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Knowledge base: get more from your silage

Practical know-how on ensiling, covering, heating and feeding out. Based on the experience of dairy farmers and our roughage specialists.

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Costs & returnsCalculator

Calculating silage losses: what does heating cost you per year?

You calculate silage losses from the volume of your pit, the dry matter per m³ and the value per kilo of dry…

Grass · Maize5 min read
Grass & maize in the fieldTips

Drought on your grassland: irrigate or wait?

If you have already been irrigating during a drought, keep going. If the grass has turned quite yellow and you haven't started…

Grass4 min read
Grass & maize in the fieldTips

When should you irrigate maize? Watch the leaves and flowering

Growth stage decides when to irrigate maize. It pays off most just before and during flowering, when drought means poor grain set…

Maize3 min read
Water & effluentGuide

Rainwater in silage: how to keep water out of your silage pit

Water in silage usually gets in as rainwater along the walls, through puddles or through holes in the plastic. Wet grass silage…

Grass · Maize6 min read
Feeding outTips

Preventing hardware disease in cows: 5 tips

Hardware disease happens when a cow swallows a sharp piece of metal that pierces the wall of the reticulum. In post-mortems in…

Grass · Maize3 min read
Feeding outGuide

Silage feed-out rate: how many metres per week?

The feed-out rate of your silage pit is the number of metres you take off the silage face each week. Silage Safe…

Grass · Maize5 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Silage fermentation: how to get the pH of your silage down

During silage fermentation, lactic acid bacteria turn sugars into acids, which makes the pH drop. Wet grass silage is good at a…

Grass · Maize4 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Rolling and compacting silage: 6 tips for a firm pit

Roll silage in layers (grass up to 20 cm, maize 30-40 cm) with a weight of at least half the hourly intake:…

Grass · Maize3 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Improving maize silage quality: 8 tips for a better pit

You improve maize silage quality mainly at harvest and ensiling. Harvest at 32-36% dry matter (WUR, Handboek Snijmaïs), chop at 6 to…

Maize4 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

First cut silage: tips from mowing to covering

First cut silage starts with working clean: a clean pit, maintained machines and a stubble of 6 to 7 cm. Ensile at…

Grass5 min read
Ensiling & compactionQuestions & answers

What happens in your silage after ensiling?

After you seal the pit, the crop and micro-organisms first use up the last oxygen. Then lactic acid bacteria turn sugars into…

Grass · Maize6 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Improving silage quality: 6 steps from field to pit

You improve silage quality in six steps: fertilise for good soil, keep a dense sward, don't cut too short, ensile in layers,…

Grass · Maize5 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Dry silage: what are the effects and how do you deal with it?

Dry silage is hard to compact, so more air stays in the pit. Eurofins Agro calls silage with more than 50% dry…

Grass · Maize3 min read
Ensiling & compactionTips

Sugar content of grass: why it matters for ensiling

The sugar content of grass decides how well your grass silage ferments: bacteria turn sugar into lactic acid and acetic acid. Sugar…

Grass4 min read
Ensiling & compactionGuide

Making and preserving silage: the complete guide

You make silage by storing grass or maize without oxygen, so lactic acid bacteria can ferment it. Work cleanly, ensile at the…

Grass · Maize8 min read
Heating & mouldTips

Butyric acid in silage: causes and 5 tips to prevent it

Butyric acid bacteria (clostridia) make butyric acid from lactic acid, mainly in wet silage with a high pH. They come from soil,…

Grass6 min read
Heating & mouldTips

Mould in silage: 4 causes and how to prevent it

Mould in silage develops when oxygen and water reach the feed. Four main causes are poor compaction, a cover that lets air…

Grass · Maize5 min read
Heating & mouldGuide

Preventing heating in silage: how does it start and what can you do?

Heating in silage starts when oxygen reaches the feed and yeasts become active again. The silage warms up and loses feed value:…

Grass · Maize6 min read
Covering & protectingProblem & solution

Covering silage in a storm: the plastic has blown loose, now what?

If the plastic blows loose in a storm, put it back quickly and hold it down with weight or covers, starting on…

Grass · Maize5 min read
Covering & protectingGuide

Covering maize silage: how to ensile and cover maize properly

Cover maize silage straight after rolling, with underlay film over the full width, a new top sheet and side-wall plastic along the…

Maize5 min read
Covering & protectingGuide

Covering grass silage: when, how and what to watch out for

Cover grass silage straight after rolling. In a field trial with bales, every hour of waiting cost about 1.5% dry matter; after…

Grass7 min read
Covering & protectingGuide

Silage plastic, underlay film and side-wall plastic: what should you choose?

Choose new silage plastic with low air permeability, enough thickness and UV stability for as long as your pit stays closed. Put…

Grass · Maize6 min read
Covering & protectingTips

Preparing your silage pit for ensiling: 6 steps

Prepare your silage pit well before ensiling. Clean and dry the pit and the access route, mow around it and make sure…

Grass · Maize6 min read
Covering & protectingTips

Pests at your silage pit: 4 measures against rats, mice and crows

You prevent pests at your silage pit by taking away food, water and hiding places. Clear up silage residue straight away, mow…

Grass · Maize4 min read
Covering & protectingGuide

Covering a silage pit: step by step to a well-sealed pit

Cover your silage pit straight after rolling. Start with a clean, dry pit and side-wall plastic down to the floor. Lay underlay…

Grass · Maize10 min read

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