Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Livingontheland Digest, Vol 240, Issue 1

livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Dan Conine <dconine@bertramwireless.com>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Livingontheland Digest, Vol 240, Issue 1
  • Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:01:59 -0500

Hi Harvey,
A good topic. I have done farm scale and a little small scale by accident when composting. I think that there are some points to cover that are important:
First: silage is a type of pickling process if done just right, and the lactofermenting can enhance the feed value, but also makes it acidic (hence being careful how much you feed to animals).
The scale isn't really the issue, and the article is right: You'll have to experiment with moisture levels and techniques yourself with your own climate (drying times, cutting times, etc.).
Usually, cutting finer is better, because fine cut silage allows the air to be squeezed out. Too much oxygen yields compost and mold instead of fermentation.
Like beer, it ferments to a point where the oxygen and/or moisture is used up or turned acidic enough. Too much moisture, again, will generate rot from anerobic bacteria, and not enough won't generate enough acidity to preserve the feed. Too dry and the material can ignite spontaneously, also.
In some climates, freezing can be a boon, as the material (corn, especially) will start to ferment right after harvest, then be frozen in state and can stay there for some time if insulated. (I've taken frozen corn out of a Harvestore silo in July in Wisconsin.)
I would also suggest combining the plastic barrels to make taller silos and seal them together real well. You might need to come up with some kind of auger to get it out, though. The reason silos are tall is to pack down the silage and get the air out (the finer the chop, the less air will be trapped). The modern 'sausages' made in plastic are very dependent on a fine chop because they don't have as much pressure on them, and sharp pieces can pierce the bags and let air in to mold the feed (crows are a problem, too).

Dan Conine
Belgium, WI



From: Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us> Subject: [Livingontheland] Small-lot silage To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <4BAFF942.2010702@themodernhomestead.us> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Has anybody on the list experimented with making small-lot silage? Seems like a great concept--see http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Small-scale+silage+your+yard+can+be+your+field.+%28Feeds+%26+feeding%29.-a083553803 and http://www.smallstock.info/tools/feed/silage/lbs02.htm

The thing I don't like about these approaches is the generation of plastic trash. I'm thinking about using some food grade plastic drums (plastic, yes, but more durable--and if recycled, already in being anyway) or discarded wine/whiskey barrels to experiment with the concept. If I get serious about the process, I could make a small concrete lined, earth trench, I suppose. Has anyone made silage on the home, as opposed to farm, scale? Model? Results? Thanks. ~Harvey
-- Harvey in northern Va




  • Re: [Livingontheland] Livingontheland Digest, Vol 240, Issue 1, Dan Conine, 03/29/2010

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page