Simple Water Cover Seals Top Of Silo

Simple Water Cover Seals Top Of Silo CROP STORAGE Silos 50 “I use water on top of a plastic cover in my silo to help preserve silage quality ” says Pennsylvania dairy farmer Jesse Fisher “Before I used this method to seal the top of the silage there would be almost a foot of spoiled silage We were hauling away several manure spreaders full that weren’t any good That was a waste of good corn silage With this sealing method there’s hardly any waste at all ” Fisher uses a conventional plastic cover that’s 4 ft larger than his 14-ft dia silo Before Fisher puts the cover in place he spreads the pile smooth with the sides about 12 in higher than the center He mixes a small amount of salt with the silage around the outside edge near the wall then he lays the plastic cover on top of the pile The plastic is held in place with J rods spaced about 3 to 4 ft apart around the wall The J rods made of 1/4-in metal rod are 3 ft long with a 4-in bend to form a J at one end A flat washer is welded about 2 in down from the pointed end The rods hold the plastic in place and against the wall about 2 ft above the top of the silage After the plastic and J rods are in position Fisher covers the plastic with water to a depth of 18 to 24 in “The weight from about 2000 gal of water seals that plastic tight and packs the silage in the process The depression in the center of the silage pile puts more water weight in the center so the pile settles evenly ” Fisher says When he’s ready to use the silage Fisher siphons the water off the top with a water hose and removes the plastic to reveal fresh silage with no mold damage “We’ve used this method for 10 years and it always seals the pile completely packs it down evenly and keeps spoilage to a minimum ” says Fisher “We know for a fact that we’re saving 5 percent of our feed due to less heating and storage loss which is worth a lot of money The silage is very consistent and very palatable because it ferments more uniformly ” Fisher lives in an area of Pennsylvania that can have some real cold weather in January but he keeps the doors closed and says there’s enough warmth from the silage pile to keep the water from freezing Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jesse S Fisher 347 School Lane Rd Gap Penn 17527 ph 717 442-8958

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