There is an enormous variability in the quality and feeding value of silage bales. ales made from grass cut at the right stage can have a DMD of 70% and over, whereas those from strong, overgrown, stemmy grass will have a DMD of barely 60%.
Bales can benefit greatly from the application of an additive that will make the fermentation faster and more efficient as well as reducing the risk of aerobic spoilage.
When it comes to choosing an effective additive, there is nothing to beat the Ecosyl range. It is backed by more independent trial evidence than any other silage additive.
Unique
Manufactured by Volac, Ecosyl contains the unique MTD/1 strain of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum. It also contains the bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus and potassium sorbate, a safe, non-corrosive food and feed-approved preservative.
It is guaranteed to deliver 1m of these unique MTD/1 bacteria per gram of grass, leading to a rapid fall in the pH of the silage thereby bringing about fast, efficient fermentation.
Volac business manager JP Harkin (pictured right) says that while a growing number of farmers routinely treat baled silage with an additive and reap the benefits in improved fermentation and quality, there is great scope for an increase in the use of an effective additive.
Recommendations
JP says the level of dry matter (DM) of the silage should determine the type of Ecosyl additive that should be used.
“For bales below 33% DM, use straight Ecosyl. It maximises the chance of a good fermentation.
“For bales at 33-45% DM, Ecocool, which contains two types of beneficial bacteria offers greater scope to tackle both heating and fermentation.
“Bales above 45% DM are more difficult to ferment and are at greater risk of spoilage and heating.
Double Action Ecobale, which includes a bacterium effective at fermenting drier material and a preservative against heating and spoilage, can be used on these drier bales,” he recommends.
The Ecobaler applicator is ideal for balers and can also be used with forage harvesters or forage wagons.
Full range of applicators
A wide range of state-of-the-art Eco applicators are available to give efficient application of Ecosyl in both liquid and dry form.
The range includes applicators specifically developed for self-propelled harvesters, trailed harvesters, forage wagons, round balers and big square balers.
The Ecobaler for liquid application, is ideal for balers and can also be used with forage harvesters or forage wagons.
It comes with a 250-litre tank, fully variable in-cab controls, pressure gauge, nozzles, wiring, tubing and a set of jets. The tank is mounted in a strong cradle which is fitted on the baler.
Nozzles can be mounted over the pick-up reel of the baler to cover the full width.
World’s most proven additive
Ecosyl is backed by more independent research and trial evidence than any other additive.
More than 20 independent trials have shown that Ecosyl increased silage digestibility by an average of three units. More than 30 independent trials have shown that Ecosyl treatment leads to an increase of 5% in silage dry matter intake by animals. Fifteen independent trials showed that Ecosyl treatment led to an increase in milk production of 1.2l/cow/day. In beef trials, Ecosyl-treated silage was shown to give an increase of 15% in daily liveweight gain in growing animals and increased carcass gain of over 9% in finishing animals.In 28 independent trials, Ecosyl treatment has been shown to give an increase of 50% in dry matter recovery. Trials have also shown that Ecosyl improves true protein in silage by 3.5%.For full information on Ecosyl and the full range of applicators visit www.ecosyl.com. Information on the critical steps in quality silage making is also available on www.cuttoclamp.com.
Tips for making high-quality bales
In order to achieve high-quality bales, grass should ideally be cut in the afternoon when sugars are highest.
Aim for a wilt of 24-36 hours to improve preservation, reduce effluent production and reduce the number of bales/acre. Depending on weather, this should give bales with 30-35% DM. Drier bales will require a longer wilt.
If the grass crop is heavy or drying conditions are limited, use the spreading/tedding option as it maximises the quantity of grass exposed to the sun and air.
Film
The more film applied to bales, the greater the level of protection. For best quality, the use of six layers (24 turns) should be the aim especially when making well-packed, high-DM (35%) bales and bales that will be subjected to multiple handling.
Bales have six to eight times more silage in contact with polythene than pit silage and more than half of the silage in a bale is within 20cm of the surface. This highlights the risks of damage to the polythene film.
While handling poses the greatest risk, damage or rough areas on wrapper surfaces and the dropping of the bale from the drop table can also damage the film.
Handling
Bales should be handled within a few hours after wrapping. This will prevent damage to sagged bales and will avoid disturbing the seal when fermentation in underway. High-DM bales are more easily handled as they retain their shape better.
While severe damage is easily seen, damage caused by rusty handlers and/or rough transport can result in small holes (1-3mm diameter) which are difficult to see. Baled silage is not cheap. Aerobically spoiled baled silage can be a very expensive feed.
Damage
Bales should be closely inspected after handling and during storage and any damage repaired immediately.
Research by Teagasc at Grange research centre showed that one small hole (3mm) in a bale resulted in an 8% in edible silage while one large hole (24mm) resulted in one-third of the bale being lost.
Similar Teagasc research at Oak Park showed that the presence of six small holes (4mm x 2mm) resulted in a mould covering 26% of the bale surface.
