Feeding Round Bale Alfalfa Silage

[Localmotion]

Hola all !

Just wanting some suggestions / ideas from anyone who has experience feeding round bale silage. I have plenty of experience making and feeding both clamp and baled silages in the past - but since my true farming days are behind me, I have a new problem as rather than feeding several bales per day, a single 700kg round bale will now last my limited stock and partners horses about two weeks...

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to keep a round silage bale in use for more than just a few days without it spoiling?

I have thought about cutting the wrap and then re-sealing it every day, but as more of the bale goes I can see this will be difficult not to mention expensive on tape! Alternatively I thought about maybe totally removing the wrap and net / strings and then re-ensiling the bale under plastic sheet so it is easier to access...?

Forage here in Spain is at a premium this year - but luckily I have the option of buying these silage bales at a very good prce, so really want to find a way to feed it out without spoiling if at all possible.

Any suggestions / experience greatly received :thumbsup:

 

[jhasafety1]

Buy or build a feeder that holds the bale off the ground. I have even seen some that had a tarp over the top which kept the bale dry and being in a feeder off the ground they do not waste it.

 

[RickB]

Two weeks is way too long for silage to keep after it has been opened. Re-sealing the bale won't help much as oxygen is introduced as soon as the bale is opened.

 

[Localmotion]

Buy or build a feeder that holds the bale off the ground. I have even seen some that had a tarp over the top which kept the bale dry and being in a feeder off the ground they do not waste it.

Thanks for the input - but think we are at cross purposes. It is not general waste from the elements or animals I an concerned about, but rather the effect of air causing the silage to start rotting...

 

[Localmotion]

Two weeks is way too long for silage to keep after it has been opened. Re-sealing the bale won't help much as oxygen is introduced as soon as the bale is opened.

You're thinking is the same as mine - having used round bale silage for many years, I know how quickly it can start to heat up if the wrapping is damaged and air gets inside. However a friend who makes round bale alfalfa silage in the UK has told me today that the process is actually slightly different to conventional silage. Aparently as a lugume (so am guessing high nitrate level) once wrapped and the anerobic process starts, the forage is effectively picked as oppose to conventional grass silage which relies soley on the anerobic process. This would makes sense to me as I know mazie silage (another legume) goes through the same unique pickling process - hence why salt is often added to maize clamps to aid the process in the top layer.

Can anyone confirm this is the case with alfalfa silage??? If so I am guessing it will store in the air for longer than grass silage???

:thumbsup:

 

[RickB]

You're thinking is the same as mine - having used round bale silage for many years, I know how quickly it can start to heat up if the wrapping is damaged and air gets inside. However a friend who makes round bale alfalfa silage in the UK has told me today that the process is actually slightly different to conventional silage. Aparently as a lugume (so am guessing high nitrate level) once wrapped and the anerobic process starts, the forage is effectively picked as oppose to conventional grass silage which relies soley on the anerobic process. This would makes sense to me as I know mazie silage (another legume) goes through the same unique pickling process - hence why salt is often added to maize clamps to aid the process in the top layer.

Can anyone confirm this is the case with alfalfa silage??? If so I am guessing it will store in the air for longer than grass silage???

:thumbsup:

The chemical fermentation process likely varies between forage species. The notion that "bunk life" (essentially what we are talking about here, also known as secondary fermentation) is markedly lesser or non existent in legume silage is not true. The only substantial modifier would be the addition of some type of preservative, probably buffered propionic acid, at baling.

 

[MattLynch]

Unfortunatly I think you would be better off buying hay at a higher price then letting half of every bale go bad. We can get one week out of a bale at temps below freezing and 2-3 days when warm before it starts to go bad.