silage
/ˈsʌɪlɪdʒ
/noun [mass noun]
Grass or other green fodder compacted and stored in airtight conditions, typically in a silo, without first being dried, and used as animal feed in the winter.When the attraction closes for the winter, the maize will be harvested for silage to feed Tom's Jersey cows, whose milk is used to produce the ice cream which is sold at the site....
- Autumn calvers need high quality silage fed to appetite, right through the Winter.
- Corn silage is best when conditions are good, but a combination of corn and forage sorghum isn't far behind.
verb [no object] (often as noun silaging)
1Make silage: they do 1500 acres of contract silaging each year...
- Summer brings its own seasonal tasks such as sheep shearing, silaging and of course, the show season, and farmers work later to take advantage of the long days.
- Grass which is to be used for silaging must be harvested at the optimum growth stage for making the best quality and quantity of silage.
- As well, dust generated by gravel roads during silaging or combining or from cattle movement in the feedlot can generate a haze and that is not pleasant for workers, animals, or neighbors.
1.1 [with object] Preserve (grass and other green fodder) as silage.Greenfeed insurance covers specific annual crops grown for the purpose of being cut, baled or silaged for livestock feed....
- The Aquilla area is scheduled to begin silaging corn the later part of this week.
- When silaged the fall rye was fairly mature and dry, it was put into the bottom of the silage pit so it would mix with the other silage crops.
Origin
Late 19th century: alteration of ensilage, influenced by silo.