Re: Re: Silage, was FARMING - it's lactofermented!

[Guest guest]

> ---Helen you have any idea what grasses those would be? I never

> heard of fermenting grass. Here in KS we usually mow, air dry and

> bale at low moisture content and then feed in winter. I suppose it's

> something other than big and little bluestem which is a native Kansas

> grass. Dennis

hi Dennis,

no I don't know - you can probably tell I'm not a farmer! Never heard of

bluestem. Most common seems to be ryegrass, ley and clovers.

Here are some quotes from UK sites on the UK-way. Remember that our dairy

farms are usually quite small.

" To produce silage the grass is cut and then left to wilt. Depending on the

weather this will take a day or two. Then it is rolled into a large round

bale. The bale is then wrapped in black plastic to keep out the air. The

silage then cures. Haylage is like silage except that the grass has been

allowed to dry out more and is turned more often. However it is too 'green'

to turn into hay, and if some bad weather is on the way that would ruin the

hay, farmers will elect to make haylage rather than see their crop go to

waste. "

Definitely when I was young, seeing and smelling silage under black wrap was

the norm, but now I've noticed it's wrapped up into giant round bales.

" Silage. Grass contains 1%-5% of free sugar. This can be fermented

anaerobically into a lactic fermentation (same preservation method as

yoghurt) that will remain stable for years or even decades. Suitable for

fertile grassland and usually made from high quality leafy grass before or

at the start of flowering (yes, grass has flowers). Ideally grass should be

cut, allowed to dry a little to 75% moisture content, and then chopped and

taken to the store (silo) and compacted and sheeted with polythene sheet to

exclude air. "

I just learnt that Silage is LACTO-FERMENTED - ha ha ha. Wow.

Haylage can also be made from arable crops (ie things not grass) but I read

that it's more common on the continent where the weather is dryer.

Helen

[Guest guest]

OK, now when I cut grass and rake it up and put it in a pile

under plastic (as we've done on occasion, not for animals but

for other reasons) ... it turns into a hot, SMELLY mess. Is that

what silage is supposed to smell like? And animals actually will

eat it?

-- Heidi Jean

> " To produce silage the grass is cut and then left to wilt. Depending on the

>weather this will take a day or two. Then it is rolled into a large round

>bale. The bale is then wrapped in black plastic to keep out the air. The

>silage then cures. Haylage is like silage except that the grass has been

>allowed to dry out more and is turned more often. However it is too 'green'

>to turn into hay, and if some bad weather is on the way that would ruin the

>hay, farmers will elect to make haylage rather than see their crop go to

>waste. "