Animal Health

Determining dairy cow herd performance and health with in calf feeding
By Dr. Katrin Mahlkow-Nerge
The metabolic change from lactation to pregnancy and then back to lactating constitutes one of the greatest health - infectious and metabolic - risk for dairy cows. Read article

Focus on bacteria: Listeria and Clostridium
By Gérard Corrot, researcher in harvesting and crop conservation, Institut de l'Elevage - Paris)
Listeria monocytogenes in high numbers can be pathogenic to ruminants, causing meningitis, septicaemia and spontaneous abortion.Clostridium tyrobutyricum is not pathogenic but causes off flavours in milk and cheese. A study conducted on 55 sites in the Rhône Alps, shows optimum conditions for these bacteria to flourish are presence of moisture, absence of oxygen, suitable temperature and available nutrition. Read article

Bale silage as a Contributor to Food Safety

Bale Silage as a Contributor to Food Safety and Consumers' Health
By Prof. Bernard-Marie Paragon, Professor of Nutrition at the Alfort National Veterinary School in Paris and expert for the French Agency for Food Safety
Consumers and national authorities have become more sensitive to questions about food safety following the recent food crises - mad cow disease, dioxins, avian influenza. In this article Prof. Paragon illustrates the role and benefits of bale silage as a contributor to food safety and consumers' health. Read article

Bale Silage as a Contributor to Improved Food Safety
By Mats Gyllenswär, advisor at the Swedish Dairy Association
In this brief article, Mats Gyllenswär highlights the factors to consider when making bale silage in order to achieve a high standard of hygiene and to reduce nutritional losses. Read article

Bale Silage as an Effective Component of Organic Farming

Bale silage in organic farming: a developing practice in France
By Jérôme Pavie, engineer at the Livestock Institute in Normandy (France)

Several national surveys conducted in France showed a high presence of bale wrapping on organic livestock farms. In good fodder production years, 51% of dairy farms and 42% of beef farms in the survey samples practised bale wrapping. In this article, Jérôme Pavie analyses this trend and illustrates the important role of bale wrapping in organic farming. Read article

Bale silage in Organic Farming in Germany
By Dr. Günter Pahlow, Director and professor at the Institute of Crop and Grassland Science, Federal Agricultural Research Center (FAL) in Braunschweig (Germany)

On organic and conventional farms, generally speaking, bale silage fermentation biology, ensiling technology and work processes are the same. In this article, Dr. Pahlow describes the advantages that bale silage offers in organic farming and provides some useful tips on silage production. Read article

Baled Silage in Organic Milk Production
By Rolf Spörndly, animal nutrition expert at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and head of the Feed Advisory Service at a Swedish farmers cooperative

A general ambition in organic dairy production is to increase the intake of roughage and decrease the intake of concentrates. In this article, the author looks at this aspect and the role of bale silage in organic milk production. Read article

Baled Silage in Organic Beef Production
By Åshild T. Randby, senior researcher in the Department of Animal and Aquaculture Sciences, Agricultural University of Norway
Organic farming in Norway, as in other countries, is subject to several restrictions. One of them is that, in the feed ration for ruminants, the proportion of concentrates should not exceed 40%. In this article, the author illustrates the results of studies looking at the relationship between silage quality, the amount of concentrates and animal production response, and highlights the major factors influencing the quality of silages. Read article

Bale Silage Production

Bale shape matters
How does bale shape influence silage quality? Densely packed, well chopped bales are important for producing quality silage. Bale shape is just as important. Rhun Fychan reports on studies conducted at IBERS, Aberystwyth University.Read more

Lower losses with round bales
The invisible loss in silage making is a hidden cost. On average, only 75% of the silage crop dry matter (DM) ensiled in a bunker silo will be available for cattle feeding, the remaining 25% being lost during storage. Rolf Spörndly reports on studies conducted at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences looking at DM losses in silo and round bales.Read more

Producing bale silage for different feeding requirements
Increasingly livestock require the production of high-quality, special forage optimized for each stage of their annual production cycle. Opportunities open up for bale silage which is more flexible to meet those demands and very often more cost-effective than frequently believed. Read more

SilAC calls for new harvesting approach to support quality
The Silage Advisory Centre (SilAC) is calling on farmers to review the one-size-fits-all approach to harvesting - and consider making more use of baled silage and staggered field closures to support optimum digestibility. Read article

Cutting and wilting forage for ensiling
By Dave Davies, senior research scientist at the Institute of Biological, Environment and Rural Sciences (IBERS) and Silage Advisory Centre

The time is almost upon us when we will be considering harvesting for first cut silage. Whilst it has been a long winter and grass growth this spring has been slow, it is important to maintain a keen eye on grass growth and silage quality. Read article

Important considerations in bale silage making
By Prof. Dr. Yves Reckleben, Director of Rationalisation Board for Agriculture
Speaking at the "Bale Silage Day" recently organised in Germany by Dow together with the Rationalisation Board for Agriculture and the Chamber of Agriculture of the Schleswig-Holstein region, Prof. Yves Reckleben highlighted some key aspects to consider in bale silage and fodder production. Read article

Making the most out of bale silage in livestock production systems
Proper silage techniques are of crucial importance when making the bale silage. Among others, three main elements should be taken into account: soil preparation and cutting, silage fermentation, bale wrapping and storage. Attention to details is crucial at every step of the silage making process. Read article

