A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 8,2001
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Capitol Region Dairy Team
SILO GASES
Tim Beck
Capitol Region Extension
Dairy Program Coordinator
Drought-stressed crops pose
greater risks to animals and then'
caretakers. One of the additional
risk factors of greater importance
in a dry year is the possibility of
poisonous silo gases forming dur
ing the fermentation process. The
high nitrate accumulation in the
plant causes increased risk to the
animal and can be a deadly
threat to humans.
Plants wilted by drought or
crops ensiled after a drought
breaking rain often have high ni
trate levels in the plant stalk.
Heavily fertilized fields may have
high levels of residual nitrogen
that wasn’t absorbed and utilized
to grow the plant. Following a
heavy rain, moisture-starved
plants rapidly absorb this nitro
gen, and it takes time for plants
to metabolize these nitrates into
useful plant nutrients. Because
this often happens late in the sea
son when harvest will soon occur,
producers can unknowingly har
vest crops with high nitrates.
Two important recommenda
tions are to avoid harvesting si
lage crops until several days of
sunshine have followed a
drought-breaking rain. This gives
the plant time to convert the ni
trates to useful plant nutrients
and lowers the risk for both man
and animal. Producers can re
duce nitrates by cutting com
plants higher than normal be
cause most of the nitrates con
centrate in the lower portion of
the stalk. When in doubt as to
the risk of high nitrates, have
plant samples analyzed for ni
trates prior to harvest and adjust
management practices appropri
ately.
Nitrogen dioxide gas is the
major toxic material of concern
to humans when ensiling crops.
The plant respiration and bacte
rial fermentation that occurs may
convert nitrates and nitrites into
the yellowish brown gas some
times observed around the base
of silos. Inhaling these gases will
bum the lungs and may cause
death in only a few minutes.
The greatest danger to humans
occurs in the first lew days after
ensiling, but gases may be formed
for two to three weeks or more
after ensiling. Be alert for bleach
like odors and/or yellowish fumes
around the silo. Avoid spending
time around silos for at least
three weeks after filling until fer
mentation is nearly completed
and exercise caution when open
ing silos for the first time. Always
work with someone else in clear
view so if a rescue becomes neces
sary you can receive assistance.
Run the forage blower for 15 to
20 minutes before unloading si
lage to allow any accumulated
gases to ventilate from inside the
sUo. Be especially careful around
silo feed rooms. Since this is a
heavy gas, fumes often accumu
late near the bottom of the silo
and unventilated silo rooms can
be dangerous places that build up
the toxic fumes. Open windows
and use fans to ventilate these
rooms especially during the ini
tial three-week high-risk period.
Tightly seal silo room doors to
prevent contamination of the
barn.
If circumstances require the
producer to enter a silo within 10
days after filling, then a self-con
tained breathing apparatus is es-
Tim Beck
sential. Under such conditions,
working with a partner who can
maintain visible contact at all
times is a must.
Always remember the risk of
fatal silo gas poisoning when si
lage harvest approaches. Keep
alert for possible silo gas accumu
lation and take precautions to
ventilate silo rooms, run the
blower, and work in pairs when
opening silos.
Silo gas poisoning is just one of
the added challenges producers
face when dealing with drought
stressed forages. For additional
information on these and other
topics, request a copy of DAS
99-5 “Drought-Related Issues In
Dairy Came Nutrition,” from
your local extension office, or
download a copy from the Web
at http://www3.das.psu.edu/dcn/
catforg/DAS/index.html. For ad
ditional information on this or
Corn Silage Whole-Plant Dry Down Rates*
Paul Craig, Extension Agronomy Agent
Draughted com is rapidly losing green coloration in its leaves. Leaf
blights are severely impacting late development. Com is at Yi milk
line in the draughted area, and a little more advanced in the well
eared section. Very dry soil moisture conditions continue.
Late planted com is just beginning to dent. Plants remain very green
in coloration. This planting does not have very much height.
Whole Sugar Predicted Days
Moisture Kernel Plant as % Plant to Harvest 0
Test Milk Moist. of Firing Bunker Tower
Date DM Sdo* Siltf
110-day corn planted May 1. Well eared and good ear fill:
Aug 4 None 73.5 I 33 I 5 I 13
Aug 14 1/4 73.3 33 5 13
Aug 21 1/3 69.5 3.9 33 -T 7
Aug 28 1/2 63.8 40 -10 -2
Sep 4 | 2/3 I 64.5 50 -8 0
Same hybrid and field, but droughty, small ears, 75% ear fill:
Aug 4 None 73.5 I I 50 I 5 I 13
Aug 14 1/4 72.8 50 4 12
Aug 21 1/4 69.3 4.3 50 -1 7
Aug 28 1/3 65.0 60 -8 0
Sep 4 I 1/2 I 59.5 I 50 I -16 I -8
Same hybrid planted May 25. Well eared and good ear fill;
Aug 28 None 75 0 9 17
Sep 4 None 76 0 9 17
Footnotes:
a-Conducted at the Penn State Field Research Farm at Landisville.
b-Percent of stalk fired from the ground upward.
c-Based on 0.65 drop in % moisture from last test date.
d-Based on a target moisture of 70% for bunker silos at harvest time.
e-Based on a target moisture of 63% for tower silos at harvest time.
Sullivan Celebrates 150 Years Of County Fairs
DAVE LEFEVER
Lancaster Farming Staff
FORKSVILLE (Sullivan Co.)
The 150th Sullivan County
Fair was conducted here Aug. 29
to Sept. 3 along the waters of
Loyalsock Creek, about a mile
from World’s End State Park.
About 10,000 people annually
pay to attend the fair to take in
livestock shows and various other
events including pony pulls and
live musical entertainment,
according to fair secretary and
historian Jody Lambert.
