thickness
9 ft Avg. Depth
35 % DM
Del. Rate = 100 TAF/hr
Cont. Pack = 1.2 min./T
32
30
28
26
24
22
Density
(lbs DM/cu ft)
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
12
15,000
10
er T
hi ck
nes
s (i
n)
25,000
8
20,000
Lay
35,000
6
30,000
4
40,000
30.0-32.0
28.0-30.0
26.0-28.0
24.0-26.0
22.0-24.0
20.0-22.0
18.0-20.0
16.0-18.0
14.0-16.0
12.0-14.0
10.0-12.0
8.0-10.0
6.0-8.0
4.0-6.0
2.0-4.0
0.0-2.0
igh
e
W
ct.
a
r
2-T
se
(lb
a)
Covering
• Cover as soon as
possible
• 6 mil plastic
• Tires touching each
other
• Seal edges
Needs More
Tires
Feedout
Aerobic
Zone
• Minimum 12 inches
removal per dayminimizes spoilage
• Keep Smooth Face –
Consider Facer
• Less can be fed out
during winter
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
O2
Effects of Oxygen Exposure
DM Loss
Indigestible Protein
Energy Loss
Higher Fiber
Reduced Bunk Life
Heating
More Ammonia
Reduced Feed Intake
Raised pH
Feedout
360 ft - one year
or
180 ft
180 ft
or
120 ft
120 ft
120 ft
Example:
360 day feed storage
period
Total Length of pile(s)
should be 360 feet long,
consider several piles
Summary
• Inexpensive way to
store forage
• Direct expenses
include pad, labor,
packing & unloading
equipment, plastic,
fuel
• Indirect expense is
forage dry matter loss
$
Tips for Success
• Harvest at correct
moisture
• Proper siting and
construction
• Thorough packing
• Immediate covering
• Proper feedout