Spoilage in silage

[Silly silage]

Looking for any advice about white mould in silage. It has been confirmed as mycotoxin of various forms including penicillin type. However we have used bugs additive for last 3 years and silage has not improved . It is a late crop harvested as one crop in early July and is quite dry. Ensiled with cling sheet and top sheet. Purchased a shear grab to minimise disruption to pit face but still getting pockets of mould within the bite of silage . Using a clay binder in our ration to mop up the mycotoxin but it's all added cost ! It's for suckler herd and followers, use big bale silage for ewes and it is perfect. We have a large pit , 60 feet wide , and it's been suggested that we don't get across it quickly enough . Any thoughts , experiences , remedies?

 

[Adam@Rumen]

Not all additive is equal, so check you're not wasting your money on a lower end product.

What do you do in the way of compaction?

Clay binders generally focus on aflatoxins (cereal based moulds) so unsure you'll be getting a benefit there.

 

[Sheep]

How quickly are you getting across the face?

 

[pine_guy]

Only push the shear grab in half way, smaller bite and You’ll use your face twice as fast. Is the spoilage right through? We have 6 inch on the top of pit which was our 3rd cut that had to wilt too long to let the ground dry enough to harvest it. We just cut the blocks, sit them on the floor, as it’s really dry silage, just takes a couple of moments to hand lift it off.

 

[milkloss]

We used to use additive on our stemmy silage for the suckers. This was the first year in a long time we didn't and to be honest the silage is no different and keeps the same when fed out so I will be keeping the money in my pocket from now on.

It sounds although it wasn't rolled enough to me but there's so many variables.

 

[Silly silage]

We took extra time rolling pit this year with two tractors, because felt that was what was wrong last year. Feel that additive has been a waste of money so will not use that product again . It takes about a week to get across the face of the pit. It's just disappointing when you try hard to make it as good as you can in the circumstances and you think you have covered all the variables

 

[ollie989898]

We took extra time rolling pit this year with two tractors, because felt that was what was wrong last year. Feel that additive has been a waste of money so will not use that product again . It takes about a week to get across the face of the pit. It's just disappointing when you try hard to make it as good as you can in the circumstances and you think you have covered all the variables

The biggest factor is the dry matter content of the grass being put in the pit. It is why I consistently tell people to buy or have access to a tedder and possibly a rake. If the weather turns hot and dry you can get it raked into a big swath and it won't lose moisture as fast. If it's dull you can kick the grass out to help get it wilted. Too wet or too dry makes silage that is problematic. You will get away with drier silage in a bale as you have it wrapped to exclude the oxygen and you only open 1 bale at a time as needed so less waste. On the flipside bales are expensive to make, cart and wrap.

 

[beefandsleep]

Mature stemmy grass will never ensile as well due to low sugars, the lactic acid producing bugs have to have something to feed on, the longer it takes to produce sufficient lactic acid the more time there is for yeasts and moulds to multiply, double whammy if it’s dry as it’s hard to consolidate.
Cut at a leafier stage or don’t wilt it if cutting it later.

 

[ollie989898]

Mature stemmy grass will never ensile as well due to low sugars, the lactic acid producing bugs have to have something to feed on, the longer it takes to produce sufficient lactic acid the more time there is for yeasts and moulds to multiply, double whammy if it’s dry as it’s hard to consolidate.
Cut at a leafier stage or don’t wilt it if cutting it later.

Can mess about with chop length a bit as well- later/dry stuff in theory needs chopping shorter. I would use an additive in any event.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Looking for any advice about white mould in silage. It has been confirmed as mycotoxin of various forms including penicillin type. However we have used bugs additive for last 3 years and silage has not improved . It is a late crop harvested as one crop in early July and is quite dry. Ensiled with cling sheet and top sheet. Purchased a shear grab to minimise disruption to pit face but still getting pockets of mould within the bite of silage . Using a clay binder in our ration to mop up the mycotoxin but it's all added cost ! It's for suckler herd and followers, use big bale silage for ewes and it is perfect. We have a large pit , 60 feet wide , and it's been suggested that we don't get across it quickly enough . Any thoughts , experiences , remedies?

If your bale silage is ok then its something to do with your pit .
Are you sealing it soon after pitting . Are you rolling it well and is air getting in from sides . If not then its the width of the pit ,
I've made silage for 50 years and only use an aditive if grass is very wet . Don't get drawn into sales talk . If its all done correctly then no need for aditive