Planning ahead for better 2021 silage

 We all know that nothing can be done without planning in any field and even if anything is done without a plan, it always results in failure or unwanted results.

As farmers we always look for better care of our cattle, every year at Patanjali Silage we always plan every year to improve our silage quality and give better cattle feed. That’s why we made NutriMeal Silage, India’s first packed ready-to-eat corn silage.

Whether your silage last year was good or bad, there is always room for improvement; today we will give you some great tips so that you can make your silage better in 2021.

Silage planning tips for 2021

Silage Analysis: - You should start by analyzing your silage quality from last year, did it do well? Or do you need to improve it; you should check the metabolism energy of your silage, high metabolism energy means good quality silage. But if it was low, it could be one of these reasons.

1)      The swards could have been decayed, resulting in less nutritious grasses.

2)      You could have made a mistake in making your silage. 

You can improve silage production by cutting the grass when it’s younger and more digestible, increase wilting speed to minimize energy losses, or improving fermentation for better energy conservation in the crop.

Communication with a contractor: - If you are working with a contractor or a Silage Supplier in Punjab, you should consider early communication with that contractor is crucial. You should know that everyone doesn’t have the same schedule, your contractor needs to inform your schedule, so that, early adjustments can be made.

Your contractor should know every change in your schedule. Let us say that you are cutting silage earlier for some reason, you should inform your contractor as soon as possible to avoid delays. If you are making silage yourself then you should make sure that all machines are working properly, so that your feed out happens as planned.

Clamp preparation: - You should make sure that your silage clamp is made well so that it doesn’t spoil all the hard work you put into the other processes in silage making.

A big problem was faced by farmers in 2020 during silage heating due to air getting in and allowing for yeast and mold to form spoiling the silage.

This could be because of making dry silage, but there have been many cases where the walls were weak, which prevented clamps to be secured to the edges, leaving gaps for air to enter. You should timely repair your wall so that it can hold the clamps tightly.

You should have enough materials: - By not having enough materials, you are adding to poor silage quality or quantity. Materials such as additives in necessary quantities are very important for preservation.

You should always look for an additive depending on your dry matter content for better fermentation. You should also ensure having enough sheeting to keep the clamp airtight.

Plan B: - Noting down your process in advance is good planning, but you should also have a plan B in case of changes, such as changes in weather. Another example could be silage shortage; there is no harm in storing cereal as a whole crop in case that happens. Overall you should be ready with a plan B.