1Ernesto

Cutting Silage

Harvested forage is usually stored as hay or silage. Hay is stored at a moisture level below 20 percent. When farmers store hay at moisture levels higher than 2...
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Harvested forage is usually stored as hay or silage. Hay is stored at a moisture level below 20 percent. When farmers store hay at moisture levels higher than 20 percent, the forage becomes moldy and may spontaneously catch on fire. For best long-term storage, hay should be sheltered from rain or snow.
Silage is forage preserved in an anaerobic (without air) environment with a pH of 3.6 to 5.0. Specialized storage structures or wrappings meet these conditions. Silage is made by fermentation at moisture levels between 40 and 85 percent. Silage stored at a 40 to 60 percent moisture level is called haylage. Wilted silage has a moisture level of 60 to 75 percent. Direct cut, unwilted silage has a moisture level of 70 to 85 percent.
On average, farmers lose from 15 to 30 percent of the standing crop during harvest and storage. Field losses are typically greater for hay than silage, due to greater field exposure and handling of forage at a lower moisture level. Field losses can result from mechanical action and handling, plant and microbial respiration, or exposure of cut forage to rain. Because leaves dry faster than stems, leaves may shatter during field operations. Therefore, much of the lost dry matter is high-quality leaves.

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