New feed storage solutions for a quality TMR

Healthy feed and clean water are fundamental for a proper nutrition also for ruminants.

With this guideline in mind, in the case of silage fodder for cattle feed, unfortunately, bunkers are not always built and used in the best possible way. A good silage bunker must limit its feed content within the walls, be well compacted, sealed with a good cover and an adequate weight load. Its correct sizing is also fundamental for the correct progression of the silage front, as well as for the correct use of the silage loader of the mixer wagon.

It is fundamental to pursue the optimization of the nutritional values of each individual product loaded into the mixer wagon for the preparation of the ration. Today we know for sure that, although many people adopt some good practices, only a few manage to contain losses of Dry Matter below 10%.

Several studies indicate how a good maize silage bunker should have a density of at least 700 kg/m3, but this parameter is respected by less than 50% of Italian farms. The presence of insufficient compaction or the use of unsuitable equipment opens the door to a rapid and deep penetration of air into the biomass causing the proliferation of aerobic fermentation by undesirable and, in many cases, toxic microorganisms. The use of these decidedly unhealthy forages, which in some cases are also „hot“, has negative consequences for the animals both in terms of milk production (increased risk of mastitis) and in terms of health (lameness) and reproduction (poor fertility).

Is it therefore possible to do something to improve the quality of the fodder stored using the classic methods now used in almost all of Europe? An interesting answer to this question is the high-density conservation system implemented by compactors such as those manufactured by ORKEL.

Thanks to the very high density of the product (plus 30 to 40% compared to a good bunker) and the elimination of oxygen and inevitable fermentations, it is possible to optimize the conservation of all fresh fodder and guarantee better performances.

This technology offers a series of operational and nutritional advantages:

• Simplifies harvesting and storage operations, being flexible and versatile
• Optimizes the management of the bunkers and above all allows a correct sizing and filling
• Produces wrapped bales that can be stored in the open air and can be easily moved by farm-available machinery for loading into the mixer wagon
• When good quality fodder is collected in the field, it guarantees its optimal conservation with minimum losses of Dry Matter (from 1 to 3%) enhancing its nutritional features and better results in the production and quality of milk or meat.
• The high compaction level ensures a very stable product at the time of opening the bale which, even in the hottest periods, heats up very little, keeping the animals’ appetite and TMR intake unchanged throughout the year.
• It is precisely the stability and size of the high-density bale that perfectly matches the loading phase, whether in a horizontal trailed or self-propelled mixer wagon with silage cutter for a fast and precise operation or with a bucket in a vertical trailed mixing wagon.
• No product waste, reduced feeding costs and better control of feed management in the barn.

Work smart in the fields this summer!