Forage quality

Ensiling is a method of preserving and storing feed crops. For high nutritional value and hygienic quality the DM (dry matter) should be between 20 and 60% (the DM content states what proportion of a material is not water). To achieve this the crop is packed in as tightly sealed as possible. Hygienic quality means how sutiable the silage is as feed. Feed with a good hygienic quality is free from substances that have negative effect on animal's health and that impair taste, which leads to the animal no eating sufficiently. The feed must be free from mould, yeast and bacteria, such as listeria, clostridia and enterobacteria.