Silage

For the band, see Silage (band).
Not to be confused with Sillage.
Silage underneath plastic sheeting is held down by scrap tires. Concrete beneath the silage prevents fermented juice from leaching out.
Cattle eating silage

Silage is fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of souring. It is fed to cattle, sheep and other ruminants.[1] The fermentation and storage process is called ensilage, ensiling, or silaging. The exact methods vary, depending on available technology, local tradition and prevailing climate.

Silage is usually made from grass crops including maize, sorghum or other cereals, using the entire green plant (not just the grain). Specific terms may be used for silage made from particular crops: oatlage for oats, haylage for alfalfa (haylage may also refer to high dry matter silage made from hay).[2]

  1. ^ Wood, Brian J. B. (1998). Microbiology of fermented foods. Vol. 1, 2. Springer. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7514-0216-2.
  2. ^ George, J. Ronald, ed. (1994). Extension publications: forage and grain crops (8th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co. ISBN 0840393415.