How long will silage last?

k mac

Have about 50 silage bales that were made in summer 2015 just wondering would they still be okay for next winter or should I try to done deal them.

Reggie.

k mac wrote: »

Have about 50 silage bales that were made in summer 2015 just wondering would they still be okay for next winter or should I try to done deal them.

Best pushing it at 3 years I'd say. How many wraps did it get

Justjens

I'm still feeding a few 2015 bales that are starting to turn, and I always rewrap any leftovers. Would prefer to be shot of them rather than have them hanging around for another 8 months.

k mac

Reggie. wrote: »

Best pushing it at 3 years I'd say. How many wraps did it get

Not sure how many wraps they got were made with a fusion baler and was good silage well packed bales

k mac

Justjens wrote: »

I'm still feeding a few 2015 bales that are starting to turn, and I always rewrap any leftovers. Would prefer to be shot of them rather than have them hanging around for another 8 months.

Do you mean that you get someone to wrap the bales that are left over again at the end of the year seems very expensive? I thought once the silage had fermented and preserved it wouldn't matter about the plastic being damaged and air getting to the bale

Reggie.

k mac wrote: »

Not sure how many wraps they got were made with a fusion baler and was good silage well packed bales

Still think holding them first a third year is a gamble as there can or could have been bird damage to the wrap

Bass Reeves

Have you used any of it katy. If it is good condition at present it should hold over the summer. Biggest issue is birds pecking bales. Its immaterial when thsis happerns if bales are 6 week, 6 months or 2 years they really need then to be used ASAP. I have bought silage this year that was 2 years old some of it would easily have held another year. However about 20% of the bales need to be used.

I bought silage about 5-6 years ago that was two years old horses had damaged the plastic on the bales about 2-3 weeks previous. IMO if that silage was not damaged it would have held another year easily. Alot depend on DM of silage if it is between 25ish-30DM it will hold longer than silage than haylage type silage imo. Lower DM silage has a habbit of going off as well.

Mind you high DM silage will hold a long time as well if it gets 6 layers at wrapping and if the seal is not damaged.

Justjens

k mac wrote: »

Do you mean that you get someone to wrap the bales that are left over again at the end of the year seems very expensive? I thought once the silage had fermented and preserved it wouldn't matter about the plastic being damaged and air getting to the bale

Used to bale on contract and still have a wrapper.

The sun damages the plastic and it becomes pourus, the extra layer of wrap will protect the existing wrap.

It's fine for air to get into a bale once preserved if it's going to be used within a short period of time. But if the plastic becomes brittle and pourus the contents are not going to fare so well over a long period of time.

Sam Kade

Justjens wrote: »

Used to bale on contract and still have a wrapper.

The sun damages the plastic and it becomes pourus, the extra layer of wrap will protect the existing wrap.

It's fine for air to get into a bale once preserved if it's going to be used within a short period of time. But if the plastic becomes brittle and pourus the contents are not going to fare so well over a long period of time.

It must be some fun rewrapping out of shape bales?

Bass Reeves

Sam Kade wrote: »

It must be some fun rewrapping out of shape bales?

I see it done it immaterial really when it up on the wrapper. What is a pain in the butt is putting then up on the wrapping unit of a baler wrapper. Esay enougt if you have a loader and can spike them but awkard doing it with a rear handler

Justjens

Sam Kade wrote: »

It must be some fun rewrapping out of shape bales?

I don't!

I usually keep the best bales to last, the silage was so dry in 2015 I couldn't see the baler for the dust.

High DM bales do not go out of shape so they're the best candidates for keeping on if you have excess bales.

Nekarsulm

Feeding some bales made in 2014 at the moment.
It was probably the best silage I ever made.
It smells so nice, I was wondering if I could chop it really really fine and sell it to the whiskery lads who are into vaping.
Only 20 or so left, and will use them all up, because there are a few tiny spots of blue powdery mold where briers etc scratched them.