When to Harvest Silage

Silage starts out as grass in the fields which is usually ready in late May. These are fields that haven't been grazed since March to allow the grass to grow. It's really important that we cut the grass when it contains its highest nutrient levels which is usually in May when the weather is sunny and dry.

Silage is made by harvesting grass, maize or wholecrop wheat and storing it in a clamp covered by an airtight plastic sheet, using heavyweight silage mats to weigh it down. The crop slowly ferments to become silage, changing colour from green to brown during the process.

The fermentation process takes 10 days to 3 weeks for completion. Silages should not be fed until after this process is completed for the best milk production and feed intake. Thus, the recommendation is to wait at least 3 weeks before feeding new crop silages.

There is a key advantage of having a silage pit covered with mats than using baled silage which is the length of time the feed stays good. Round bale silage should be fed within 6 months to a year from being harvested. Whereas, pit silage if properly packed and sealed can be stored for up to 2 to 3 years with minimal quality losses. Initial quality and moisture content at harvest will certainly impact length of storage.