Silage making is a way for the preservation of fodder during moisture or wet season for the further use in dry season. Before making silage, the material must be chopped into smaller pieces i.e. in 2-5 cm length. Silage must be made on hard ground or floor so as to protect the silage from moisture.
For the preparation of silage, here are given few points below:
• Prepare silo trench having dimensions of 10 m X 3 m X 1.5 m.
• Harvesting of forage crops is done on their optimum stages for e.g. oats are harvested at milk stage, sorghum and maize are harvested at flowering to milk stage, bajra is harvested at boot stage and napier bajra hybrid and guinea grass is harvested when it attains the height of 1m.
• After harvesting chopping is done and then they are packed in silo trench. Press the chopped crops in silo trench by leaving the fodder 1m above the ground.
• Cover the material with kadbi straw or wheat turi having 10-15 cm height of the layer. After that cover it with mud and then finally with mud plaster to make the silo trench air tight.
• The silage will be ready in 45 days. After 45 days open the silo pit from one side to take out the silage as required for feeding.
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