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NS Canada | The different colours are a result of different levels of bacteria and acids produced by them during the fermentation process. Yellow would usually be acetic acid and have a vinegar type smell. It tends to be in the wetter spots, which makes sense as your moisture settles down there. Here's some info on it:
What does high acetic acid concentration tell us about the fermentation process and silage quality?
Extremely wet silages (<25% DM), prolonged fermentations (due to high buffering capacity), loose packing, or slow silo filling can result in silages with high concentrations of acetic acid (>3 to 4% of DM). In such silages, energy and DM recovery are probably less than ideal. Silages treated with ammonia also tend to have higher concentrations of acetic acid than untreated silage, because the fermentation is prolonged by the addition of the ammonia that raises pH.
A new microbial inoculant (Lactobacillus buchneri) designed for improving the aerobic stability of silages causes higher than normal concentrations of acetic acid in silages. However, production of acetic acid from this organism should not be mistaken for a poor fermentation and feeding treated silages with a high concentration of acetic acid does not appear to cause negative effects on animal intake.
What effect does silage with a high acetic acid concentration have on animal performance?
The effect of high concentrations of acetic acid (>4-6% of DM) in silages fed to animals is unclear at this time. In the past, some studies found that DM intake was depressed due to high acetic acid silage when fed to ruminants. However, the depressed intake due to high acetic acid in the diet has not been consistent. There has been speculation that decreased intake may be actually due to unidentified negative factors associated with a poor fermentation and not to acetic acid itself. For example, in recent studies, animals showed no indication of reduced intake when fed silages high in acetic acid due to inoculation with the bacteria Lactobacillus buchneri for improved aerobic stability.
If a producer has intake problems due to silages with excessively high acetic acid (>5-6% of DM), the amount of that silage should be reduced in the TMR. Other alternatives for managing these silages include: aerating the silage for a day to volatilize the acetic acid, removing the silage and then gradually reincorporating it back into the diet over a 2–3 week period, and partially neutralizing the silage with sodium bicarbonate prior to feeding (about 0.5 to 1% addition on DM basis). | |
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Why is this silage funny colored