Page 12—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 12, 2000
Economics of Baled Silage
In more than 20 different trials
conducted over a five-year period,
round bale silage (when properly
done) results in storage losses con
sistently below 5 percent of the ini
tial crop yield. This compares with
typical losses of 25 percent for round
hay bales stored outside, on the
ground without covers.
The baled silage system costs
about $5 per bale ($3 for plastic and
$2 for machinery). Producers that
typically bale less than 300 bales
per year should consider custom hir
ing the bales made because that
number of bales does not offset the
initial cost of the wrapping machine.
Custom wrapping rates vary from
$6 to $8 per bale including the plas
tic.
Another big consideration with
baled silage is the higher quality
compared with baled hay. Alfalfa
baled and wrapped at 50 percent
moisture and 22 percent crude pro
tein. However, alfalfa left in the
same field until it was baled at 18
percent moisture had only 18 per
cent crude protein. The difference in
quality was attributed to leaf loss
with longer field curing.
Another benefit of baled silage is
the very short wilt time which
means harvesting can be done with
out as much concern for rain and
closer to the optimum maturity
stage for the type of livestock being
fed. With hay, producers frequently
wait one to two weeks after opti
mum maturity stage in the spring
trying to avoid rainy conditions.
These findings assume that baled
silage has been made correctly. Here
are the four biggest factors ensuring
success;
•Four layers of plastic on each
bale (two isn’t enough),
•Bales need to be wrapped the
same day they are baled.
•Tight bales that are between 45
and 65 percent moisture.
•Keep wrapped bales tightly
sealed.
-Mike Collins,
Univ. of Kentucky
Forage Variety Trials
Report Available
The 1999 Penn State “Forage
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able, for free, at your county exten
sion office. This year’s report con
tains variety performance informa
tion on alfalfa, red clover, and many
cool-season grass species. If you will
be seeding forages during the next
year, this report will be a valuable
asset in your species/variety selec
tion process.
Forages Help Keep
Cows Healthy
The principle consequence of hav
ing lactating cow rations that are
high in grain and low in fiber (for
ages) is chronic acidosis.
Symptoms of Rumen Acidosis
•Variable but reduced dry matter
Lancaster
Farming
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•Decreased passage time for feed
in the gut (undigested grain in
manure).
•Scarring of the rumen wall,
eventually leading to “nutritional
burn out ”
•Milk fat depression.
•Laminitis (hemorrhage in the
foot, sole abscesses, overgrown
hooves).
Tips for avoiding Rumen Acidosis
•Build the ration from the for
ages upward. The healthiest rumen
comes from meeting as much as pos
sible of the nutrient needs of high
producing cows from forage.
•Increase the chop length of for
ages incorporated into the TMR as
much as possible.
•When feeding a TMR, do not
feed hay separately if it can be
avoided. You can not depend on all
cows getting sufficient fiber if you
feed it separately.
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• Top 2 varieties for 1998 in Penn State
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• Possibly the highest producing grass
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Medium maturity perennial ryegrass.
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Tetraploid perennial ryegrass is the
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•If feeding grain separately from
forages, feed the forage first.
•Feed concentrates 3-4 times per
day.
•Steam up cows moderately
before calving to adapt rumen
microbes.
Others Want To Know!
Other forage producers want to
know what you’ve tried or done to
improve forage production or uti
lization on your farm. If it worked,
great! But if it didn’t work, others
need to know that too! Do you have
any new products or management
practices that you want to share
with your fellow Pennsylvania for
age growers?
Please send your experiences to
PFGrC News, C/O Dr. Marvin Hall,
Agronomy Dept., Penn State Univ.,
University Park, PA 16802 (mhh2@
psu.edu).
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ORION ORCHARDGRASS
THE ORCHARDGRASS THAT FITS"
• Orion is well suited for mixing with
alfalfa
• Among the latest maturing
orchardgrass available.
• One week later than Pennlate.
• Produces grass with higher digestibility
than other varieties of orchardgrass.
• Resistant to stem and leaf rust.
• Widely adaptive and very winter hardy.
r.
URBANA ITALIAN RYEGRASS
"ONE MORE YEAR"
• Rapid establishment, growth and
regrowth.
• Excellent for over-seeding existing
pasture & hay fields to extend
production for "one more year."
• Produces a highly digestible forage.
• Good for a high yield, one year
hay/pasture field.
• Italian type acts like a biennial.
• Exhibits good disease resistance.
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-Simon Kenyon
Purdue Univ.