The Value of Using Plastic Silage Covers

It is a well-accepted fact in farms that covering silage is the most cost-effective way of preserving it. In the past, exposure to outside elements like air and moisture affects the quality of silage during storage and feeding. There are more than a couple of consequences, including excessive dry matter, nutrient loss, and the growth of mould.

The good news is that technology has eventually caught up with this common problem. Today, there are more than a handful of environment-friendly, convenient, and practical silage covering products. One of them is by far the most popular: plastic silage covers.

Plastic silage covers are cost-effective because they are easy to manufacture, suggesting that they do not cost that much in the market. Once this type of protection gets to cover the forage, the plastic sheet needs to be weighted down. In many situations, people use tires as weights since they are easily accessible and available. However, they do have to be placed close to each other, ensuring they touch each other. For an area of about a hundred square feet, you may need at least 20 tires to use as weights. We strongly recommend that tires be cut in half and strategically placed with the open portion down. The purpose is to prevent water from gathering or pooling inside the tires. If you allow water to collect, the very purpose of the plastic silage cover is defeated.

Apparently, the cost of plastic silage covers varies with factors like quality, the material used, and size making the difference. When you are about to purchase a plastic silage cover, be reminded that there also are other crucial considerations, not just the price of the product. For example, you must figure out the total area that needs covering, as well as the cost of labour in rolling the plastic as well as throwing the tires. The larger the area covering the forage, the more hours it will take to spread out the plastic and the more people you need to throw the tires. Fortunately, you do not have to worry about purchasing another set of tires since you can use the ones you have for about ten years or so.

At this point, you already must have accepted the fact that plastic silage pit covers are a must. The only decision to make is what type of covering you must choose. Keep in mind that while you are forced to spend money on the cost of covering your silage, that amount is minimal compared to the total value of silage you expect to save because of it. It is true that part of the farming business is accepting the possibility of wasting many resources, but the goal of reducing spoiled silage is something you should focus on to limit waste and make more profit in the process.