Original fairgoers in the mid
1800 s attended the festivities by
oxen and wagon, Lambert said.
The first dairy shows here mainly
featured the Milking Shorthorn
breed.
The long slate of happenings
dining this year’s fair included a
more modern dairy show Aug. 30
that included six breeds of dairy
animals.
Out of a group of Ayrshire,
Champion line-up at the Sullivan County Fair Dairy Show, from left, Victoria Wood
head and Aubrey Frazier, dairy maids; Evan Heess, Jersey/Holstein crossbred; Hanna
Long, Dutch Belted; Ashley Broschart, AWshirm Brian Katzniaier, Brown Swiss; KeUy
Hoyt, Jersey; Ben Lambert (for brother Daiq, Holstein; Elizabeth Reibson, alternate dairy
princess; and Anna Reibson, dairy maid.
other dairy cattle nutrition topics,
contact Tim Beck at (717)
840-7408 or e-mail tbeck@psu.c
du.
Some of the buildings on the Sullivan Co. Fairgrounds
near Forksville are over 100 years old.
Brown Swiss, Dutch Belted, Hol
stein, Jersey, and Jersey/Holstein
crossbred champs, Judge Kenny
Young named a 3-year-old Hol
stein owned by Dan Lambert as
supreme champion.
Dan is one of five children of
Jody Lambert and her husband
JUNIOR DAIRY SHOW
AYRSHIRE
Fall senior calf: 1. Ashley Broschart.
Winter Intermediate yearling; 1. Ashley
Broschart.
GRAND CHAMPION
Ashley Broschart
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Ashley Broschart
DUTCH BELT
Winter intermediate calf: 1. Hanna Long.
GRAND CHAMPION
Hanna Long
HOLSTEIN
Pre-Junior Dan Lambert.
Spring Junior calf: 1. Kelly Hoyt. 2. Taylor
Hart. 3. Benjamin Lambert.
Winter intermediate calf; 1. Tara Hoyt. 2.
Thomas Lambert.
Spring Junior yearling: 1. Kelly Hoyt.
Junior champion; Kelly Hoyt.
Junior 3-year-old; 1. Benjamin Lambert.
Senior 3-year-old: 1. Dan Lambert.
Reserve Junior champion: Kelly Hoyt.
Senior champion: Dan Lambert.
Reserve senior champion: Ben Lambert.
GRAND CHAMPION
Dan Lambert
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Ben Lambert
JERSEY
Spring junior calf: 1. Tara Hoyt. 2. Emily
Long. 3. Kelly Hoyt
Winter intermediate calf; 1. Hanna Long.
Spring Junior yearling; Emily Long.
Fall senior yearling; 1. Tara Hoyt.
Junior 2-year-old: 1. Kelly Hoyt.
Junior champion: Tara Hoyt.
Reserve junior champion: Emily Long.
Senior champion: Kelly Hoyt.
GRAND CHAMPION
Kelly Hoyt
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Tara Hoyt
SHOWMANSHIP
8-11-year-old: 1. Hanna Long. 2. Tom
Lambert. 3. Taylor Hart.
12-14-year-old: 1. Emily Long. 2. Ben
Lambert. 3. Ashley Broschart.
15 and over 1. Dan Lambert.
DAIRY SHOW
BROWN SWISS
Pre-junior spring calf: 1. Brian Katz
maier.
Junior spring calf; 1. Robert Miller. 2. Na
than Katzmaier. 3. Brian Katzmaier.
Intermediate winter heifer calf: 1. Robert
Miller. 2. Robert Miller.
Senior fall heifer calf: 1 Robert Miller.
Summer yearling: 1. Bnan Katzmaier.
Junior get of sire: 1. Robert Miller.
Best three females; 1. Brian Katzmaier.
William Lambert. The family
maintains a herd of about 350
Holsteins on their Dushore farm.
Dairy shows exhibitors came
from Bradford and Lycoming
counties, as well as Sullivan.
Results of the show are shown
below:
Produce of dam: 1. Brian Katzmaier.
Junior champion: Brian Katzmaier.
Reserve Junior champion; Robert Miller.
GRAND CHAMPION
Brian Katzmaier
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Robert Miller
HOLSTEIN
Pre-junior calf: 1. Benjamin Lambert. 2.
Barbara Warburton.
Junior spring heifer calf; 1. Barbara War
burton. 2. Barbara Warburton. 3. Bnan
Katzmaier.
Best three females: 1. Barbara Warbur
ton.
Junior champion; Barbara Warburton.
Reserve junior champion: Barbara War
burton.
GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
JERSEY
Pre-Junior heifer calf; 1. Barbara Warbur
ton.
Junior spring heifer calf; 1. Barbara War
burton. 2. Barbara Warburton. 3. Barbara
Warburton.
Intermediate winter heifer calf: 1. Bar
bara Warburton.
Junior get of sire: 1. Barbara Warburton.
2. Barbara Warburton. 3. Barbara Warbur
ton.
Best three females owned and bred by
exhibitor 1. Barbara Warburton. 2. Barbara
Warburton. 3. Barbara Warburton.
Junior champion: Barbara Warburton.
Reserve Junior champion: Barbara War
burton.
GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
JERBEY/HOLSTEIN CROSSBRED
Pre-Junior heifer calf: 1. Barbara Warfour
ton.
Intermediate winter heifer calf; 1. Bar
bara Warburton.
Senior fall winter heifer calf: 1. Barbara
Warburton.
Junior get of sire: 1. Barbara Warburton.
Best three females; 1. Barbara Warbur
ton.
Junior champion: Barbara Warburton.
Reserve junior champion: Barbara War
burton.
GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Barbara Warburton
SUPREME CHAMPION
Dan Lambert