Smart farmers use tube silage bags to boost dairy produce

Hellen Waweru shows silage storage bags at her farm in Njoro, Nakuru County. To prepare tube silage, farmers are required to have standard polythene paper bags sold at Sh300 per square metre. [Mercy Kahenda, Standard]

With climate change now a normal occurrence, farmers —livestock and crop —are realising they can no longer depend wholly on rain-fed agriculture.

For livestock farmers, they are also waking up to the reality that because rain-fed farming is unreliable, they have to think outside the box if they are to have sufficient animal feeds all year round.

In light of this, some farmers in Njoro, Nakuru County, have taken their feeds management a notch higher by embracing an efficient and affordable method of fodder storage. This way, they are sure their cattle have feeds even in seasons of scarcity.

Prevent cattle deaths

Tube Silage storage is a modern farming technology that entails packing the feeds neatly and compact in special polythene bags where they can last for two years.

Smart Harvest spoke to farmers who have embraced it and are enjoying the benefits. Jane Ng’ang’a, from Piave village in Njoro says the technology has raised milk production from her three dairycows. The farmer says she prepares her silage with maize stalks, sorghum and napier grass, all of which she harvests from her one-acre farm before storing them.

Testimonials

She says the technology has helped her escape seasons of feeds shortage that led to needless deaths of cattle.

“Now we work smart. When the feeds are in plenty we stock up because we are aware a dry season will come and the tides will change. So when there is abundance, instead of using it recklessly, I store my feeds in these tubes for future use,” says Ms Nga’ng’a who adopted the technology two years ago.

Hellen Waweru, another farmer from the same area who has adopted the technology, says it has helped her keep her stock of dairy cows, sheep and goats, well fed all year round. The farmer makes her silage using napier grass and yellow maize that she grows on her two acre farm.

Ms Waweru mixes napier grass with molasses during production of the feeds ready after 21 days.

On a single day, she feeds her stock 30 kilograms of the silage that she supplements with dairy meals. Since she started using the tubes, she has saved on cost of buying feeds significantly.

“Before I adopted tube silage feeds storage system, I used to buy a bale of hay at Sh300 each, and that was not even enough. My animals would be emaciated and get attacks from various diseases. Now I can manage my costs well,” Waweru says.

The advantages

To prepare tube silage, farmers are required to have standard polythene paper bag that is sold at Sh300 per square metre.

To make a single silage tube, at least three metres are required.

A rope is also needed to tie the tubes. 

With the technology, the Waweru says milk production has increased because the feed maintains high moisture content and high quality as compared to other feeds.

“I now get at least 14 litres of milk for a single dairy cow each day up from 10 litres. Milk production has increased because I am able to feed my cows with sufficient feeds,” says Ng’ang’a. So what are some of the benefits of the silage tubes? The silage tubes, Ng’ang’a explains, are a fast and efficient way to preserve silage because it helps maintain moisture content and quality of feeds.

Ng’ang’a has at least 14 silage tubes stored adjacent to her dairy paddocks on her farm.

The storage bags are arranged on a flat, properly drained surface in a shade to avoid harsh weather condition that affect quality of feeds.

“Silage stored in tubes should not be rained on, neither should air get into, to prevent it from rotting,” says Ng’ang’a.

Smart Harvest learnt that to prepare tube silage, a farmer harvests forage for example maize and sorghum that is chopped into smaller pieces of desired sizes. If it has milk stalks, molasses is not used because it produces required sugar for fermentation.

Farmers who use harvested maize stalk that do not have maize fruits need to mix the forage with molasses and water to help speed fermentation.

Fermentation takes at least 21 days and at such stage, the feeds can be given to cattle. During mixing, one is expected to pour the molasses mixture evenly onto the forage and turn it repeatedly for excellent fermentation.

A flat surface is preferred during mixing. After placing fermentation ingredient in the forage, a farmer then places it in the tubes that varies in sizes.

For instance there are those that are 2.5 metre and 1.5 metre. These heights are recommended for easier management. During placement of the forage, farmers are expected to compress it to produce compact material and to avoid seepage of air into the tube. Once it is full, it is tied up on the top tightly.

During storage, farmers should also keep off predators like rats that may tamper with or break the polythene bag. 

“The tubes are placed in a cool area away from rains and direct sunlight, as a way of maintaining its moisture content. One must ensure the polythene bag does not tear, otherwise air will get inside the feeds making it rot,” she explains.

Training

Ng’ang’a, Waweru and other farmers adopted the technology after undergoing a training that was conducted in the locality two years ago by livestock officers. Most of the farmers decided to attend because of facing dropped milk yields because animals lacked feeds.

Now that things are looking up, majority of farmers in the area have formed Piave Farmers’ Cooperative that collects milk from members which is later cooled and later supplied to various consumers in Nakuru town.

The Co-operative chairman Willie Gathua says production of milk has increased by 50 per cent because farmers have access to feeds season after season.

Mr Gathua says at least 4,000 litres is collected daily, produce that is sold to consumers in Nakuru town at Sh35 per liter. “The cooperative established three years ago could close up during dry spell witnessed because of little production.  Now we have enough feeds and we get milk in plenty which is stored in a community cooling plant with capacity of 5,000 litres,” says the chairman.

To improve milk production, he says farmers are being trained on production of feeds and silage making, which come in handy during dry spell.