Silo Maintenance

For many years, tower silos have stood – like soldiers standing at attention – protecting farmers valuable feed crop – protecting it from not only spoilage but against contamination and other negative outside sources. Tower Silos have performed so well and for so long that often little attention is given to their value and importance on the farm, or to their maintenance.

Year after year they are filled with wet acidic feed. Often times, they stand with a foot of manure around their base. They stand up to wind, rain, snow and sleet. Many years they are never emptied.

The silo unloader that empties them delivers hundreds of tons of feed per year. This is done at a very low energy cost and without a lot of maintenance. It, too, is in a moisture-filled, acidic atmosphere. Often the only time it is serviced is when it is not working.

Today, some of these old silos are beginning to fail. When this happens, it is not only unexpected, but also a real hardship on the user.

The following articles are presented as a public service for the purposes of promoting farm safety. They are fun to read, informative and timely. They cover a variety of topics such as: concrete deterioration, silo doors, silo ladders and cages, filling equipment, distribution of feed, silo chutes, unloader suspensions and cables, silo roofs, silo hoops and concrete reinforcing, silo insurance and hydric lifting.

Disclaimer

These articles are contributed by Bruce Johnson of Wisconsin Silos. They are meant to be informative and fun to read. They are not all inclusive. Your best source of information is the International Silo Association “Silo Operator’s manual” or call ISA at 610-607-3622.