You wouldn’t let your lunch go off – so why risk your silage?

Just like putting the clingfilm on the sandwiches, a heavy duty silage cover helps stop the top layer of silage going off and cuts down on costly waste.

While we are heading into the peak of the silage season, it is important to remember that silage production is a large expense for farms each year. Making poor-quality silage is an added cost that cannot be afforded on farms.

High-quality silage is a vital component of the diets of the beef and dairy industry. Its production revolves around two primary factors: preservation; and feeding value.

Preservation can be limited by the use of a poor-quality cover on your silage clamp. If the silage is poorly preserved, it will in turn lead to a reduction in the feeding value of the silage.

Poor preservation of silage and a lower feeding value will lead to a rise in cost of producing milk or finishing cattle.

Huge labour savings

This year, losses due to poor-quality silage can be greatly reduced by using the high-quality Hermetix Heavy Duty Silage Cover. For more information click here

Hermetix covers offer numerous advantages:

It is four times stronger than standard black plastic covers.
It has huge labour savings:
- Hermetix is lighter and stronger, and therefore much easier to handle, than standard covers;
- Covering the pit is quick, clean and easy.
Its high oxygen barrier restricts oxygen permeation, reducing spoilage at the surface of the clamp:
- Reduces growth of moulds;
- Improves aerobic stability.
Glanbia recommends that the Hermetix cover is used in conjunction with the Underlayer Film for best results:
- The Underlayer Film sits underneath the silage cover;
- It is thinner and more flexible so “clings” to the surface, avoiding air pockets.
Its upward-facing green side allows the clamp to fit into the landscape better.

For more information on the Underlayer Film click here

The use of both the Hermetix cover along with the Underlayer Film to cover your silage clamp will allow you to minimise losses from silage waste due to poor preservation. It takes roughly 18in of settled silage to produce 6in of waste.

The cost of silage losses grow dramatically when the size of the pit is considered. In a typical 30×50 10ft silage clamp, and with a cost of €25/t of silage, the waste can amount to 50t of silage, bringing financial losses to around €1,250.

Many happy customers

Hermetix has been used and approved by farmers in the past, with many happy customers.

“The reduction in forage losses last winter paid for the cover many times over. What I immediately noticed on opening the silo was the total absence of any discoloured forage at the surface of the clamp,” said Bill Fitzgerald of Glenmore.

“I only had to put one cover on the silo last year. Normally we put two in place. So this saved valuable time for everyone concerned,” he concluded.

Eddie Mackey, of Mooncoin, said: “The underlayer, to put it simply, acts like clingfilm on your lunch. It seals out any of the air and it stops the top layer of silage going off so you have no wastage.

“It’s worth the investment because it more than pays for itself.”