Bunker Silo Management

Well, you finally got your 1997 silage crop harvested and stored in the bunker silo. What is next? Get ready for Christmas and snow-blowing? But wait! Let us check out your bunker silo.

You have done every thing just right:

• You filled the silo fast (less than 9 days)
• The silo was packed every 6 inches with a heavy tractor (approximately 10 tons)
• The silo was covered with plastic and held it down with tires so close that they are kissing each other.

What is next? What about bunker silo face management and feed out. Well managed feed out will save you $ 2.00 to $ 4.00 per ton.

Face and Feed Out

• Feed out rate 5 inches minimum per day
• If you are not getting 5 inches consider split-feeding the silo
• Scrape silo face downward to avoid fracturing the face (this minimizes air entering the silage)
• Clean up loose silage daily from floor of silo
• Mark a line on silo wall once a week to measure feed out rate.

Slower feed out rates (longer exposure to air) result in the likelihood of aerobic spoilage. This will depend on the silage aerobic stability, density of the silage, and the degree of face disturbance during feed out. The recommended feed out rate is at least 5 inches a day. A larger removal rate will make the bunker easier to manage during warmer weather.

Remove feed by scooping out a small amount of silage from the bottom of silo. Remove next sections above, by scraping face downward one section at a time into open cavity. This removal method will reduce the risk of oxygen penetration. Take care not to leave any feed on the floor since this feed will start to heat and spoil. (see figure 1 )

Figure 1. Face Management

Step 2 Scrape down next section into open cavity

Step 1 Scoop out bottom section

A shear bucket attached to a front end loader is another removal method that decreases the surface area and looseness of the silage face. This method can be very expensive. A shear bucket can cost $ 4000 to $ 7000 depending the on size needed. The benefits of the shear bucket are a better sealed silage face that reduces secondary fermentation. This results in higher quality feed, minimal spillage during feed out, less waste, quicker feeding cycles and less wear and tear on your loader. (See figure 2)

Figure 2. Shear Bucket