How to Make Maize Silage? Production, and management for dairy animals

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Maize silage is a reliable and the most important feed option for dairy animals in the world. Maize silage is known for its ability, digestibility, and high-energy to complete meat and milk production. However, its production requires complete planning, accuracy in harvesting, and proper storage methods. If any phase is missed or ignored, then you will not be able to get the required output. In this post, you’ll see the complete process of making maize silage which can be helpful for farmers and people related to the agricultural field.

 

To prepare or make maize silage when it is dough stage, chop it into small pieces, and pack it in silos to eliminate air(oxygen-free). It is ready in 21 days.

  1. Choose the Right Maize Hybrid

For selecting the right maize hybrid, first check yield potential, traits (drought & disease resistance) and maturity. You should focus on plant’s height, seed availability, cost, quality, and harvest flexibility. This is first step. You should know all about maize varieties.

 

Characteristics of good silage hybrids

  • High biomass yield
  • High starch percentage
  • Good digestibility (especially Fiber digestibility)
  • Faster and uniform maturity
  • Strong stalks and good disease resistance

Some Other types (Selecting the right hybrid accounts about 30% of the final quality)

  • Dent corn (field corn)
  • BMR hybrids
  • Medium- to long-duration varieties
  1. Prepare the Land and Manage the Crop

Land preparation

Land preparation means clearing, tilling, harrowing, leveling, and adding nutrients for creating a suitable environment for seed germination and growth. Once planting is done, crop now needs care like irrigation management (providing water), protecting plants from diseases and pests, and weed control till the last stage, which is harvest. Silage starts with healthy maize plants. A fine seedbed is created with complete root development.

Planting

  • Perfect plant population: 28,000–32,000 plants/acre(70,000–80,000 per hectare)
  • Spacing in rows: 75 cm
  • Seed’s Depth: 3–5 cm

Fertilization

It requires a balanced nutrition:

  • Nitrogen (N)
  • Phosphorus (P)
  • Potassium (K)
  • Zinc and boron (Micronutrients)

A proper test of soil is an important step that will find fertilizer needs. Here, proper soil test is required which is correct method to find fertilizer needs. There are some points to improve silage quality like ensure healthy leaves, thicker stalk, and grain development.

Water management (Irrigation)

This crop is sensitive like other grains, especially in siking, tasseling, and proper grain filling process. For maximum biomass production, you need to maintain water system.

  1. Determine the Ideal Harvest Time

Now in this step, we should check or find out some important factors like climate, variety, crop type and usage. This crop is harvested at maturity, as processing is done with the help of technology. Like other corps, its key signs are like color, size, and firmness though these can vary by crop. The critical stages of this crop are lie if too wet or too dry then we must face difficulty in losing digestibility factor.

Ideal Dry Matter (DM)

The dry matter is 32–35% for chopping & 65–70% for baled silage.

Key signs

  • Kernels at ½ to ⅔ milk line
  • Stalks are juicy and firm
  • Leaves are still green

Why timing matters

  • Early harvest reduces energy and starch
  • Late harvest, poor compaction, and causes mold.
  • Accurate timing ensures nutrient retention & proper fermentation.
  1. Chop Maize at the Right Length

Once the crop is ready then it is chopped in small pieces that are placed in an oxygen-free environment.

Recommended chop length

  • 1–2 cm (⅜–¾ inch)for most silage systems
  • For baled silage: it should be around 2–3 cm (longer)
  1. Pack the Silage Tightly to Remove Oxygen

It means oxygen is enemy of silage so it should b removed. To produce acid, the chopped maize should be packed tightly and quickly.

 

Packing methods

  • Silage bunker
  • Trench silo
  • Tower silo
  • Silage bags
  • Wrapped bales

Why is tight packing important

  • Removes oxygen
  • Reduces mold growth
  • Promotes lactic acid production
  • Increases shelf-life of silage
  1. Seal the Silage Airtight

After packaging, sealing is required for silage. Professionals use plastic sheets to seal it (150-200 microns).

How to protect it?

  • No need to damage the sheet.
  • Use tape to remove holes
  • Avoid water accumulation.

 

  1. Allow Proper Fermentation Time

This process takes 45-60 days. During this short period, lactic acid breaks down plant sugar into organic acid, and it is stored naturally.

What happens during fermentation?

  • pH drops from 6.0 to 8–4.2
  • Harmful bacteria are suppressed
  • Lactic acid increases
  • Silage stabilizes and is safe for long-term storage
  1. Time to Check Silage Quality After Opening

Evaluate the maize silage quality:

Signs of good-quality maize silage

  • Yellow-green color
  • Moist but not watery
  • Fresh, sweet, slightly acidic smell
  • No visible mold
  • Stable temperature

Signs of poor silage

  • Dark brown or black color
  • Slimy texture
  • Foul smell (burnt, alcohol, ammonia)
  • Heat coming out of the pile
  • Mold growth