Silage Talk: Physical Evaluation Of Silage
Stockfarm|July 2020
There is a lot to be said about the physical appearance of silage. In this instance I am not talking about aspects pertaining to proper silage management – we all know that substandard management merely tends to exacerbate existing problems or create new problems that could have been avoided.
Richardt Venter
Silage Talk: Physical Evaluation Of Silage

My heart sinks every time I walk up to silage only to see heaps of loose silage strewn everywhere, mould and composted parts from the top layer mixed into the silage, or mud and soil contamination. These are the things that require proper management – something that top farms producing silage seems to do perfectly every time.

I want to discuss how using your senses – sight, touch and smell – can assist you in evaluating your silage.

Evaluate with your eyes

The first thing that strikes you when looking at silage, especially when comparing different silages, is the colour. Although silage colour is unique to each crop, the colour variation within crops vary greatly.

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