Big bale silage handling and storage tips
The objective in making baled silage is to create oxygen-free conditions for the wrapped bale, and these conditions need to last through to feedout.  The correct handling and storage of bales is critical in order to preserve these conditions and to retain the quality and nutritional value of the ensiled crop.  Even with the best quality film, poor handling and storage can cause puncturing or destroy the airtight seal between layers of film, leading to spoilage and moulds. Read article

Baling silage, a modern approach to effective grassland management
By Dr. David Davies, Sr. Research Scientist at IBERS (Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences)
Farmers are increasingly turning to baled silage as it provides advantages such as high quality fodder, flexibility in handling and feeding systems, limited capital expenditure and low losses during production and storage. However, an additional, key benefit of baled silage is becoming apparent: its potential as a grassland management tool. Read article

Big bale wrapping: how many layers?
In general, a minimum of 4 layers of conventionally applied standard stretch film is required to conserve baled silage adequately. The production of dense, high dry matter (DM) bales from highly digestible grass, with in excess of 200 kg DM per bale, can justify the use of 6 layers of film. Read article

Farmers urged to "play it safe" with silage making
Silage making has been devastated in many countries in recent years, with silage shortages due to incredibly hot summers and unseasonal flooding. IBERS expert urges farmers to be more flexible in their approach to forage as unpredictable weather conditions continue to play havoc with traditional farming methods. Read article

Reducing the Cost of Silage
By Padraig O'Kiely, Teagasc, Grange Beef Research Centre
Improving profitability on livestock farms requires an optimal balance between increasing the value of produce sold and reducing the total cost of production. On grassland farms, the high price of purchased concentrates has refocused attention on the opportunities provided by high quality silage to facilitate cost reduction. In fact, the value of silage is often underestimated within systems where the primary feedstuff for livestock is grazed grass because, besides supplying winter feed, a series of additional benefits accrue to the system from silage production. Read article

Cost Savings through New Bale Silage Technologies
By Dr. Johannes Thaysen
Increasing balers' capacity per time unit, reducing material and repair expenditures, improving silage quality and/or minimising silage losses can lead to cost savings in baled silage production. This article illustrates how this can be achieved thanks to latest developments in baling equipment. Read article

Cutting Forage Costs and Getting the Best Out of Round Bales
By Dr Martin Yeates
To match the crops one is growing to the needs of the livestock, whilst acknowledging the limitations of the farm, is really important. However, it is also vital to know to grow cost-effective crops, especially in the current tough economic climate. In this article, Dr. Martin Yeates - an independent dairy specialist - discusses its recent Forage Costings Report, which compares the full cost of producing a range of forage crops. Read article

Improving Silage Quality and Reducing the Emissions of the Greenhouse Gas Carbon Dioxide
By Dr. David Davies
Whilst everyone talks about ecological footprint and emissions of greenhouse gas, this article explains how the farming community can also reduce its impact on the environment by improving silage quality at the same time. Read article

Dealing with the weather lottery in silage making
By Dr. David Davies
Farmers have always had a challenging relationship with the weather, as the elements play such a decisive role in the fortunes of farms. The weather is becoming more extreme and unpredictable, affecting forage harvesting in particular. Read article

Cost comparison of alternative baling options: double pack, string and sausage bale
By Dipl. Ing. Agr. Heinz-Günter Gerighausen
Technological advances in baling equipment and ensiling techniques have inspired alternative baling options. This article makes a cost comparison of different methods and shows that baling silage in double pack, string or sausage bales can offer opportunities for farmers. Read article

The impact of climate change on silage production
By Dr. David Davies, Senior Research Scientist at the UK's Institute of Grassland & Environmental Research (IGER). 
The growing trend for extreme and unpredictable weather means farmers will have to change and adapt their approach to forage and silage production. Read article

Comparing grass silage harvesting: production differences and cost considerations
By Dipl. Ing. Agr. Heinz-Günter Gerighausen
Harvesting of grass silage crops is a complex process. This study examines the different harvesting methods, available equipment and operational costs. Read article

How to prevent reheating and mould development in bale silage
By Dr. Johannes Thaysen, Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture
When making bale silage, the objective is to produce good silage with the maximum possible value in terms of forage, fermentation and perfect hygienic quality. The most frequent deviation from this objective is unwanted reheating. Dr. Johannes Thaysen from the Schleswig-Holstein Chamber of Agriculture explains measures to minimise or even prevent the potential risks of reheating and mould development in bale silage. Read article

When to Handle a Round Bale?
By Dr. Rolf Spörndly, Rainer Nylund and Torsten Hörndahl, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Per-Anders Algerbo, Hushållningssällskapet Malmöhus
It is becoming more common to press and wrap round bales on the field using a combined baler and wrapper machine. The discussion has been intense among farmers and contractors on when the bales should be removed from the field for storage. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences provides a scientific view on this open question. Read article

Choosing and Correctly Using Stretch Film for Bale Silage
By Johannes Thaysen,Consultant for Fodder Conservation and Fodder Quality at the Agricultural Chamber in Schleswig-Holstein, Department of Crop Production and Agricultural Technology, Germany
The importance of a quality stretch film and its correct use in the wrapping process are key in producing high quality silage. Read article

Preview of Silage Season 2007
By Johannes Thaysen, Consultant for Fodder Conservation and Fodder Quality at the Agricultural Chamber in Schleswig-Holstein, Department of Crop Production and Agricultural Technology, Germany
Climate change is underway. More extreme weather events must be expected and practices for making baled silage need to be adapted accordingly. Read article