Good Cow Feed for all Seasons

Backgrounder

Content: Silage is good cow feed at times of the year when other feed is scarce.

There may be times of the year when you run out of fodder to feed your cow. Some farmers in India solve this problem by making silage. It takes a little planning, but it means that their cows are well-fed all year round and produce lots of milk.

What is silage? Silage is preserved green fodder. It stays good for a long time. You can use grasses and legumes to make silage.

To make silage the Indian farmers store green fodder during the dry season in a special pit, called a pit silo.

Here is how to make the pit.

The time to start building the pit silo is about 14 weeks before the end of the dry season, when there is still plenty of green fodder available. The pit silo should be located on high ground so that water will not run into it when it rains.

Before digging the pit, drive 4 stakes into the ground to form a square about 1 1/2 metres by 1 1/2 metres. Then dig the pit 1 1/4 metres deep. The pit should be smaller at the bottom than at the top, so taper the sides in a little. This will make the structure stronger.

In India, farmers cover the walls and floor of the pit with paddy straw. Other kinds of straw could also be used to line the pit. Some people in Africa use stones for the bottom. The important thing is to prevent the fodder from touching the soil. You want to seal the pit to prevent air and water from getting in.

Now you are ready to make silage. The crop should be cut just before flowering. This is because the protein content of the crop is high just before flowering. Leave the freshly cut fodder to dry in the sun for 2 to 3 hours. Then chop the green fodder into small pieces about 1 to 2 centimetres in size.

Now do a simple test to make sure the fodder has the right amount of moisture in it. Take a handful of chopped fodder and press it into a ball in your hand. Squeeze it. If the ball holds together and water comes out when you squeeze it, then the fodder is too wet and you should let it dry until no more water comes out. If the ball falls apart quickly it’s too dry, and you must add a bit of water to the fodder before putting it in the pit. If the ball falls apart slowly and there’s no water left in your hand then it is ready to put in the silo.

Put layers of the chopped fodder into the pit. The first layer should be about 30 centimetres thick. Spread a handful of salt and some molasses evenly over the top of each layer. Molasses is a thick dark syrup produced as a by-product while making sugar. The molasses helps speed the preservation process and gives a higher quality silage.

Continue to fill the pit in 30 centimetre layers. Fill the pit as quickly as possible. Keep pressing the fodder down, then pound it down or trample on it. This will get a lot of the air out. It is important to have as little air in the pit as possible. This reduces the chance of mould and yeast growing and helps stop the silage from spoiling. Fill the pit to about 40 centimetres above ground level.

When the pit is full add some paddy straw and cover it with a plastic sheet or some gunny sacks. Finally, cover the whole pile with a thick layer of mud to prevent air and water from getting in the pit.

The fodder can stay in the pit silo for about 45 days. Then you can open the pit and begin feeding silage to your animal. Good silage smells fresh and fruity and is light yellow-brown or green. If the silage smells rotten and is black and slimy, then it is not good. Your cows will not want to eat it and it can be bad for them. If this happens then something has gone wrong and the silage should not be fed to the animals. In this case consult your local extension worker to find out what is wrong.

Scrape silage from the pit in even layers. Don’t dig into the pile because that will cause it to spoil. Feed the silage to the animals immediately.

After the pit has been opened, keep it covered with the gunny sacks or a plastic sheet to keep the silage in good condition. With experience you will learn what is the best size and shape of pit silo to meet your needs.
Note:
Getting the fodder at the right moisture content before putting it in the silo is the most important step in making high quality silage. It is also the most difficult part of the process to control. The fodder should have a moisture content of 60-70% before it is put in the silo.

Here is a guide to help you to estimate how much moisture is in your cut fodder.