Prevent heating in maize silage

Every year it appears that many maize silages suffer from overheating. In addition to loss of feed value, heating also has an effect on the palatability and thus the intake of the roughage at the feed fence.

To prevent overheating, in addition to good silage management, adding CoolCorn during silage can also help to prevent overheating and mold formation.

Heating causes mold and mycotoxins
Scalding and mold formation easily occurs in the silage maize silage. This is caused by the fact that air can enter during storage and feeding, causing various types of bacteria and fungi to become active again and to multiply. This leads to the breakdown of nutrients and to the production of heat and sometimes even to the formation of mycotoxins. The losses increase as the forcing lasts longer and the temperature rises more. According to the Cut Maize Handbook, the feed value losses in scalding silage can be as much as 2% to 3% (20-30 VEM) per day. In addition, the product becomes less tasty. A decrease in dry matter absorption of 10% to 20% is possible. Research by NIZO food research also showed that high numbers of spores of butyric acid bacteria were found in 50% of the pits. Scalding and mold formation as a result of air entry during storage and feeding appeared to play a major role in this.

Reduce the chance of heating
Preventing overheating starts with ensilage. Make sure that the silage plate is clean, put in the silage with thin layers, drive well and adjust the dimensions of the silage to the feed speed. Cover the pit with sand/soil.

Ensure a smooth cutting surface when feeding the silage. Remove feed from the silage at least twice a week and close the silage (certainly in the winter period) in the meantime. In the summer it is better to keep the pit open. This prevents the temperature and humidity behind the plastic (especially with black plastic) from becoming very high (greenhouse effect).

CoolCorn can go out soon
In addition, the chance of heating and thus loss of nutritional value can easily be reduced by applying CoolCorn during silage. CoolCorn is an easily applicable silage agent for silage maize. Based on the acetic acid-forming bacterium Lactobacillus buchneri, it effectively inhibits yeasts and molds that cause overheating in the maize silage. The costs of adding CoolCorn are significantly lower than the losses incurred as a result of heating. A lower DM intake of 3,5% quickly means a decrease in milk production of 1 kilo of milk/cow per day. With the current milk price and the tight roughage supply, a small investment during silage is quickly earned back!