A3O-L«nc**ter Farming, Saturday, September 19, 1998
Pa. Graded Feeder
Cattle Sales Dates Set
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The following dates have
been set for the Fall
Pennsylvania Graded Leather
Feeder Cattle Sales.
These dates have been select
ed so area producers can plan
ahead to market their feeder
cattle. Interested buyers should
plan on attending these sales to
fill their needs.
Cattle will be sold in uniform
lots according to grade, weight,
sex, and breed, or color. Some
sales will not accept cattle with
dairy breeding, yearlings, bulls,
or cattle with horns. Cattle that
have been dehorned should be
healed
Castrated males should be
healed and guaranteed against
stags. Personnel from the
Livestock Division of the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Market
Development, will grade the cat
tle for frame size and muscle
thickness, using USDA Feeder
Cattle grading standards.
• Eighty-four auction sales,
Eighty-four (Washington
County). Sale date and time’
Friday, October 2, 1998 - 7.00
p.m. Cattle received. Friday,
October 2, 1998, 7:00 a.m - 2:00
p.m Estimated headage: 650 -
no cattle with horns, dairy
breeding or bulls will be accept
ed Contact Clair Kearns (724)
239-2124, Sale Barn (724) 222-
9965
• Middleburg Livestock
Auction, Middleburg (Snyder
County) Sale date and time
Friday, October 2, 1998, 700
p m Cattle received Friday,
October 2, 1998, 7:00
p.m. Cattle received:
Friday, October 2,
1998, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00
p.m. Estimated
headage: 300 to 400.
Contact: Larry Benfer
(717) 837-5638 or
Clarence Shirk (717)
656-8793, Sale Barn
(717) 837-2222
• New Wilmington
Livestock Auction,
New Wilmington,
(Lawrence County).
Sale date and time:
Friday, October 9,
1998, 7’30 p.m. Cattle
received: Friday,
October 9, 1998, 8:00
a.m - 2:00 p.m.
Estimated headage:
300-500 Contact; Tom
Skelton (330) 793-
3590, Sale Barn: (724)
946-8621.
• Pa. Livestock
Auction, Waynesburg,
(Greene County). Sale
date and time:
Wednesday, October
14, 1998, 10:30 a.m.
Cattle received:
Tuesday, October 13,
1998, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00
p.m. Estimated
headage; 1000- no
bulls or yearlings will
be graded Sale Barn'
(724) 627-9585.
G*f All I-
BucldeUp
• Central Pa. Livestock Co
op, Feeder Cow and Yearling
Sale, Belleville Livestock
Auction, Belleville (Mifflin
County). Sale date and time:
Friday, October 16, 1998, 7:00
p.m. Cattle received: Friday,
October 16, 1998, 7:00 a.m. -
12:00 noon. Estimated headage;
300-350 Contact: James Conner
(717) 726-3055, Sale Day: (717)
935-2146.
• Indiana Farmer’s Livestock
Market, Homer City, (Indiana
County.) Sale date and time;
Saturday, October 17,1998, 7:00
p.m. Cattle received: Saturday,
October 17, 1998, B’oo a.m. -
2:00 p.m. Estimated headage:
400. Contact: Becky Lipsi (724)
397-4087, Sale Barn (724) 479-
2600.
• Bedford Cattlemen’s Assn.,
Bedford County Fairgrounds,
Bedford, (Bedford County). Sale
date and time; Saturday,
October 24, 1998, 1:00 p.m.
Cattle received; Friday, October
23, 1998, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Estimated headage: 200.
Contact; Dave Miller (814) 623-
2321 or Ed Wolfhope (814) 733-
4307.
• Westmoreland County
Cattlemen’s Ass’n., Westmoreland
County Fairgrounds, Greensburg
(Westmoreland County). Sale
date and time: Saturday,
October 24, 1998, 6:30 p.m.
Cattle received: Saturday,
October 24, 1998, 8:00 a.m. -
1100 a.m. Estimated headage:
200, no cattle with horns, dairy
breeding or bulls will be accept
ed. Contact: Dustin Heeter (724)
837-1402 or Conrad Dovovan
(724) 593-6230.
• Middleburg Livestock
Auction, Middleburg, (Snyder
County). Sale date and time.
