It is important if the investment a farmer makes in baled silage is to be adequately repaid that the making of baled silage is pre-planned rather than being an impromptu or salvage operation. In addition, some degree of flexibility is necessary in the system, particularly to ensure satisfactory wilting. With this in mind, the following are a set of guidelines for producing good quality baled silage. Grow a quality crop. If on the other hand the baled silage is for dry spring-calving beef suckler cows or for store cattle managed within extensive production systems then the case for reseeding may not be compelling.
Fertilisers are important to secure an adequate yield.
Harvest leafy, digestible grass. Grass crops need to be harvested when seed-heads are emerging from the grass plants if baled silage of superior feed value is to be produced. Well preserved, palatable baled silage can be made from stemmy grass, but its feeding value will not be high. This latter type of baled silage may be perfectly adequate for dry spring-calving beef suckler cows whose nutrient requirements during winter are modest, but it will be quite inadequate for lactating cows or finishing cattle unless supplemented with significant quantities of extra concentrates. Whereas wilting is often not feasible, and sometimes not desirable, with conventional silage, it is an important part of baled silage systems.