Tama Assist The Best Practices for Preventing Losses in Silage Making
The main issue in silage production is air. If oxygen gets into the bale, fermentation goes downhill. Proper silage preservation relies on anaerobic fermentation, which needs an airtight environment. Poor compaction, improper silage wrap and perforations lead to oxygen leaks. This causes spoilage microorganisms like yeasts and moulds to get going, which leads to foul buttery odours, toxins and heat build-up.
The nutritional quality of silage bales is impacted by the nutritional quality of the forage. Therefore, your harvest timing is critical. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) recommends a dry matter (DM) of 40 to 50% for baled silage. Chop forage to 1 – 2cm for better compaction.
Bale while your silage crop is still fresh and wrap it in silage wrap without delay. If the bale isn’t compacted enough or is unevenly shaped, you’re already off to a bad start. Loosely packed bales trap air, which even a good tight silage wrap can’t eliminate.
Wrapping should happen as soon as possible after baling and bales should be neat and evenly shaped with clearly defined square shoulders. The longer the wait, the more chance oxygen permeates into the bale.
Even if silage baling is done right, wrong storage can ruin the bale. If you’ve got the room, the best option is to store round bales one high, standing on their flat ends. Of course, that’s not always practical.
When stacking is necessary, the safest method is to place bales on their curved sides in a pyramid shape. Make sure the outside bales on the bottom row are secured with chocks or other supports to stop them rolling.
As a rule of thumb:
- Don’t stack higher than three bales.
- If the bales are on the soft side (such as unwilted hay or wrapped silage below 35% DM) keep it to a maximum of two high for safety and stability.
Silage additives are inoculants that enhance the silage preservation process. These mixes of microorganisms preserve silage nutrients, minimise DM losses, lower pH quickly, and reduce heating and waste during feedout.
Some additives mainly improve silage preservation, while others also improve silage utilisation in livestock. Certain additives should not be used on silage with a DM lower than 30%.
TamaNet+ Edge to Edge netwrap makes baling straightforward and helps bales hold a tight, compact shape. Netwrapping silage bales before applying stretchfilm improves compaction (especially in short-cropped forage) and reduces waste when feeding out.
Practical features like carry handles, an end-of-roll warning stripe, and built-in UV protection come as standard across all Tama netwraps.
For wrapping, Tama stretchfilm offers superior tear resistance, is made with recycled materials, and works for both round and square bales. The result is consistent, top quality preservation, even in outdoor storage.
It’s worth noting that while some suggest Net Replacement Film (NRF) gives higher quality silage, this is a common misconception. There’s no scientific evidence to support those claims. In fact, NRF often brings added costs, more plastic, and performance issues in real world conditions.
That’s why Tama developed EZ Web, a new round baling solution that’s not a netwrap or a film, but nevertheless combines the best of both:
- Easier to remove at feeding, saving time.
- Simpler recycling, together with stretchfilm; no separation needed.
- Reliable in all conditions, without the compromises seen with NRF.
Silage preservation is about protecting the effort you’ve already put in. With Tama’s netwrap, stretchfilm, and EZ Web, bales keep their shape, stay sealed, and hold their quality, so less of your hard work goes to waste.
Speak with our Tama Assist team for recommendations on products for baled silage.