There is an enormous variability in the quality and feeding value of silage bales. ales made from grass cut at the right stage can have a DMD of 70% and over, whereas those from strong, overgrown, stemmy grass will have a DMD of barely 60%.
Bales can benefit greatly from the application of an additive that will make the fermentation faster and more efficient as well as reducing the risk of aerobic spoilage.
When it comes to choosing an effective additive, there is nothing to beat the Ecosyl range. It is backed by more independent trial evidence than any other silage additive.
Unique
Manufactured by Volac, Ecosyl contains the unique MTD/1 strain of the lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum. It also contains the bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus and potassium sorbate, a safe, non-corrosive food and feed-approved preservative.
It is guaranteed to deliver 1m of these unique MTD/1 bacteria per gram of grass, leading to a rapid fall in the pH of the silage thereby bringing about fast, efficient fermentation.
Volac business manager JP Harkin (pictured right) says that while a growing number of farmers routinely treat baled silage with an additive and reap the benefits in improved fermentation and quality, there is great scope for an increase in the use of an effective additive.
Recommendations
JP says the level of dry matter (DM) of the silage should determine the type of Ecosyl additive that should be used.
“For bales below 33% DM, use straight Ecosyl. It maximises the chance of a good fermentation.
“For bales at 33-45% DM, Ecocool, which contains two types of beneficial bacteria offers greater scope to tackle both heating and fermentation.
“Bales above 45% DM are more difficult to ferment and are at greater risk of spoilage and heating.
Double Action Ecobale, which includes a bacterium effective at fermenting drier material and a preservative against heating and spoilage, can be used on these drier bales,” he recommends.
The Ecobaler applicator is ideal for balers and can also be used with forage harvesters or forage wagons.
Full range of applicators
A wide range of state-of-the-art Eco applicators are available to give efficient application of Ecosyl in both liquid and dry form.
The range includes applicators specifically developed for self-propelled harvesters, trailed harvesters, forage wagons, round balers and big square balers.
The Ecobaler for liquid application, is ideal for balers and can also be used with forage harvesters or forage wagons.
It comes with a 250-litre tank, fully variable in-cab controls, pressure gauge, nozzles, wiring, tubing and a set of jets. The tank is mounted in a strong cradle which is fitted on the baler.
Nozzles can be mounted over the pick-up reel of the baler to cover the full width.
World’s most proven additive
Ecosyl is backed by more independent research and trial evidence than any other additive.
More than 20 independent trials have shown that Ecosyl increased silage digestibility by an average of three units. More than 30 independent trials have shown that Ecosyl treatment leads to an increase of 5% in silage dry matter intake by animals. Fifteen independent trials showed that Ecosyl treatment led to an increase in milk production of 1.2l/cow/day. In beef trials, Ecosyl-treated silage was shown to give an increase of 15% in daily liveweight gain in growing animals and increased carcass gain of over 9% in finishing animals.In 28 independent trials, Ecosyl treatment has been shown to give an increase of 50% in dry matter recovery. Trials have also shown that Ecosyl improves true protein in silage by 3.5%.For full information on Ecosyl and the full range of applicators visit www.ecosyl.com. Information on the critical steps in quality silage making is also available on www.cuttoclamp.com.
Tips for making high-quality bales
In order to achieve high-quality bales, grass should ideally be cut in the afternoon when sugars are highest.
Aim for a wilt of 24-36 hours to improve preservation, reduce effluent production and reduce the number of bales/acre. Depending on weather, this should give bales with 30-35% DM. Drier bales will require a longer wilt.
If the grass crop is heavy or drying conditions are limited, use the spreading/tedding option as it maximises the quantity of grass exposed to the sun and air.
Film
The more film applied to bales, the greater the level of protection. For best quality, the use of six layers (24 turns) should be the aim especially when making well-packed, high-DM (35%) bales and bales that will be subjected to multiple handling.
Bales have six to eight times more silage in contact with polythene than pit silage and more than half of the silage in a bale is within 20cm of the surface. This highlights the risks of damage to the polythene film.
While handling poses the greatest risk, damage or rough areas on wrapper surfaces and the dropping of the bale from the drop table can also damage the film.
Handling
Bales should be handled within a few hours after wrapping. This will prevent damage to sagged bales and will avoid disturbing the seal when fermentation in underway. High-DM bales are more easily handled as they retain their shape better.
While severe damage is easily seen, damage caused by rusty handlers and/or rough transport can result in small holes (1-3mm diameter) which are difficult to see. Baled silage is not cheap. Aerobically spoiled baled silage can be a very expensive feed.
Damage
Bales should be closely inspected after handling and during storage and any damage repaired immediately.
Research by Teagasc at Grange research centre showed that one small hole (3mm) in a bale resulted in an 8% in edible silage while one large hole (24mm) resulted in one-third of the bale being lost.
Similar Teagasc research at Oak Park showed that the presence of six small holes (4mm x 2mm) resulted in a mould covering 26% of the bale surface.
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