Corn silage storage

[pricefarm]

Iam thinking of building a 12x 24 shed. Not sure how tall but around 16ft tall. Going to use light poles for post and for the sides going to use 2" saw mill lumber boards and leave some spacing in between them. Going to leave one of the 12ft ends open. I might pour concrete for the floor. I want to use it to either store ear corn or maybe corn silage. How many tons of silage could I get in it? Might have to go taller because it would be delivered in a dump truck.

 

[Waterway65]

I wouldn't recommend would for silage storage. Should work good for ear corn

 

[Son of Butch]

A roof is no benefit for corn silage
Corn silage needs to be packed tight by driving largest tractor available back and forth over it and tightly covering
with a tarp to limit air exposure. Bagging also works very well.
Ear corn will mold in a commodities shed.... ear corn needs ventilation (think corn crib)

Dried shell corn would be one feed you could store in it. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it sounds like you are thinking
of building a cross between a commodities shed and a hay storage shed. I'd suggest you define your goals or purpose of
the shed and build accordingly.

 

[TexasBred]

If you're talking about delivering fresh chopped corn to that barn it won't ever make silage. Just spoil and rot. SOB told you right.

 

[skyhightree1]

Iam thinking of building a 12x 24 shed. Not sure how tall but around 16ft tall. Going to use light poles for post and for the sides going to use 2" saw mill lumber boards and leave some spacing in between them. Going to leave one of the 12ft ends open. I might pour concrete for the floor. I want to use it to either store ear corn or maybe corn silage. How many tons of silage could I get in it? Might have to go taller because it would be delivered in a dump truck.

Build the shed for something else but not corn silage... I fool with silage some but unfortunately do not have an adequate place now If I were you I would get a slab poured that size with maybe block walls or poured walls and that would be my silage bin. Cover with the black plastic but putting inside not going to work.

 

[skyhightree1]

http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadq897.pdf

pit like this
http://www.progressivedairycanada.com/t ... lage-wheat

 

[TexasBred]

Iam thinking of building a 12x 24 shed. Not sure how tall but around 16ft tall. Going to use light poles for post and for the sides going to use 2" saw mill lumber boards and leave some spacing in between them. Going to leave one of the 12ft ends open. I might pour concrete for the floor. I want to use it to either store ear corn or maybe corn silage. How many tons of silage could I get in it? Might have to go taller because it would be delivered in a dump truck.

Build the shed for something else but not corn silage... I fool with silage some but unfortunately do not have an adequate place now If I were you I would get a slab poured that size with maybe block walls or poured walls and that would be my silage bin. Cover with the black plastic but putting inside not going to work.

Yep...heck I've even used round bales for the sides....works fine but you end up with a bit more waste but packed right it will ensile.

 

[skyhightree1]

Iam thinking of building a 12x 24 shed. Not sure how tall but around 16ft tall. Going to use light poles for post and for the sides going to use 2" saw mill lumber boards and leave some spacing in between them. Going to leave one of the 12ft ends open. I might pour concrete for the floor. I want to use it to either store ear corn or maybe corn silage. How many tons of silage could I get in it? Might have to go taller because it would be delivered in a dump truck.

Build the shed for something else but not corn silage... I fool with silage some but unfortunately do not have an adequate place now If I were you I would get a slab poured that size with maybe block walls or poured walls and that would be my silage bin. Cover with the black plastic but putting inside not going to work.

Yep...heck I've even used round bales for the sides....works fine but you end up with a bit more waste but packed right it will ensile.

Those jersey walls can be purchased as well probably cheaper than having concrete walls poured. I never thought about hay bales. There's a thought.

 

[Son of Butch]

8' x 50' silage bag will hold aprox 45 tons of wet corn silage 1300 bu of h. m. shell corn or 1000 bu of ground ear corn

actual capacity varies with moisture content, length of cut and amount of pressure applied when filling the bag.

 

[kenny thomas]

If you're talking about delivering fresh chopped corn to that barn it won't ever make silage. Just spoil and rot. SOB told you right.

Why will it not?

 

[pricefarm]

What if the silage has already fermented? I can buy last years silage pretty cheap. Can I put it in the shed and just pile it up without packing it much ? How long would it last this way?

