The fermentation report does not end at feed-out
A well-preserved sample can still lose dry matter when oxygen, a slow face, or long bunk exposure restarts microbial growth.
4 min read · 2026-09-17
Opening the silo changes the ecosystem. Yeasts consume acids in oxygen, temperature rises, pH can climb, and molds follow. Face density, daily removal, loose material, mixing, and time in the bunk decide the feed cows finally receive. Last month’s excellent bag does not supervise today’s shoulder.
Holmes and Muck packing targets and Kung and Shaver fermentation reading both end at feed-out. Aim for packing near ≥700 kg as-fed/m³, or about 15–16 lb DM/ft³, then keep a smooth face that advances with the herd. Pair the laboratory panel with a temperature map from face to refusal. The field lesson is that fermentation quality must survive oxygen all the way to consumption.
Check in the barn
What to check: Heating seams, a ragged or slow face, spoiled surface going into the mixer, and TMR that reheats in the bunk. If the old sample bag looks perfect and the feed in front of the cows is hot, believe the heating feed.
Sister notes on this universe cover silage-ph-is-not-a-report-card and a-mold-count-is-not-a-mycotoxin-test. The inside-the-rumen universe’s air-at-the-face-spoils-the-pack note is the packing and cover half of this feed-out clock. Educational only — not a diagnosis, prescription, or ration formula.
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Sister note · 4 min
Home plate: Rumen · Reading silage fermentation · Aerobic stability
- Aerobic stabilityAfter openingPlaced here
- Silage pH is not a report cardFinal pH matters, but crop, dry matter, acids, ammonia, and aerobic stability determine what that pH means.Sister note
Mark size is the kind. Color is the atlas area.
- Focus
- Field note
- Rumen
Sources
- Interpretation and Use of Silage Fermentation Analysis Reports — UW–Madison Extension (Kung & Shaver)
- Packing Bunkers and Piles to Maximize Forage Preservation — UW–Madison Extension (Holmes & Muck)
- Forage Quality Testing: Why, How, and Where — Penn State Extension