Silage pH: acidity as a sign of good silage
Silage pH is the acidity of ensiled forage, measured in pH units. Good silage turns acidic quickly, and the low pH stops unwanted microbes from spoiling the feed.
What pH level shows well-preserved silage?
Well-preserved silage usually settles well below pH 4.5, because good fermentation drops the pH fast once the clamp is sealed. A high reading points to weak fermentation, spoilage or too much moisture. The result depends on the sample and on the days since sealing, so write both down with the reading. A pH figure helps you decide whether the silage is safe to feed and what to change at the next harvest.
Questions from the farm
Does a low silage pH always mean good silage?
Usually, but judge pH together with smell, colour and dry matter, because a low reading on its own shows only part of the picture.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
HerdMobile lets you enter your silage analysis with its date and dry matter, so the ration uses the silage you have. Keep the pH reading with that sample.
