Harvest & Storage

Twenty-two and one-half percent was once the minimum cost of preserving the top and bottom of haystacks from the elements.

Forage crops are the staple ingredients of dietary rations fed to ruminant animals. They provide the animal with a large source of dietary fiber, critical for normal rumen function and its associated micro-environment.

Recently a Pennsylvania farm worker was killed while collecting a silage sample. He was doing his normal sampling procedure by walking to the face of the silage and getting a sample for the dairy nutritionist and sales representative.

Hay is the most popular method for storing alfalfa because it stores well for long periods and is better suited to cash sale and transportation than silage. However, silage may be a suitable option when or where hay curing is difficult.

Bunker silos and drive-over piles offer several advantages for large dairy farms. Low initial cost, low maintenance, high storage capacity and rapid filling are common advantages over upright silos or silo bags. However, proper management of these structures is key to optimizing forage preservation and animal productivity.

Editor’s Note: The following is an interview with Larry Matlack of Matlack Farms. Matlack discusses how wrapping bales has benefitted his business.