SILAGE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume VI, Issue 6, 16 June 1913, Page 609

SILAGE.

THE STACK SYSTEM.

W. Dibble.

In this favoured country, where there is not generally the necessity to stall-feed cattle in the winter, the preparation of silage in specially constructed silos does not appeal to the farmer in the same way as it does in those countries where the winters are severe and the feeding of cattle under shelter is imperative. • Therefore silage in the stack form is the method favoured, and is the system which will prove more acceptable to the majority of our farmers. Especially to the dairyfarmer and grazier on medium and large holdings will stack silage appeal. In this form, with the preserved plant complete, it can be thrown out on to the fields, and the work of feeding be thus accomplished with as little delay and loss of time as possible. The feeding of silage in the fields presents a distinct advantage, in that the one objection to silage from the milk-producer’s view-pointliability to taint milkis- removed. I have fed stack silage for seventeen years to cows milked for a city trade without receiving a single complaint in regard to the flavour of the milk, but the silage was always fed in the field and after milking. . On .the other hand, when the material for silage has been chaffed for a silo, it must be fed in troughs. Where every care has been taken to secure only a sweet silage this can be fed in the milking-shed without endangering the. milk-flavour ; but generally • there is a risk in feeding it in the same place where milk is handled. Thus it is always better to feed silage away from the milking-shed. Herein the stack form . presents a decided advantage, as it can be thrown out on the ground, whereas taken from a silo .(which is filled by chaffed fodder) feeding-troughs must be provided. , A great advantage of stack silage is that the stack may be built in any paddock, and at a point where it can be most conveniently used for feeding purposes. ■ , But a . few. years ago the making of silage, even in the simple stack form, was regarded as work demanding special knowledge and experience on the part of the farmer. The many farmers throughout the Dominion who are now appreciating the ; value of ensilage have, however, found that there is little to master in making successful silage fact, that it is one of the simplest of farm'operations. aidibi *

The mere fact of making sure that the -first 6 ft. or so of material the section of the stack which constitutes the barometer in silagemaking—is of the right heat, or, to be exact, that the correct degree of temperature (130° Fahr.) has been secured, is all that needs special attention. The remainder of the operation is so simple that any farmer can • carry. it out successfully by following simple printed instructions. • - - • ' ‘ Grasses or fodder plants for silage should be cut when they are in the most succulent stage, or when approaching full bloom. Maize should be allowed to stand until the cob is formed and is in its dough stage. Crops for silage should not be allowed to wilt in the sun, but carting and stacking should proceed as soon as possible after cutting. To commence, cut six swaths from the boundary-fence. This will provide the first layer for the stack. After clearing up this, the work can be laid out so that each day a sufficient quantity, and a quick run to the stack, will be provided. There are two kinds of silage—viz., green and brown. For green silage the temperature required is from 130° to 140° Fahr. ; for brown silage the temperature may be allowed to rise to 160°, but this form of silage is not recommended. Should a greater heat be attained the silage would be of little value. If the temperature does not reach 120° the product would be what is known as “ sour ” silage, which, though wholesome, is not usually considered so satisfactory as “ sweet ” silage, especially when intended for fodder for milking-stock. A cubic foot of silage should weigh from 45 lb. to 56 lb. . The silage will., be greatly improved. by the addition of salt, in the. proportion of 1| lb. to 1 ton of the green material. ; The Site. The location of - the - stack - should be level, but at the same time should provide for effective drainage. It should be at some - distance from the milking-shed,. - as, in the event of any portion of the stack being of a sour nature, the resulting - odour will : not affect the flavour .of the . milk. .If . .available, -a - layer of straw. 12 in. deep, or . of :j rushes,, should be. provided - for . a foundation, but timber should never be used for the purpose, as this will admit the air, whereas .the secret, of ’silagemaking is the exclusion of. air. - The stack . should be set out square if of. a small size—say, up to 14 ft. by 14 ft. for a 30-ton stack—but should be a little longer than -the width if - of a larger size, a stack containing from ; 50 .to 60 tons occupying a space of 16 ft. by 18 ft., and larger .'stacks, slightly . longer than the . width in. about the same i>:e”<rtion. "

The First Layer. The whole success of the process of silage-making may be said to depend on the management of the first layer. The farmer should carefully study the instructions in regard to this before proceeding with the building of the stack, especially as local conditions and the season of the year largely influence the procedure to be adopted. Much depends on the condition of the material to be made into silage. For instance, in the spring it may be of a rank succulent nature, whereas in the latter part of the summer it may be too ripe, and therefore rather dry for the purpose. In the former case it is difficult to get the heat up in the desired time, and sometimes it is' necessary to wait' a day or two to secure. the desired temperature, whereas in the latter case it may be difficult to control the tempera ture. Where silage is being made on a large scale and the cost of labour is a consideration, a good plan where very succulent material is being handled is to start the work of • stacking at the end ' of the week, so that the day of rest may be availed of to bring about the desired condition in the foundation of the stack before building is proceeded with. With dry materialof course, if succulence has quite disappeared silage-making is out of the question—the desired’ temperature in the foundation layer will be probably secured at once and in dealing with this ripe fodder it is generally necessary, to stack as rapidly as possible, and get the weight on without delay. Weightprovided by the silage material’s own bulk and by the earth. on topis essential to stop the oxidation process when it" has proceeded far enough, for if the oxidation (which takes place in the presence of air) continues the material will be burnt up and be useless. The simplest method of ascertaining the temperature’ of the bottom layer is to insert perpendicularly a 1 in. galvanized-iron pipe .in the centre of the stack, to within about 3 ft. from the ground. In this suspend a thermometer attached to a string. The bottom of the pipe will of course remain open, but the top end of the pipe must be closed by a cork. A cheap and fairly reliable thermometer, very suitable for the purpose, can be obtained from suppliers of dairy requisites, and probably may be secured from the nearest dairy factory. Building the Stack. • In making the stack the ordinary procedure in stack-building should be reversed. Thus, instead of the centre being the highest part of the surface it should be lower, if anything, than the . sides,. the idea of this being that the sides press out to a level with the centre when weight is applied. .

