Making silage from maize is a way of effectively using maize plants because it uses the entire maize plant rather than using just the fruit.
Surface silage enables farmers to make silage at a very cheap cost because it does not entail constructing structures or digging a pit. To make surface silage, choose a flat surface that does not stagnate water and lay a polythene on the ground. To make silage from maize, harvest the whole maize plants at the milk stage because at this stage, the maize has more sugars and energy that are good for the animals.
Chopping and ensiling
After harvesting the maize, chop it into small pieces using a machine or panga depending on what is available. Spread the chopped maize pieces onto a polythene and add molasses. This makes the silage sweet and more palatable to the animals and also adds to the silage more sugars.
Compact the chopped pieces on a polythene by rolling a drum with water over them. If the silage is made without compacting, then it will rot. After compacting, add another layer of chopped maize pieces, molasses and compact again.
After, cover the top with a polythene and add soil.
