Would a mix of bermuda and grain sorghum (milo) make for good silage? I ask because I'll be producing both this winter and was also considering trying out a new contraption that makes silage in bags. The final product would weigh about 45 kilos per bag (~100 lbs).
Another silage question for you experts....
- Thread starter whitewing
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TexasBred
Well-known member
We use to put up a lot of bermuda silage. Worked very well with our cattle. Have never chopped milo but don't see why it wouldn't be great silage as long as you chop while the seed heads are still soft or the grain portion will be worthless...pass right thru the cattle.whitewing":162eas7l said:
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whitewing
Well-known member
TexasBred":19fdva7d said:
Thanks for the response TB!
If planted early enough here milo often produces three crops. One idea I had was to harvest the first crop of grain with a standard combine and set that grain aside. Then, when the seed heads were full but still green on the second crop, cut it again for silage. I might even get a third crop of material out of the planting if the rains continue to fall.
Anyone here have any experience with silage in bags? I seem to recall reading about such a product produced in the states but haven't yet been able to find the website again. A change of computers and this lousy remote connection I have has really slowed things down. :devil2:
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whitewing
Well-known member
TexasBred":tosx1nzz said:
Thanks for the response TB!
If planted early enough here milo often produces three crops. One idea I had was to harvest the first crop of grain with a standard combine and set that grain aside. Then, when the seed heads were full but still green on the second crop, cut it again for silage. I might even get a third crop of material out of the planting if the rains continue to fall.
Anyone here have any experience with silage in bags? I seem to recall reading about such a product produced in the states but haven't yet been able to find the website again. A change of computers and this lousy remote connection I have has really slowed things down. :devil2:
regolith
Well-known member
whitewing":tsl6fs6i said:
Not in bags that size. We bagged grass silage on the farm I worked on in Scotland and re-used the bags from year to year, but they were standard size round bales, 5- 600 kg wet weight.
I've seen wrapped bales the same size (might by 4 x 5 ft in US sizing?) of both whole crop silage and corn silage over here in NZ displayed at Fieldays... it looks like a very good result, it is also very very expensive to buy.
I'm wondering if the product would ensile properly in such small quantities? Probably it'd be fine. With bags, however, there's a lot more trapped air than with wrapped silage.
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whitewing
Well-known member
regolith":2r37orvu said:
Thanks for the comments regolith. This gizmo is supposed to do a decent job of expelling the air via a plunger-looking apparatus that looks similar to the one on my baler. Time will tell. If I do buy it, I might even add a vacuum capability at end point to do an even better job of removing what air still exists.
I'm interested in the idea from the standpoint of ease of sale of the smaller, lighter weight packages of silage. Same with my bales....they all want small squares because they can't move the big ones.
Most folks here aren't mechanized, many don't even have transportation.......but a lot of folks have small herds of milkers. Summers are brutal and if I can offer an affordable product that helps with their milk production, I think I'll have a winner.
regolith
Well-known member
With the bags, we just had two people slip them over the bale while it was spiked by the tractor, placed the bale on the stack and tied the bag. So there was no attempt to exclude the air within the bag and each could have several gallons of efluent (silage is low dry matter in Scotland) sitting in that air pocket when untied. That sounds very different to what you're planning to do.
You might have an idea to patent if this works.
You might have an idea to patent if this works.
