Hopefully, you were taught as a youngster to develop healthy habits like regularly brushing your teeth, bathing, combing your hair, and wearing deodorant.
As it turns out, your silage needs similar, positive routines. Just as those little steps added up to a healthy human, practicing good “silage hygiene” helps ensure a quality product that does not contain mold, mycotoxins, or other potentially damaging pathogens that can jeopardize silage quality, feed value, and even animal safety.
Silage hygiene begins at harvest. According to the experts at Dairyland Laboratories, Inc., harvesting silage too dry or at an improper or inconsistent chop length can be the initial violators of silage hygiene and open the door for harmful pathogens to infect the crop. So, too, can manure contamination, poor packing, improper covering, and subpar face management.
To check your silage hygiene, Dairyland Labs offers a comprehensive testing package that includes options to investigate the presences of bacteria; mold and yeast; and mycotoxins.
They noted, “If you notice a putrid smell, dark discoloration, visible mold, or heating in your silage, contamination may be present. Feeding compromised silage can lead to reduced intake and production as well as serious health concerns in livestock.”
The Dairyland advisors suggested that silage hygiene testing is especially recommended for crops damaged by flooding, hail, drought, or pests as they are more susceptible to yeast and mold growth and spoilage.
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