FREE VIDEO: Contamination of feed in bulk silos

Bulk silos should not be trusted follow the ‘first in first out’ rule.  In fact, the most recently added material may be the first to come out.  When the silo discharges the column directly above the outlet flows downward and thereafter material from the top of the silo moves downward into the discharging column.  This makes it a critical practice to make sure the silo is empty before loading a different feed into it.  For example, if some medicated feed is in the bottom of the silo and a non-medicated withdrawal feed is loaded on top the last feed to empty out is likely to be the remaining medicated feed.  Oops!

Learning points:

• Segregation will occur unless care is taken to distribute fines and pellets evenly in the bulk silo
• Improving pellet quality will help by reducing the total amount of fines available to accumulate
• Silos empty from the top and therefore should be completely empty before a new feed is added