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Stark-Billings County |
Extension Spotlites
October 16, 2009
Cold Weather Can Hinder Silage Production
Just when you thought the dairy economic situation was getting some relief, at least with somewhat lower feed costs, thanks in part to some decent corn silage yields, Mother Nature stepped in. The recent hard freeze landed another blow.
Not that producers were tardy in cutting their corn; a wet spring delayed planting and below-average temperatures slowed the crops development during the growing season, so they were waiting for the forage to mature for cutting. However, just as the silage harvest was in full swing, very cold weather complicated the situation. Not only did much of the Upper Midwest get a hard frost, the temperatures in North Dakota remained cold. This resulted in frozen forage that was too cold for adequate fermentation, setting the stage for potential losses of a valuable feedstuffs.
Now the questions are: Will the weather warm enough to start fermentation in the pile? Will the silage become adequately fermented to make silage? Will the silage be any good in the spring?
Weather is unpredictable, but given we are in mid-October, the chance of any substantial warm weather is unlikely. And some warm weather is what getting the process going will take. If that happens, I wouldnt worry; the corn will ensile. But, given the size of most drive-over silage piles, that seems doubtful
If temperatures do warm up, but only for a short time, my fear is that the only fermentation will be along the outer layers of the pile. A packed and cold silage pile will be very well-insulated. And, what heat is generated more likely will be lost to the heat of fusion (the amount of heat required to convert a solid at its melting point into a liquid without an increase in temperature).
This is an unstable situation for silage. Unfortunately, the inoculants added to enhance the ensiling process may not work, either, because they need some heat to activate. All may not be lost, however, because inoculants do kill undesirable bugs, or microbes, and yeast. Likewise, cold kills and preserves as well (that is why we freeze food for later use).
So the recommendations to the manager at this point are simple. With winter coming, the cold temperatures offer some advantage for preservation. However, predicting the outcome of this silage next spring is somewhat more difficult. Without adequate fermentation, this refrigerated pile of feed will keep just fine until temperatures rise. As outside temperatures rise, the frozen silage can become very reactive. You will see it begin to heat in the feed bunk, as well as spoiling in the storage bunker. This leads to another concern, the rate of feed-out.
Once the silo, bunker or pile is opened, spoilage begins in normal situations. Unfermented silage likely could spoil at a faster rate as oxygen permeates the exposed face of the pile because the silage did not have the benefit of achieving any anaerobic stability of ensiling. The watchword here is monitoring the pile often to adjust its use and exposure of the silage to the air to minimize spoilage losses.
If the pile can sit for three to four weeks before feeding, it could have time to attempt to ensile. If you open the silo or pile in about a month and it still looks and smells like green chop, then little has happened.
For more information contact:
Kurt Froelich,
Extension Agent
NDSU Extension Service
Stark-Billings County
1340 W. Villard St.
Dickinson ND 58601-4646
(701) 456-7665