When the heat in the bottom layer has reached 130° Fahr, according to the. thermometer stacking may be proceeded with. Remove the pipe while stacking is going on, and add to the stack at. the rate .of from 3 ft. to 6 ft. daily, building up the stack in as perpendicular a manner as possible. Under ordinary conditions this depth of material •can be added to the stack day by day without the. necessity of taking the temperature, providing the desired temperature of 130° has been attained in the foundation’ layer, but to make sure that the silage . will be a success -it is advisable to take the temperature every morning. In this case it is necessary, after each layer is added, to insert the pipe (in the centre :and perpendicularly), suspend the .thermometer in it, and ■cork up the aperture, in order to be able to ascertain the temperature on the following morning before proceeding with more stacking. Should the temperature be then found to be above 130° Fahr, stacking should proceed without delay, and a heavy layer be put on. Then, indeed, is the time to call upon all available energy to pile up the ensilage

material on the stack. If, on the other hand, the temperature has not reached 130° Fahr. ' stacking should •be delayed till the desired heat is recorded. Where sheaves are used in the stacking process the sheaves should be double-banked at the corners, in order that these may be as solid as possible when the weight is applied. Height of Stack. Even though there is a great subsidence .in an ensilage-stack the height of the. green material should not exceed about 20 ft. It should be remembered that the making of silage in the stack form is largely influenced by the prevailing winds. Astrong wind blowing from one quarter will drive the heat through to the opposite side, with the result that the stack has. a tendency to subside on the lee side. Therefore the higher the stack the greater the danger from this cause. If heavy winds are experienced while building, it is advisable to hang a tarpaulin over the side of the- stack . exposed’ to the wind. This will allow the stack to settle evenly. . Of course, when the weight' has been applied there is little or no danger from wind. , ; , ;

Weighting.

The completed stack should be topped by a platform of rough timber provided with a ledge (18 in. to 20 in. deep) around the edges. This should be filled with soil taken from a trench around the stack. The simplest method of elevating ■ the soil is to use boxes (as illustrated on this page) and carry them up by the hoist used for stacking.'

Stacking.

There are several methods of conveying the material to the stack. A simply constructed sledge, about 8 ft. square, which any farmer can construct, is as good as anything. The runners should be made of 12 in. by 3 in. timber- shod with iron, and the platform may be formed of 9 in. by 1 in. boards Chains should be attached to the end of each runner, . and centred in a ring for hitching to the haulage-tackle.

Two to three sledges should be provided—two if not more than a 20-acre paddock is being worked, and ' three if a large area is being cut. Alongside the stack two posts 12 ft. apart.. should be erected. The sledge of silage material should be taken in between these for unloading, the front of the load being level with the posts. Attached to one of the posts, 2 ft. from the ground, is. a rope about 16 ft. long. This is passed in front of the load and just above the level of the

flooring of the sledge, drawn taut, and hitched around the other post. The horses are then driven forward, and the load is left on the ground ready for hoisting. Where sheaves are being carted, slings are placed across the sledge when these are being loadedone on the flooring, another on the first layer; and a third below the last layer. ' Then, when the sledge reaches the stack, the material is hoisted at once by means of the slings.

For a small stack a simply constructed derrick is excellent, while, where a large stack is being, constructed, the Manitoba hay-stacker is probably the more convenient. . . ,

Stack Capacity. ' „ About 40 cubic feet of stack silage go to the ton It may be taken as a fair averageallowing for the fact that the appetites of individual cows vary greatlythat 40 lb. of silage will be required for each cow. The farmer can therefore calculate the amount of silage he will require. In making this calculation, however, it is well to remember that silage in reserve is always a valuable asset an insurance against drought and other adverse weather-conditions. - . - ' .

Cutting out. When the ensilage is required for use, sufficient boards may be removed to allow space for the hay-knife. The remainder of the roof will -be undisturbed. The first cut should be about 6 ft. square. Cost of Preparation. The main argument urged in this country against silage is the cost of preparation. Certainly this is heavy where all the labour required has -to be specially engaged for the purpose, though even then the expense is more than counterbalanced in those unexpected periods of weather-adversity when silage is the only thing that can be depended upon. In some districts where silage is appreciated a customary procedure is for neighbouring farmers to assist each other in the work. Thus silage can be made on three different farms at about . the same time, on alternate days. Where this is done I would suggest that the plant be put in order during the off season of the year. Then, when the season for making the silage arrives, everything will be ready at the opportune time. Not only can economy be effected by co-operating on the. actual work of stacking, but the greater part of the necessary plant may be purchased on the co-operative principle. The mower, binder, rake, sledges, and hoist can be moved from farm to farm, but I would always recommend each farmer to have his own hoist—a simple derrick will do. A great advantage in working on this principle is that there need be no loss of time in waiting for the temperature to rise, and as bad weather means very little delay the work can be completed in a very short space of time.

Over a hundred varieties of potatoes have been tested at Ruakura Farm of Instruction this season.