Improving The Aerobic
Stability Of Silages
LIMIN KUNG JR., Ph J>.
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. Microor
ganisms involved in the ensiling
process include beneficial bacteria
(homolactic acid bacteria), detri
mental bacteria (for example,
Clostridia) and unwanted yeasts
and molds.
In a good silo, air (oxygen) is
eliminated by respiration from the
plant and packing, thus preventing
the growth of detrimental bacteria,
yeasts and molds.
A limited amount of heating
during the early days of ensiling is
good because it is an indication
that air is being removed and that
bacteria are starting to ferment the
silage.
When oxygen is eliminated
from the silo, production of acid
and a low pH stops bacterial
growth. However, low pH and
acidity do not stop the growth of
yeasts and molds in silage.
Heating for too long of a time is
an indication that there was too
much air in the silage mass and
excessive heat can result in heat
damaged proteins, low energy val
ues, and low dry matter recover
ies.
Aerobic Stability
“Aerobic stability” is a term
Friday, November 6, 1998, 7:00
p.m. Cattle received: Friday,
November 6, 1998, 7:00 a.m. -
3.00 p.m. Estimated headage:
300 to 400. Contact Larry
Benfer (717) 837-5638 or
Clarence Shirk (717) 656-8793,
Sale Barn (717) 837-2222.
Additional information about
these sales is available by call
ing Richard C. McDonald, Jr.,
Livestock and Fair Division,
Bureau of Market Development,
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture, at (717) 787-5319
that nutritionists have used to de
fine the length of time silage re
mains cool and does not spoil.
We do not understand all the
factors that affect the aerobic sta
bility of silages.
When fermentation is com
pleted, and silage is exposed to air
during feedout, heating in the silo
and feed bunk is usually caused by
yeasts (and to a lesser extent
molds and some bacteria).
Silages with large amounts of
yeasts spoil rapidly; those with
low levels of yeasts remain stable.
Silages that have undergone
clostridial fermentation and have
high concentration of butyric acid
are, ironically, very stable when
exposed to air. However, clostri
dial silage is undersirable because
loss of DM and nutrients are ex
tremely large when this type of
fermentation occurs.
Silages that have a strong vine
gar smell (acetic acid) arc also
usually very stable because acetic
acid is very toxic to yeasts.
In general, the problem of spoil
ing silage is worse in high mois
ture com, com silage and cereal
silages than in alfalfa silage.
If heat is detected in silage
months after silo filling, this is
usually an indication of spoilage
and reduced nutritive value. De
pending on the degree of spoilage,
cows may eat less feed and/or pro
duce less milk.
Because air is the spark that
lights the fire for growth of yeast,
minimizing air in silage is an im
portant goal. Harvesting forages at
optimum moisture levels (not too
dry), correct particle size (not too
long or short), Riling and sealing
quickly and feeding out adequate
amounts of silage from the silo
each day will help to minimize sil
age’s exposure to air.
Clean and efficient removal of
silage from the face of bunkers
and bag silos will also help to
minimize spoilage.
Preventing Spoiling
With Additives
There ate many products avail
able to producers that claim to im
prove silage quality.
Bacterial inoculants. based on
homofermentative lactic acid bac
teria. should be added to silages to
improve fermentation and in
crease dry matter and energy re
covery. However, most bacterial
inoculant do little to inhibit
growth of yeasts and molds.
Some inoculants contain bac
teria that can make propionic acid
(, Propionibacteria ). However, in
most studies, improvement in
aerobic stability has not been bet
ter.
In some recent studies, newer
bacterial inoculants that produce
large amounts of acetic acid have
improved aerobic stability. How
ever, these products are not cur
rently approved for use in the U.S.
and more research is needed in
this area.
Enzymes are commonly found
in many silage additives but they
do not inhibit yeasts or molds.
There ate several types of silage
additives that can help to control
yeasts and molds. Most of these
products contain buffered pro
pionic acid as the primary active
ingredient. These preservatives
also contain other antifungal com
pounds such as sorbic acid, ben
zoic acid, and acetic acid.
Buffered propionic acid-based
products are generally non-corro
sive and safe to handle. Unbuf
fered propionic acid is less expen
sive to use but most advtte against
its use because it is highly corro
sive to equipment and people.
My lab has conducted research
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