Keeping cows and the Pakistani indigenous buffalo is very profitable, if you can train yourself to think long term.
This page explores one of the better ways of preparing silage, especially for a dairy farm in Pakistan.
What is Silage?
Silage is usually made of corn and is considered one of the best feed for the animals. Silage is the name of the process through which corn is fermented to be ready for easier digestion by the ruminant cows.
Note that silage is the main feed for your animals, the main course if you may. I have seen some people think that fodder and silage are completely two separate things, and that the animals need both. They are confusing everything here!
Fodder is a generic term, used to indicate the ‘food’ that you give to your cows/buffalo. Silage is very much a type of fodder in that sense. Other food items, such as ‘jawaar‘ and ‘barseem‘ (Urdu names), are also fodder. But remember, silage is the best type of food and should always take precedence over any other type of fodder. Also remember, you do not NEED any other fodder if you are giving silage to your animals. If you can manage then you should include ‘green fodder’ such as ‘jawaar’ and ‘barseem’ etc, but there is no substitute for silage especially if you want to run a successful dairy farm here in Pakistan. Now on with the silage preparation…
How is (corn) Silage prepared?
The maize is cut directly from the field using a special cutter to finely cut the maize into small pieces. These pieces are then dumped into silage pits (discussed below). The corn pieces are then pressed, usually using a tractor (or small bulldozer even!). The idea is to press and remove as much air from the maize dump as possible. After the corn is pressed, it is covered with a waterproof sheet. The idea is to keep the pressed maize air tight.
It takes approximately 15 to 20 days for the silage to be ready for use.
Silage Pits
Silage that is used for dairy farm is prepared and stored in silage pits. There are various methods for making silage pits:
- You can dig out a rectangular shaped trench and then use the tractor to press the silage. One side of the trench is sloped inwards for the tractor to move up and down while pressing.
- You can put up walls on three sides, and dump and then press the corn there.
- You can even use a waterproof sheet, lay it on the ground, press the corn on top of it, and then seal the pit from all sides. This is very economical as you don’t have to dig in or construct the three walls, as in the above two methods. But the only minor drawback is that you can’t make a large heap (but you can many smaller ones if you want!)
Regardless of which method you use, remember this one thing: do not even think about buying your first animal till your silage is ready to be consumed.
Note that silage is an integral and essential part of your overall infrastructure for your dairy farm business. In Pakistan, corn is readily grown and you can even use the period between Wheat harvest and Rice sowing to ‘quickly’ grow the maize to be used for silage preparation (I am Alhumdulillah doing that!). But whatever you have to do, remember that silage for a dairy farm in Pakistan is essential (I can’t repeat this often, now can I?).
If you already have a dairy farm and are looking to expand and/or improve, even then, sell an animal or two to get the feeding sorted out.
###
There are other important infrastructure requirements for a successful dairy farming operation in Pakistan. These will be discussed in other pages, God willing.
Subscribe to LifeETC for further updates on dairy farming, and other unconventional ideas on being a better entrepreneur.
Do you want to live a wholesome life? Want to start your own business? This blog is about being creatively self employed so that you can live a wholesome life.
i) from where i can get the resources(Tractor , silage machine) to produce silage …???
ii) The major problem i m facing is to decide the machinery to produce it economically , there are a lot of silage machines in market and those machines are too much costly as well ,,,
iii) i need the machine with tractor to produce silage economically …
i want to starta dairy form plz give mesom information
very good continue this process for awairness of small former
Dear Momekh / Bilal
Usually a Cow (local breeds,Sahiwal,Cholistani,Dhanni,Dajal,Red Sindhi) require 30-40 Kg and Buffalo (Neeli Ravi) consume 60-80 Kg of green fodder daily.
Any body explain that how a cow/buffalo of 350 Kg can survive on 15 KG of silage??
Regards,
I think that is because of ‘concentrates’ and we can easily find examples of something like this in every day life.
The same way a .5 ounces pill can deliver the right amount of nutrients that a heavy meal will.
Would love other more ‘scientific’ explanations for this though.
Silage in Bags is much better method.
You can use Plastic Bags of 40-50 Kg for this purpose. Consume one bag for three animals (weighing 300KG) daily.
Advantages of Silage in Bags:-
1-Easy to Use
2-Easy to fill and seal.( You dont need to cut the bulk of fodder at once. Chop to fill the required no. of bags)
3-Less chances of spoilage.
Precautions:-
1- Keep the mice and insects away from bags so that the bag remain air tight. Use some chemicals comercially available for this purpose.
2-Chop the fodder such that it may not affect the bag.
3-Press the chopped fodder with care.
4-Sudan Grass Hybrid(Sada bahar), Millet(Jawar,Chari) are not prefferd to be used in bags.
A.A
Thank U Sahi Sahab…. I appreciate ur reply.
A.A
what kind of “SPECIAL CUTTER” are available in Pakistan to make silage, are they rental, what,s the cost per hour, or per ACRE.
Plz reply. Thank U.
You can use conventional 2-HP,(1450 RPM), Toka Machine if you have 5-6 animals.( however it should cut the fodder size as required for silage).
For Big farm you definitely require fodder cutter that is meant for this job( see you tube videos)
Nesttle also provides that Machine.
Regards,
Shahid
Assalam o Alikum
Dear Momekh
my name Myhammad Rizwan iam working here in dubai and i want to start my business like dairy farm in pakistan?
can u tell me what,s a quantity i can take start i have done from 7 cow and from where i buy these cow, and what,s about money how much i need to pay there for 7 cow,s??
if u will give me ur mobile number then i will call so as soon as possible?
iam waiting ur reply???
Thank.s
Rizwan Haider
Hello momekh good job , what if we buy silage in bulk wil it be beneficial in terms of cost benefit ratio, this way we can do away with the cost of labour machines rents of land etc. pl comment
for how many periods once prepared silage can be used with out detoriaration
I have heard silage pits being opened after AS ALONG AS 20 YEARS!!
Once the silage is OPEN, it’s a different matter, and should be used.
The idea is to keep the silage as air tight as possible. Hope this has answered your question
Any brother who has experience making silage in bags? please share your experience here
Silage can not be baged unless there is a way to keep it air tight and once its open have to be consumed with in 24-36 hrs.
bails of corn silage, wrapped in UV raes protected plastic sheets, weigh around 400 kg, are avaliable in market and can be stored for almost one year if the bail is kept seal.(unopened)
please send me details of local made silage cutters,machines if you have
how much silage is required by buffalo and cow.
It depends upon the weight of the animal normally a cow weighing 300-350 kg should consume 15 kg of silage per day
Salam,
How much silage is required by a Buffalo per day?
How much land is required to grow corn for preparing silage for 15 Buffalos?
Would you like to post some pictures of silage pits?
you can see the video of trench type silo on You-Tube.