WHY WOULD I CONSIDER INVESTING IN A COMPACTOR WHEN I ALREADY OWN A SILO FOR STORING MY FORAGE?



This is the case for many of our customers who have worked within the forage market for a while, and are presented with Orkel's technology.



Today, many farmers use bunker silos as their primary fodder storage and are content with this solution.



But why do many of Orkel's customers use an Orkel compactor in addition to their silo, and why do some of them end up discarding their silo completely? Round bales or silo?



Let's compare!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Practical benefits</h2>



As we carefully described in our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.orkel.com/blog/5-benefits-of-baling-with-an-orkel-compactor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">article on Benefits of Baling</a>, baling your forage with an Orkel compactor provides four overall benefits compared to traditional storage.



What makes baling practical?



<ul>
<li>Compaction Reduce the forage volume (through higher density) while excluding oxygen</li>



<li>Wrapping Bales are not compromised in cases of heavy rain</li>



<li>Storage Allows for easy stacking and relocating the forage, increasing space efficiency</li>



<li>Transport Easier transport due to already compartmentalized material, resulting in easier market access</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Significant differences in losses</h2>



A study conducted by the&nbsp;Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences&nbsp;(SLU) confirms there are significant differences in forage quality based on how the forage&nbsp;is stored.



The study was conducted across 12 different farms from 12 bunker silos, 6 bag silos, 3 tower silos and 2x60 round bales. Samples were collected three days a week, a total of 650 samples during harvesting and another 300 samples during feeding.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://wp.orkel.no/app/uploads/2023/04/ResizedImage535358-Orkel-Dens-X-loading-with-sovel-2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2516"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Orkel Dens-X Compactor</figcaption></figure>







<h5 class="wp-block-heading">Invisible losses</h5>



The most noteworthy discovery were the invisible losses due to fermentation.



The average losses were 14,1% for the bunker silos, 11,5% for bag silos and 23,4% for tower silos. The round bales, however, had an average loss of&nbsp;1%.&nbsp;



The low loss average in round bales are most likely due to low oxygen supply resulting from a denser packed forage together with a shorter time span from opening to feedout.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://wp.orkel.no/app/uploads/2023/04/ResizedImage535178-topic1-6d013fc3f4edb0ff90183c6295fc7d2e.jpg" alt="The image shows the layout of a bunker silo, visualizing the difference in choice between round bales or silo" class="wp-image-2518"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The layout of a bunker silo</figcaption></figure>







Some additional key numbers from the conducted study:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://wp.orkel.no/app/uploads/2023/04/Summary-from-forage-conservation-study.png" alt="A diagram showing key results from a study" class="wp-image-3755" width="522" height="437"/></figure>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT IS ULTIMATELY THE OUTTAKE FROM THIS STUDY?</h5>



To put it simply; This means that the forage in bunker, bag and tower silos lose substancial amounts of energy and protein during storage, while forage in round bales do not.



The general rule of thumb is the less energy and protein in the forage, the more forage your animals will need in order to maintain a high production. Based on the result of this study,&nbsp;your animals will get more energy from less forage if your forage is stored in bales!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Does this mean that all silos are bad?</h2>



No!



Silos offer a good storage solution for farmers, which is the reason for why it always has been such a popular storage solution worldwide.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">HOWEVER, SILOS ARE DEMANDING</h6>



Silos have the potential to be good storage solutions if the user is familiar with optimal silo management, which unfortunately is too great a demand for your average farmer.&nbsp;Common errors such as overfilling silos, low packing density, inadequate sealing techniques, and poor inspection are often the source to why the bulk material deteriorates.



Additionally, a silo under optimal conditions would not retain the forage nutrients as consistently as a high-density bale under optimal conditions, which is illustrated in the calculated losses mentioned above.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://wp.orkel.com/app/uploads/2023/03/Dens-X-Belgium-Maize-7-1-scaled.jpg" alt="A man in black clothes and a black Orkel cap is standing on top of the compactor, holding onto the railings." class="wp-image-524"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Orkel Dens-X Compactor baling maize/corn silage</figcaption></figure>







<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why not start today?</h2>



So what should you choose, round bales or silo? To sum up, the transition from silo to bales represent a significant investment for most farmers, however, the the long-term benefits are undeniable. And if you have little experience with round bales, why not consider an overlapping transition as many of our customers? <a href="https://www.orkel.com/products/agricultural-compactors">Explore our range of agricultural compactors today!</a>

Round bales or silo?

Dens-X

Features baling alfalfa silage

MC850

MP2000-X

Alfalfa is primarily grown as a forage crop to feed livestock such as cows, horses, and goats. It is highly nutritious and therefore serves as an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for animals. It is by some thought to be one of the most underrated proteins sources in silage, mainly due to its high protein content of around 16 percent.
The deep roots of the plant are especially appreciated, firstly due to its resilience to droughts and heat. Secondly, the roots contribute to high quality soil by reducing soil density. Alfalfa also has an impressive regrowing rate and under the right conditions you can harvest up to 13 times during a season. The plant is harvested when it reaches a certain maturity, typically before flowering, to ensure optimal nutritional content. By using bales, not only does the nutritional content stay intact, there is also increased flexibility as to when every part of the field can to be harvested.

Business Developer

Sigrid Skjelstad

Alfalfa, also known as Lucerne, is high in protein and is therefore a great crop for grazing, hay and silage. It is appreciated for its abilities to handle though conditions, especially droughts, but also other weather impacts. There are <a href="https://www.orkel.com/benefits-of-baling">many benefits to baling alfalfa</a>: flexibility in terms of storage and when to utilise it, reduced spoilage and conservation of nutrients and ease of feeding are some examples.

alfalfa1

Alfalfa1

Alfalfa

Alfalfa, also known as Lucerne, is high in protein and is therefore a great crop for grazing, hay and silage.

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Features baling alfalfa silage

Between

35-40%

Dry matter

Between

600-800

Bale weight

Between

30-40

Tons per hour

Features baling alfalfa silage

Between

35 - 40%

Dry matter

Up to

500

Bale weight

Up to

25

Tons per hour

Features baling alfalfa silage

Between

35-40%

Dry matter

Between

600-800

Bale weight

Between

30-40

Tons per hour

Round bales or silo?