Australian dairy farmers are bagging silage to reduce spoilage by up to 30%, increase nutrient value and milk production, and improve herd health.
For Australian dairies, maintaining a reliable supply of high-quality forage is essential for both productivity and profitability. Silage is central to this goal, providing a consistent feed source through seasonal fluctuations and variable pasture growth.
However, traditional silage storage methods often fall short, allowing oxygen exposure and spoilage to erode the value of carefully grown grass and corn. As a result, many producers are turning to bagged silage, which tightly seals forage, protects nutrients, and reduces losses while improving feed quality and consistency.
Creating and Storing Silage
Silage is a preserved, high-moisture feed made from fresh green fodder crops that are compacted and stored in airtight conditions to undergo controlled anaerobic fermentation. This fermentation process, driven mainly by lactic acid–producing bacteria, stabilizes the feed, prevents spoilage, and retains much of the crop’s nutritional value.
The process of making silage involves harvesting the crop at a high moisture content, chopping it into small pieces, and then tightly packing it into a storage structure, such as a silo, pile, pit, or bunker. The airtight conditions help promote anaerobic fermentation by lactic acid bacteria, which preserves the forage.
However, one of the main obstacles in producing silage in piles, pits, or bunkers is the considerable risk of spoilage and loss, which can amount to as much as 30%. The problem with these conventional methods is the excessive exposure to oxygen, which leads to rapid deterioration of silage.
“Large piles [in pits and bunkers] constantly degrade over time due to oxygen exposure. In contrast, airtight bagging encloses the silage, leaving only a small area open. This stops the continual degradation of feed quality and ensures optimal freshness and longevity,” says Steve Cullen, President, Versa Corporation, a global leader in agricultural silage bagging and handling that serves Australia.
This is spurring Australian dairies to increasingly utilise silage bagging equipment that packs chopped forage tightly into a bag, removes excess air, and seals it so the forage can ferment under controlled anaerobic conditions.
The rapid fermentation that takes place within the bag promotes stronger nutrient retention per hectare and raises Total Digestible Nutrients, supporting improved herd health. This process reduces the risk of molds and butyric acid while increasing lactic acid levels, enhancing feed digestibility and extending bunk life.
High-quality silage can also play a significant role in improving reproductive efficiency in dairy herds.
Reproductive loss in cattle is frequently traced to mold exposure and toxin intake originating from spoiled feed. Properly bagged silage significantly reduces the risk of mold development, thereby lowering the likelihood of mycotoxin contamination.
In a dairy operation, breed-back intervals are also critical to maintaining consistent milk production and profitability. Ideally, cows should be pregnant again within 60 days after going dry so they can return to lactation on schedule. However, many dairies report an average breed-back of approximately 85 days. While they aim to shorten this timeframe, challenges like poor nutrition or herd health issues can extend it as much as 90 to 120 days, which is a major financial loss.
Proper packing of silage is crucial to effectively preserve it. Insufficient packing, which fails to minimize oxygen exposure, can result in spoilage of ensiled dry matter, and lead to feed loss. With proper silage packing and bagging, the oxygen is removed almost instantly, and fermentation begins promptly.
Fortunately, silage baggers have been available for many years, and the equipment has continued to improve. Among silage bagging equipment, packing is approached in various ways, which can affect productivity. One bagging system utilises a cable system with a heavy net backstop. With such a system, after each bag is filled, the cables must be rewound and the backstop moved to the next location, a cumbersome process.
For greater efficiency, Versa Corporation created an innovative cable loop density system that uses a single adjustable cable inside the bag. The OEM also developed a heavy-duty belt system that facilitates tighter packing of longer silage bags than the industry norm, which minimizes air pockets and spoilage while maximising storage capacity.
“The goal is to firmly pack the bag without over-stretching the bag while gradually moving the machine forward as the bag fills,” says Cullen.
Today, the process of creating bagged silage for dairy farmers is relatively simple. Farms can reverse a truck, dump the feed in, and start bagging. Capacities generally range from 1.8-4.5 tonnes per minute for side unloading wagons to higher capacity truck rear-end loading models that handle from 3.6 to 14.5 tonnes of bagged silage per minute.
Bagged silage offers a practical way for Australian dairies to preserve the feed they work hard to produce. By reducing spoilage and helping maintain more consistent silage quality, milk producers can lower feed expenses, better withstand fluctuations in weather and crop conditions, and improve overall herd health.
For more information, call (800) 837-7288 or visit versacorporation.com.