Utilizing Infrared Imaging to Assess Silage Storage and Handling. Brian Perkins, PhD Diamond V

Transcription

1 Utilizing Infrared Imaging to Assess Silage Storage and Handling Brian Perkins, PhD Diamond V

2 Electromagnetic Spectrum

3 Commonly used in energy audits and industrial applications

4 Fluke TiR1 thermal imager

5 Also has great potential in agriculture

6 How do you communicate with your staff? How to build a silage pile? How to work a silage face? How much silage to knock down? What s s the impact of knocking down too much? How long can silage be stored at the feeding center?

7 It s s all about how we communicate the message

8 Which has greater impact?

9 This?

10 This?

11 Or this??

12 Types of images available from thermal imagers

13 Visible image

14 Infrared image

15 Picture-in in-picture image

16 IR alarm image - 95

17 What does it mean when silage heats? Temperature rise is affected by amount of heat generated and the specific heat of the material Specific heat = heat required to raise temp. 1 Is lower for higher DM silage Thus it takes less heat to raise temp. of dry silage

18 Where does the heat come from? Initial respiration/fermentation Aerobic fermentation while oxygen is still present Secondary fermentation/deterioration at feedout Wild yeast Bacterial activity Molds

19 So, what does heating mean to you and your cows? There are various estimates floating around in the literature.

20 How much milk is lost? A 30 rise costs about 13 Mcal,, or about 40 lbs. milk/ton each time temperature rises (personal communication, Rich Muck) Might occur at ensiling plus at feedout Might also have issues with palatability, mycotoxins, etc. Thus potential is for lbs. or more milk loss

21 Implications for loss of energy in silage due to heating A 10 degree (Celsius) rise for 24 hrs. drops TDN by 3.4% (Pioneer) If temperature rise lasts several days, loss is substantially higher

22 Remember, it s s not silage that is lost during heating!!! The real losses are in sugar and starch Much more expensive than silage Dollar loss might range from less than $4/ton of stored silage at 10% shrink and $3/bu corn to over $15/ton of silage at 20% loss and $6/bu corn. (source: Mahanna,, Feedstuffs, 2/8/10)

23 Haylage Heating and Protein Digestibility Protein Digestibility, % F 135 F 160 F 110 F F F Heating Period, Days Gallagher

24 Management of Feed-Out Corn Silage Bunker Item: Location: Face Floor ph Yeast count 18, ,000 Mold count < 1, ,000 Bacillus count 5, ,000 Note: Floor Location Is Silage Left Overnight, After Being Removed From The Face (November: Vermont, USA). Source: Brian Perkins. 2004

25 Applications Are feeders doing a good job working the silage face?

26 Great face management Sunshine on tires Great face management

27 Silage face poorly worked

28 Post-discussion goal

29 Was the silage packed properly when the pile was being built?

30 Split in face of pile

31 Crevice in pile how much milk lost?

32 Are there issues with piles of silage on the feed pad before they are fed?

33 Silage piled at 3:00 p.m. Won t t be fed until next day!

34 Silage piled for next day feeding

35 Silage sitting at bottom of face

36 Knocked-down down silage left side

37 Silage delivered to feed center

38 Delivered silage very hot at 8:00 a.m.

39 Just for shock value! Silage sitting for 48 hrs.

40 Helping to make management decisions silage removal from face of pile

41 Trial Design Compare corn silage pit faced 6 6 daily to 12 faced every other day Infrared images were taken for 3 consecutive days Silage samples taken on day 1 and 3 Wild yeast count detected Clostridium perfringens analysis Basic forage test completed

42 Key objectives Determine quality of forage at different facing depths Possible labor savings of 12 facing on ½ pit every other day vs. facing entire pit 6 6 each day. Pit takes ~3hours to face each day so if only face ½,, possible saving of 1 ½ hours a day for an employee, less fuel, less wear and tear on facer.

43 Picture of facer in action

44 Day one center photo - left side just after 1 st 6 face - right side just after 1 st 12 face - center section not faced for 24 hrs

45 Day two center photo - left side just after 2 nd 6 face - right side 12 not faced for 24 hrs - center section not faced for 48 hrs

46 Day three center photo - left side just after 3 rd 6 face - right side just after 2 nd 12 face - center not faced for 72 hours

47 Conclusions from this trial On this well-built pile, 12 removed every other day produced similar quality feed to removing 6 6 every day Note that results may be very different on poorly built piles

48 Other uses

49 Thermal imaging of hay stacks Faster and easier than temp probe

50

51 Recording observations of TMR s, etc.

52 Digital photographs: mixer knives

53 Appears that calves drag water from water pail to feed pail causing heating in feed pails AM picture Calves

54 Can we use this technology on cows? Detect heat stress? Identify hot cows Evaluate effectiveness of heat abatement measures Detect inflammation/infection? Others? Beware impact of coat color, manure, etc.

55

56

57 General watch-outs for infrared imaging Red color only means the hottest spot Be sure to check temp scale Red might mean 120 or 70 Watch for thermal contamination from sun, ambient conditions, etc. Try to get images only from freshly-worked faces or expose a small area with a pitchfork BE SAFE!!!!

58 Bottom line: Which photo has greater impact on a feeder???

59 Loader visual image

60 Loader with warm silage

61 It s s all about fostering the right conversation!

62 Questions?