WINTER BONUS MAGAZINE 2025

Procedure Pros Cons When to use • Portability. • Reduced waste. • Higher dry matter (DM) content. • Versatility. • Large investment for compacting machines. • When using contractors, you run the risk of waiting, which may influence your forage DM content. • If you need portability of your silage. • Animals are scattered over the farm or between farms. • Do not have space for drive over piles. • Small feed out face to manage. • Smaller surface area in contact with oxygen and should have decreased spoilage. • Rips in the bag may migrate along large parts of the bag. • Lower compaction rate. • A lot of variation from the start to the end of the bag because the bag is filled according to how the field is cut. • Lack of space. • Lack of heavy machinery for compaction. • Lack of workers to help during the ensiling process. Silage inoculants and fermentation efficiency Challenges faced with ensiling organic material is the loss of dry matter and nutritional value of the silage through improper fermentation. This phenomenon causes the growth of unwanted moulds and yeasts, which consume nutrients and produce mycotoxins which have detrimental effects on the health and production of the animals. Silage fermentation can occur naturally under anaerobic conditions due to native bacteria present on crops. However, natural fermentation is inconsistent as the quantity and efficiency of native lactic acid bacteria vary. To improve fermentation control, farmers can use silage inoculants with known colony- Inoculants enhance: • Fermentation efficiency through rapidly lowering pH and establishing a stable environment. • Preservation of sugars, proteins, and dry matter content. • Production of beneficial acids (e.g., lactic and acetic acids) that improve silage stability and quality. • Reduction of spoilage organisms. • Increase the stability of silage with feed out (colder for longer). forming units (CFUs) and selected bacterial strains to steer the fermentation process in a favourable direction. Silage Bales · Portability. · Reduced Waste. · Higher Dry Matter (D M) Content. · Versatility. · Large investment f or com- pacting machines. · When using contra ctors, you run the risk of waiting , which may influence your forage DM content. · If you need portabil your silage. · Animals are scatte the farm or between f · Do not hav space over piles. Silage Bags · Small feed out face t o man ge. · Smaller surf ce area in contact with oxygen and should have de- creased spoilage. · Rips in the bag ma y migrate along large parts of t he bag. · Lower ompaction rate. · A lot of variation from the · Lack of space. · Lack of h avy mac r compaction. · Lack of workers to - ing the ensiling proc Silage Bales · Portability. · Reduced Waste. · Higher Dry Matter (D M) Content. · Versatility. · Large investment f or com- pacting ma hines. · When using contra ctors, you run the risk of waiting , which may influence your f rage DM cont nt. · If you need portabil your silage. · Animals are scatter the far or between f · Do not have space f over piles. Silage Bags · Small feed out face t o man ge. · Smaller surface area in contact with oxygen a d should have de- crea ed spoil g . · Rips in the bag ma y migrate along large parts of t he bag. · Lower compaction rate. · A lot of variation from the · Lack of space. · Lack of heavy mac r compaction. · Lack of workers to - ing the ensiling proc Silage bales Silage bags www.agribonus.co.za Winter 2025 BONUS 31