ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – Bale silage is a winter feed alternative offering high quality fibre through the season.
The practice has been around for about 20 years and has some differences from loose silage, said Allan Macaulay, provincial silage specialist with Alberta Agriculture.
The crop is swathed but not chopped. It goes through a regular baler where it is tightly packed and rolled. It is then machine wrapped with heavy plastic or enclosed in a plastic tube to preserve it.
The cost of production varies due to fuel costs and the price of plastic.
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Bales intended for silage and wrapping are about two-thirds the normal size of large round bales, but are heavier, denser and have more moisture.
In chopped silage, the fermentation process produces silage with a final acidity range of four to 4.5. In bale silage, the final pH is in the 4.7-5.8 range.
The higher pH values associated with bale silage are due to a slower fermentation process. Maintaining the crop as a long fibre product results in a slower release of plant nutrients that support the growth of acid-producing bacteria.
As a result, there is generally less fermentation in bale silage than in chopped silage.
“You get a state of suspended animation because the bacteria don’t have the oxygen to work with,” Macaulay told a field day near Rocky Mountain House.
Good quality forages should be selected for bale silage. Over-mature forage crops should not be used.
For example, alfalfa should be cut at the 10-20 percent bloom stage. Greenfeed should be at the dough stage.
Bale silage can be stored from one season to the next. However, bales put up at 45-50 percent moisture should be used within 320 days; those at 50-55 percent should be used within 120-320 days.
Ideally these bales should not be fed until the silaging process is complete. This takes 12-20 days if the bales are wrapped within five hours of baling.
The key to good preservation is to prevent air movement in the sealed bales. Exposure to air leads to spoilage.
When the bales are in storage it is important to check plastic covers for holes or rips caused by ravens, coyotes or mice. Air can enter and start spoilage.
Bales should be fed out when the plastic cover has been opened or damaged.
The bales can go into round bale feeders. The shelf life is one week from the time it is placed in the feeder until it starts to deteriorate.
There is less waste when the cattle eat haylage as opposed to regular bales, said Case Korver, who distributes bale silage equipment.
“In any given situation they waste a lot less because they have to work harder to get it,” he said.
