Home / Guides / Nutrition, Forage & Grazing
Nutrition, Forage & GrazingSilage for Beef Cattle
Silage is forage preserved wet through fermentation instead of dried as hay. Done well it holds feed value and gives you flexibility in a poor hay year, but it asks more of you in equipment, timing and daily management.
Key points
- Silage is wet forage preserved by fermentation, and air is its enemy.
- It suits groups fed daily in one place better than scattered pasture herds.
- Moisture, packing and a good seal decide the quality.
- Never feed moldy or spoiled silage, and call the vet if cattle show unusual signs.
- Test the feed and have a nutritionist balance the ration.
What silage actually is
Silage is chopped green forage packed tight, sealed from air and left to ferment. Bacteria that live without oxygen turn plant sugars into acids, and the acid drop is what keeps the feed from rotting. Corn plants, sorghum, small grains, grass and legumes can all be ensiled.
The goal is simple: remove air fast, seal it well and keep it sealed until feeding. Almost every silage problem traces back to air getting in, to forage that was too wet or too dry when it was packed, or to a slow fill.
Where silage fits in a beef operation
Silage makes the most sense where you have a steady group of cattle to feed every day for a long stretch, such as a backgrounding yard, a feedlot pen, a drylot for replacement heifers or a cow herd wintered in one place. Cow-calf producers on big pastures with few animals per feeding site often find hay simpler.
It can also rescue a crop. A cornfield hit by hail or a small grain stand that will not make grain can still become feed if it is chopped at the right stage.
Basics of good fermentation
Moisture and chop length matter more than most people expect. Forage that is too wet runs seepage and ferments poorly. Forage that is too dry will not pack, traps air and heats. Your extension office can show you how to check moisture and what range suits the crop you are putting up.
Fill quickly, pack in thin layers, and cover the same day when possible.
Keep a simple log from harvest through feedout so you can compare one year with the next and spot patterns.
- Harvest at the stage that fits the crop, not the calendar
- Keep the chopper knives sharp and the chop length consistent
- Pack hard with heavy equipment and keep tires clean
- Seal with plastic and weigh down the edges and seams
- Check the cover for tears after wind and hail
Storage choices and their trade-offs
Bunkers, drive-over piles, silo bags and upright silos each have costs and risks. Piles and bunkers hold a lot of feed cheaply but have a large exposed face. Bags are flexible for smaller herds but are easy for birds, rodents and dogs to puncture. Whatever you choose, plan drainage so runoff stays away from wells, creeks and ponds.
Think about where the feed face will point in winter weather and whether a loader can reach it without driving across the top.
Feeding it out safely
Once the face is open, air starts working on the feed. Take a thin, even slice off the whole face every day instead of digging pockets. Spoiled or moldy silage should not go to cattle. Mold can reduce intake and cause health trouble, and some silage problems, including listeriosis, are linked to poorly fermented or spoiled feed. If cattle go off feed, show nervous signs or abort, call your veterinarian.
Bring cattle onto silage gradually so the rumen can adjust, and ask your nutritionist how it should be balanced against hay, grain and minerals.
Safety around silage
Silage work is hazardous. Packing equipment can roll over on a pile, and an overhanging face can collapse on anyone working below it. Fermenting forage also releases gases that are dangerous in and around upright silos. Follow the equipment maker's instructions and the safety guidance from your extension service, OSHA and NIOSH, keep children away from the site, and never work alone at the face.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most mistakes are about timing and air. Harvesting at the wrong moisture, filling too slowly, skimping on plastic and leaving a wide, ragged face all cost feed. Another mistake is not testing the finished silage. Send a sample to a lab so your nutritionist can balance the ration on real numbers.
Finally, keep records of the field, harvest date, storage location and test results so you can learn what worked.
- Not testing the feed before building a ration
- Feeding spoiled edges to save a little feed
- Poor drainage that sends runoff toward water
- Sending cattle to a new silage ration all at once
Sources and further reading
Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.