MAKING ENSILAGE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 235, 17 September 1934, Page 10

MAKING ENSILAGE

Preparing for the Season

PIT SILAGE IS BEST

Within the next month or two dairy fanners in many parts of the district will bo taking advantage of whatever opportunity occurs for replenishing their fodder reserves. Fodder conservation is essential to success in dairying, but fortunately it docs not necessarily involve any very great expenditure of either time or money. The overhead silo or expensive hay shed is no longer regarded as necessary for the storage of fodder, and the fanner of to-day has available to him several inexpensive but quite effective means of storing whatever surplus feed may be grown on the farm. Dairy farmers and stock owners generally have been brought to a realisation of the fact that for the conservation of fodder over lengthy periods- silage is a better form than hay. In drought periods silage is preferred for the feeding of stock because it is succulent and laxative, while it has the additional advantage of being more cheaply made and more safely held than hay. When a pit silo is tilled and covered with earth it is sate from dum.'igo by weather, lire, stock, mice or other pests, and no outlay is required for sheds, mouse-proof stands or fences. In addition, many crops that are unsuitable for hay making may be conserved in the pit silo, and cereal crops that may be too dirty with woods to be suitable for making into hay may make quite good silage. Yet another advantage in favour of ensilage is that it is possible to ensile crops when conditions are too bad to permit the satisfactory curing of hay. Pit silage can be made satisfactorily in practically all districts, but, where possible, an elevated and well-drained site should be chosen, and, naturally, this should be as near as possible to the milking shed or other place where the silage will be fed to the stock. Sandy soils are not suitable for pit ensilage, and a day soil is to bo preferred to a loamy one, though quite good results may bo obtained with the latter class of soil. Unless the site chosen is well drained, it may be advisable to plough a good drain round the pit after it has been filled and covered so that any surface water may be carried away. For best results the pit should be largo enough to hold a minimum of 50 tons of ensilage, though an 80-ton pit is a more convenient size. Such a pit would be f>o feet long at the surface, 20 feet wide and 7 feet deep at the centre, the slope at each end being 1 in 3. A trench the same length and depth, but 18 feet wide, would hold 72 tons, while one 10 feet wide would hold 64 tons, and one 14 feet wide, 56 tons.

Having decided on the size the pit or trench is to be the surface dimensions should be marked out by four corner pegs. The bottom dimensions should be marked out at the same time, so that tho slope at each end may be properly estimated. The necessary excavation is done with the single-furrow mouldboard plough and scoop, the excavated earth being placed at the sides of the trench so that tho ends are left clear for convenience in filling. The slope of one in three left at either end allows the horses to get in and out when excavating, and also facilitates filling as the sweeps or vehicles with which 'the fodder is taken to the pit can be driven straight through the trench, thus assisting in packing the material being ensiled. The sides of the trench should be kept as nearly vertical as possible, and, when scooping is completed 'the sides should be trimmed straight with the spade. Vertical sides allow Ihe material to settle uniformly and minimise wastage. The crop to be ensiled should bo cut early, as less waste will result than would be 'the case with later cutting. On the other hand, if the crop be cut too early the resultant silage will be too sappy and mushy, with a considerable loss in feeding vnlue. Where ordinary pastures are to be ensiled cutting may take place during late September or October, according to tho district and seasonal conditions. The usual practice on small holdings where but few hands are available is to cut in the morning nnd cart the material in during the afternoon. Tn any case one should not cut in any one day more material than can be carted in on the same day. The crop should be carted in in the order of cutting, in other words, tho material cut first should be tho first carted in. The dray or wagwon should bo driven right into the pit and the greenstuff spread evenly. It should be well tramped, particular attention being paid to the sides and corners.

It is desirable that the silage should bo weighted down at night time between fillings—a few planks and sand bags will suffice. When the pit is full no more material should bo added for a time, cutting being suspended until the material already placed in the trench has subsided enough. Filling can be recommenced when the heat generated in tho silage can bo felt in tho top layer. This alternate filling and waiting for tho material to sink must be continued for some time, and the more care taken at this stage the better will the resulting ensilage be.

At 'the finish tho material should he about three feet above the level of the surrounding ground and sloping off from tho centre to tho sides of the trench. Tho earth is then scooped back on to the material until a layer of earth about 18 inches thick covers tho whole area of the trench. Under tho pressure of this earth tho green material will sink another 18 inches or two feet, and while this is going or eracks mny appear in the earth cover ing. These should be filled in imme diately they appear, otherwise the ad mission of air 'through the creeks w : 'l result in the spoiling of the silage at those points. Tf the precautions out lined above are observed there will be little wastage, and the silage will keep indefinitely. The costs of making pit sllnge mny he considerably reduced by the use of 'tumble swoop for carting and filling 'r,stead of the usual dray nr waggon

This implement, which can be made on the farm, eliminates tho heavy work of loading the green material on the drays or slides.