# corn silage : Bag or Pile



## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Have been buying corn silage from neighbor,s dairy. Was wondering if you could make a bunker out of round bales then tarp the pile. I only need about 250 tons. Or would i be better with a bag? If so what does a bag cost? I have been involved making silage for uprights, bunks and bags for years but dont know the cost of a bag. Most of my silage advice comes from guys with 10,000 ton piles. So any help from people making smaller piles would appreciated. Thanks Steve


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We've been on the waiting list for years now to get shucklage from the pioneer plant, our thought was to make two rows of wrapped hay silage bales about 20 foot apart then fill between them with shucklage and tarp it. Was also only planning on feeding it thru the winter.

From our dairy days I can tell you bags work very well, but the waste plastic is a pita. Has been way too long since we've done it to give you a price on the rental of the bagger and the cost of the bag.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Steve, My neighbor does the same thing with round bales. His bales are not bagged but are net wrapped. He only feeds about a hundred head and told me the other day that it works great for him. Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

We used to do it.We would have some spoilage along the bales because it dried out from the bales wicking the moisture out.and the bales would have some spoilage from soaking up moisture from the silage.Maybe 6-9" on each.I see were some guys lay plastic btween bales and silage.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> We used to do it.We would have some spoilage along the bales because it dried out from the bales wicking the moisture out.and the bales would have some spoilage from soaking up moisture from the silage.Maybe 6-9" on each.I see were some guys lay plastic btween bales and silage.


Thats why we thought wrapped silage bales might work better, would also be heavy enough not to scoot away if the silage was over packed.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks for the info. My bigger concern is wether or not 250-300 tons will make a nice enough pile and pack well enough not to fall over and spoil in the middle of the pile instead of fermenting? As for the bales I can either use lower quality hay and then feed them as the pile is fed. Have seen guys use them because they soak up some juices. Sme spoil some dont. Or use straw and just grind them to make bedding. The crew chopping will use a big Deere to pack with. I will be feeding approx. a ton aday. The only local guy with a chopper and bagger I dont have alot of faith in so i am leaning towards the pile.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Down here they put it on the ground and cover it with a white plastic "tarp". During the winter they feed it down and by spring it is all gone. Apparently a lot cheaper and easier to get to than a silo.

Mark


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

I would line the inside with plastic or some how seal the pile, oxygen is your biggest problem. At a ton a day feed out make sure you remove enough of face each day to avoid soilage. Packing could be a problem , bale pushing out. A plain pile with no bales might pack better.


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## John Anderson (Apr 12, 2010)

From what i have seen and experienced the use of bales, wrapped or unwrapped has more often than not been a mess with lots of waste. not only of the silage you're trying to pile but also the bales being used. With the value of todays forages, you can't afford not to to it right. With the bales you wont pack it tight to the edges, becuase the bales will push out (you said they'd use a large JD tractor) so you'll have lots of spoilage. And feeding spoiled feed to any animals, beef, heifers, or dairy should never be done.

If you go with a pile, i'd suggest you make a longer narrow pile that you can drive over both ways (length and width) so you get it all packed well. then cover it with plastic and seal the edges with lime/dirt/sand to seal it up tight and then use tires on the top to keep the plastic tight to the surface. Like said before, air is the enemy, keep it out.

If all that seems like a lot of work (which i might for 250-300 ton). you could use 1 bag and probably do a better job of managing it and will have better forage to feed out.


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## aawhite (Jan 16, 2012)

I would go with the bags for that small tonnage. Ground piles are better suited for higher volume, as you will definitely lose some to spoilage.

For 8' to 9' bags under 200' long, you will be in the $250 to $350 range per bag. Thats the size I would shoot for, considering you aren't putting up that much. The advantages of better feed and less spoilage will help offset any additional cost.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

I used to bag all the haylage and silage when we had a dairy here. We used to figure $4 to $5 / ton. It is easy to have that much spoilage as aawhite pointed out. Factors to consider are how long before it is fed? Winter feeding will see much less spoilage than feeding in spring. How much rainfall will it be exposed to? Moisture will take aie into the pile and although it may appear not to show loss in feed value it may sustain considerable loss in feed value even 6 ft. into the pile. Bales covered with plastic, a plastic sheet covered with tires will help. Anything to reduce oxygen getting into the pile. Mel


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