 

[millstreaminn]

I've bought corn silage before that was already fermented and it would last about 3 days dumped outside. (Of course it was spring and the weather was cool.) I would load it on a trailer and feed dairy cattle with it. No real benefit of putting it in a shed.

 

[ez14.]

If you're talking about delivering fresh chopped corn to that barn it won't ever make silage. Just spoil and rot. SOB told you right.

Why will it not?

it has to use up all of the oxygen to ferment properly and just sitting in a barn would allow to much air in and you would end up with a very smelly slimey mess!

 

[TexasBred]

What if the silage has already fermented? I can buy last years silage pretty cheap. Can I put it in the shed and just pile it up without packing it much ? How long would it last this way?

Nothing wrong with that. That's how most folks down here get it. Haul it in, dump it in something with sides and a back and then use it as needed. Will certainly last long enough for you to feed it all up if you don't get too much at one time. Great feed you just have to feed much more of it due to the high moisture content.

 

[ez14.]

What if the silage has already fermented? I can buy last years silage pretty cheap. Can I put it in the shed and just pile it up without packing it much ? How long would it last this way?

Nothing wrong with that. That's how most folks down here get it. Haul it in, dump it in something with sides and a back and then use it as needed. Will certainly last long enough for you to feed it all up if you don't get too much at one time. Great feed you just have to feed much more of it due to the high moisture content.

but how long will it last like that? i'm thinking not very long

 

[millstreaminn]

What if the silage has already fermented? I can buy last years silage pretty cheap. Can I put it in the shed and just pile it up without packing it much ? How long would it last this way?

Nothing wrong with that. That's how most folks down here get it. Haul it in, dump it in something with sides and a back and then use it as needed. Will certainly last long enough for you to feed it all up if you don't get too much at one time. Great feed you just have to feed much more of it due to the high moisture content.

but how long will it last like that? i'm thinking not very long

3 days would be my guess. You are going to get a lot of heating by adding all the oxygen to it when you move it. I still don't see the reason to put it in a shed? At least outside in a pile, you can pack it a bit to make it keep longer.

 

[TexasBred]

Nothing wrong with that. That's how most folks down here get it. Haul it in, dump it in something with sides and a back and then use it as needed. Will certainly last long enough for you to feed it all up if you don't get too much at one time. Great feed you just have to feed much more of it due to the high moisture content.

but how long will it last like that? i'm thinking not very long

3 days would be my guess. You are going to get a lot of heating by adding all the oxygen to it when you move it. I still don't see the reason to put it in a shed? At least outside in a pile, you can pack it a bit to make it keep longer.

Mill it is already ensiled and HOT when loaded on the truck/trailer and hauled to his farm. No longer a need for packing other than to make the barn hold a larger amount. It will actually dry some and mold a bit but won't hurt it. Just don't haul in and store over about a weeks supply. I've fed it to dairy cows at least that old with no adverse effects.

 

[pricefarm]

So once it's delivered to my farm feed it out in 7 days? How many pounds would lets say a 500lb steer eat?

 

[millstreaminn]

My experience with bunker kept corn silage was from feeding 1,500 tons a year from a 100x20x10 foot concrete bunker. I would load it on a cart with a tractor and then wheel barrow it to my dairy cows who were housed in an old, tie stall barn. One heaping wheel barrow was divided between 4 cows, twice a day. If I would overload the cart for either the morning or afternoon feeding, they wouldn't eat what was left on the cart the next feeding. It would heat and have a funky smell. That's just my experience.

 

[Son of Butch]

So once it's delivered to my farm feed it out in 7 days?
How many pounds would lets say a 500lb steer eat?

So many variables it is hard to say... guessing... 1 ton week per 8 - 9 head.
As Mills pointed out when silage is moved from where it stored it's 'bunk life' can and often is greatly shortened.
A big problem when feeding lactating dairy cows... dry cows and beef cattle not as much.
My experience has always been feeding it straight from silo or mixing it into a TMR ration which can cover a lot of sins.
But I'm certain it would feed better in January in Minnesota than in July in Virginia.