Silage Making and Silage Additives

Silage formation should be considered a "self-preservation" of a feedstuff by fermentation of some of its nutrients by enzymes present in and/or organisms already present on the feedstuff. The resulting product has been defined as "a feedstuff resulting from anaerobic fermentation of moist forage or other feedstuff and by preservation with the formation of acids." Even under ideal conditions of silage formation, nutrient losses will occur during the fermentation process. The discussion which follows will include suggestions and criteria for making high quality silage with minimum loss of nutrients.