It is always best to have too narrow of a silo than too wide. Oversizing silage storage can result in major feed shrink. This is one of the most important and often forgotten calculations when sizing these structures.The height of a structure should always be limited by the safe vertical reach of silage removal equipment.When sizing the width of bunkers, trenches, and piles, they should be at a minimum of 2 times the width of the packing tractor and the maximum width determined by the amount of silage that needs to be removed daily to maintain a “fresh” silo face.For example, if a 500 milking cow herd is fed 20 lbs/day (9 kg/day) of DM from silage per cow (60 lb/day (27 kg/day) as-fed at 33% DM), the maximum width should be 156 feet (47 m) or 78 feet (24 m) if half of the silage DM was corn silage and the remaining half another type of silage.(These calculations assume 10% storage losses, 5% feeding losses, 8 foot side walls, and daily remove 8 inches of silage face.) To calculate your own silo dimensions, see “Bunker Silo Sizing Spreadsheet” developed by Dr. Sizing bunkers and pilesīunkers, trenches, and piles need to be sized such that a minimum of 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) is removed daily from the silo face. The following key areas should be reviewed to see whether bunker or drive-over pile management can be improved to reduce feed shrink and improve forage quality at feedout. To make the best use of forage resources, proper management of forages during storage and at feedout is critical. These losses are substantial and the extent of losses may not be realized unless the difference between the amount of silage entering and fed out of a structure is measured. This amount of silage is equal to the amount needed to feed approximately 10 lactating cows for a year or $2250 worth of silage (silage valued at $45/ton). For a 30 ft (9 m) by 100 ft (30 m) bunker, approximately 50 tons (45 metric tons) of corn silage would be lost. A study with uncovered bunker silos showed a 75% loss of DM of corn silage within the top 10 inches (25 cm) and 25% losses within the next 10 inches of surface area on top of the bunker compared to bunkers properly covered with plastic and tires. Dry matter (DM) losses can be substantial in bunkers and drive over piles not harvested at the correct moisture, packed adequately, covered with plastic, and weighted down adequately using tires which touch, sandbags or some other weighting system. Management of a bunker silo or drive-over silage pile during harvest, storage and feedout directly impacts the quantity and quality of silage fed to dairy cows. Bunker Silo and Drive-Over Silage Pile Management For these calculations, see the demonstration video starting at minute 7:58.
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