These range from relatively inexpensive buns or stacks to concrete bunkers requiring high capital investment.
Factors to be considered when deciding the most appropriate system for your farm are:
- Long-term farm goals.
- The length of time the silage will be stored.
- Location of the storage site relative to harvesting and feedout.
- Accessibility for harvest and feedout equipment.
- Available capital.
- Compliance with safety requirements.
The storage system should be designed and managed to minimise losses of dry matter and quality.
Poorly designed systems can be expensive in the long term. They may be high maintenance, have high labour requirements and can be dangerous.
Seek expert advice before construction to avoid these problems.
Storage options
The four most commonly used storage options for chopped silage are buns or stacks, above-ground bunkers, hillside pits and underground pits.
Portable clamps, stretchable bags, tower silos and trench silos are also used, but are uncommon.
Hillside and underground pits are not an option in areas where soil type or a high watertable rule out underground storage.
Construction cost will vary with the structure and the materials used.
Expensive structures can be justified if the usage rate is high, so spreading the fixed cost per tonne of silage fed.
– From Dairy Australia.
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