Survey results from a Wisconsin study supports that thinner layers of silage result in denser silage. Silage density probes are becoming more popular and can also be used to measure the level of compaction. According to Ruppel, in bunker silos, corn silage should be more than 17 pounds dry matter per cubic foot while haylage should be more than 15 pounds dry matter per cubic foot. Evaluating the feedout and bunker conditions from the previous year's crop can tell a producer quite a bit about his or her packing efficiency, says Ruppel. The face should be consistent from top to bottom, side to side.
Darkened lines indicate pauses during fill.
Moreover, if it's difficult to remove a handful from any part of the face, it's probably packed tight enough. If it takes a pocketknife to extract a handful of silage from a vertical section of the face, and it breaks apart easily, then the silage is packed well. Once bunkers are filled, proper coverage is critical. A quality grade of plastic should be used and weighed down with rubber tires. Feedout Phase Feed quality can be lost quickly at the face where air can infiltrate easily.