Covering silage clamps

[Warnesworth]

I have always understood that it's very important (if you want to make the best silage possible, and who doesn't) that you sheet the clamp at night even if you are going to resume filling the following day. I know it's a ball ache but if you spend all that money putting it in there I think its worth the extra 1/2 hour to pull the sheet over and weight down, just around the edges and a few in the middle.
Is this bonkers?
Met a large contractor the other day who told me so anyway....

 

[Headless chicken]

@multi power is a big believer in this I think. IMO it all depends on how many days it will be open for. We picked up some one night finished at 7pm and sheeted next morning.

Personally I would rather wait till the next morning and do the job bang on than being a bit laxed because I've been pissing around with the sheet for the past few days.

 

[multi power]

I have always understood that it's very important (if you want to make the best silage possible, and who doesn't) that you sheet the clamp at night even if you are going to resume filling the following day. I know it's a ball ache but if you spend all that money putting it in there I think its worth the extra 1/2 hour to pull the sheet over and weight down, just around the edges and a few in the middle.
Is this bonkers?
Met a large contractor the other day who told me so anyway....

we used to sheet it every night, as i now understand thats bad practice, also rolling in the morning is bad, just leave it uncovered overnight, put a layer of fresh grass on before rolling, make sure its well rolled at all times, soon as last load is in get it sheeted

 

[Hilly]

Takes my contractors 2.5 to 3 days, some times more if weather or machines don't play ball and never sheeted pit at night, after 14hrs in the hot seat there is no way I would bother with that !!!! and I have never had any problems with the silage.

 

[RobFZS]

Never had any issues leaving it till teh morn and then carrying on filling again, no milk drop on the layer that didn't get sheeted overnight when feeding out either, although its very rare the contractor doesn't do the lot in one day.

on the other hand, my neighbor left his clamp a day or so open after the contractor had gone , so dunno if he's lazy or knows something i don't

 

[Fraserb]

We never sheet up at night but always put fresh grass over the whole pit the next day, usually takes 3 days to fill our biggest pit and never had any issues.

 

[nacnud]

I knew a lad that doesn't sheet it at all!

 

[S J H]

Our contractor was saying about some people putting on citrus pulp rather than a sheet, has anyone ever done it?

 

[borderterribles]

I used to cover my silage with Liquid Potato Feed, which generally has the consistency of runny porridge. It isn't a cheap option, but if you can make a flat topped clamp, especially if it has a roof over it, it works very well. Just feed the lot, no messing with dirty wet sheets, etc. The down sides would be the expense,( but maybe that is location dependant), the fact that it dries out in the sun and can crack badly if it's not deep enough, and not least, the SMELL! Cows love it though.

 

[jimmer]

i think @Warnesworth is asking if sheeting it down over night before taking it back off again in the morning and starting filling again is bonkers ...
to which i say if you are stopping at 10pm or later and starting by 9am the next morning i wouldnt bother , unless it is looking like chucking it down
if you are stopping early due to a breakdown and might not get going too early the next day then yes i would pull a sheet over and a scattering of tyres
if you are stopping early because you cant be bothered to go on late i would suggest you are also not going to be bothered to pull a sheet over

wheres that thread about not having the work ethic of years gone by