WINTER BONUS MAGAZINE 2025

Covering the silage • Silage should be covered as soon as possible to prevent excessive exposure to oxygen for too long a period. • Covering the silage sooner would help with the migration of oxygen throughout the silage bunker or pile. • Covered silage is protected against any weather changes. • The faster the silage is covered, the fewer losses the producer will have. • Preferably white plastic to cover the silage. • Silage bunkers should be airtight to prevent oxygen from entering and spreading throughout the bunker. • Any type of weight can be used to keep the cover sealed as long as there is enough of these weights. • Where the covers overlap, it is wise to overlap the covers up to 2 m with each other to increase the chance of keeping oxygen out. Care for the silage • The management of your silage bunker is crucial to ensure quality and safe silage. • The feed out stage requires a lot of management. • Remember with silage, oxygen is our enemy! • Take any kind of measure to keep animals off and out of the silage bunker. • Keep the silage rat and rodent free. • The silage face should be cut square to keep the surface area in contact with oxygen to a minimum. • Cut off the daily requirement silage and close the face of the bunker as quickly as possible. Procedure Pros Cons When to use • Lower investment. • Can be done on any stable and clean floor. • Offers more flexibility to the producer. • A larger space is required. • A larger amount of cover plastic and weights are needed than the bunker. • The producer has access to heavy machinery for compacting. • Space is not an issue. • It can also be used where there is a large requirement for silage every day. • Lower investment. • Can be done on any stable and clean floor. • Offers more flexibility to the producer. • A larger space is required. • A larger amount of cover plastic and weights are needed than the bunker. • The producer has access to heavy machinery for compacting. • Space is not an issue. • It can also be used where there is a large requirement for silage every day. Procedure Pros Cons When to use Bunker · Reduced spoilage in the top layer. · Easy to fill a bunker. · Feed out is easier. · A greater cost of in vestment involved in silo bunk ers than drive over piles. · Silage makes up a l portion of your animal · Large quantity of a · Large requirement e. Drive over Pil e · Lower investment. · Can be done on any stable and clean floor. · Offers more flexibilit y to the producer. · A larger space is re quir d. · A larger amount of cover plastic and weights are needed than the bun ker. · The producer has a o heavy machinery fo com- pacting. · Space is not an iss · It can also be used there is a large requir for silage every day. Procedure Pros Cons When to use Bunker · Reduced spoilage in the top layer. · Easy to fill a bunker. · Feed out is easier. · A greater cost of in vestment involved in silo bunk ers than drive over piles. · Silage makes up a l portion of your animal · Large quantity of a · Large requi ement e. Drive over Pil e · Lower investment. · Can be done on any stable and clean floor. · Offers more flexibilit y to the producer. · A larger space is re quired. · A larger amount of cover plastic and weights are needed than the bun ker. · The producer has a o heavy machinery fo com- pacting. · Space is not an iss · It can also be used there is a large requir for silage every day. Silage Bales · Portability. · Large investment f · If you need portabil Bunker Drive over pile