In Farming Simulator 25 (and in farming in general), Silage is fermented, high-moisture fodder made from green crops like grass or corn, primarily used as animal feed. In this guide, I’ll break down the two best ways to turn your grass and corn into the silage you need. Whether you prefer the trusty Bunker Silo or the efficient Silage Bales, I’ve got the details you need—along with a few sneaky tips to make the process smoother (and a little less mind-numbing). Buckle up, farmer, it’s time to turn your crops into gold!
Complete Silage Guide
To make silage in Farming Simulator 25, you basically have two options:
- Silage Bales – Use grass, bale it up, and wrap it into silage bales.
- Bunker Silo – Fill a bunker silo with grass or corn, then let it ferment into silage.
I’ll explain both methods.
Using a Bunker Silo
Alright, let’s say you’ve got your corn or grass grown and ready to go. Time to turn that stuff into silage!
For grass, you’ll need a Forage Wagon to pick it up. Find one of these in the store—any of them will do. You can even add a silage additive tank to get a nice 5% yield boost, which is a game-changer. I did a video on the silage additive, so check that out if you want to dive deeper.
Once you’ve got your Forage Wagon, just drive over the grass and pick it up. Don’t worry about grabbing too much at once—just enough to get the process started.
Now, here’s the fun part. Once you’ve got the grass, you’ll need to dump it into a Bunker Silo. You’ll see it turn into chaff once it’s in there, so don’t be alarmed. Chaff is just the term for anything we’re going to turn into silage. Hit Left Ctrl + I to start unloading and watch that chaff level rise!
Next up, if you’re working with corn, it’s pretty much the same process but with a Forage Harvester and a corn header. You’ll want to make sure the corn header is attached, and then just chop away! You’ll get a nice load of chaff, which you can then dump into your bunker silo.
Compacting the Chaff
Once you’ve got your chaff in the bunker silo, it’s time to compact it. This step is crucial because we need to get the chaff compacted to 100% before it’ll start fermenting into silage.
Now, you can use a compactor or leveler, but honestly, I just grab the heaviest tractor I have and drive over it a few times. The heavier the tractor, the better it’ll compact the chaff. If you’re feeling fancy, you can use the leveler to spread the chaff out evenly, which makes the process a little smoother. It’s also good for avoiding weird dips in the pile.
As you drive over it, the compaction percentage will start rising. It takes a bit of time, especially if you’ve got a lot of chaff, but keep at it until you hit 100%. Once you’re there, you’ll get the option to blanket the silo, which will help the fermentation process.
Fermenting the Silage
After you’ve compacted the chaff, throw a blanket over the silo to kickstart the fermentation process. Over time, the chaff will slowly turn into silage. It’s a waiting game, but the good news is that it only takes about 5% per in-game hour. Just fast-forward time, and before you know it, you’ll have silage ready to use or sell. Easy peasy!
Silage Additives: There’s some confusion about using silage additives. If you use both a forage wagon with silage additives and a stationary baler-wrapper (like the Goweil), the additive from the wagon can combine with the one in the baler-wrapper. This could potentially give you a bonus (105% * 105% = 110.25%), improving silage output. However, you’ll need to test it out to make sure it works as expected in your setup.
Making Silage from Bales
Now, if you prefer working with bales, we’ve got that option too. You can bale the grass, then wrap the bales to turn them into silage. There are two ways to do this:
- Bale then wrap – You make the bales first and then wrap them afterward. You’ll need a separate wrapper for this.
- Bale and wrap combo – These are cool because they do both at the same time. Just grab one of the round balers with a built-in wrapper and you’re good to go!
When you’re selecting bales, remember that the size matters. The wrapper you choose needs to match the size of the bales you’re making. For example, if you’re making square bales, make sure the wrapper supports the size you’re using.
Square vs. Round Bales: Although the upfront cost for square bales is higher, they can be more efficient in the long run. They save time during transport and are easier to move for sale compared to round bales. The Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP VC, for example, can help you create large, square silage bales, which are more manageable and easier to sell.
Using Silage
Once the silage has finished fermenting, you’ll see a notification in the upper-right corner letting you know it’s ready. Approach the silo and hit “Open Silo” to access the silage. You can open both sides if you want. Once you’ve done that, you’re good to go, and you can start scooping out the silage.
As you begin scooping, the plastic covering will disappear, so there’s no need to worry about it. If we head over to the bales, they should be silage by now. As seen in the bottom right corner, they’re good to go. You can open the bale cover by cutting it open if you prefer, but it doesn’t change the usefulness of the silage inside either way.
Silage has many uses: It’s often used for making a lot of money, as it’s one of the most profitable crops in the game. Additionally, you can feed your animals with it or use it to make Total Mixed Ration (TMR) for your livestock.
Getting the Silage Out of the Silo
Now, if you need to get the silage out of the silo, the most accessible method is to use buckets. You’ll need a front loader bucket, a telehandler bucket, or even a large wheel loader with a high-tip bucket, which can carry up to 10,000 liters at a time. Keep in mind that the wheel loader can be quite expensive, but it’s great for moving large quantities of silage quickly. Once you have it, you can load it into trailers and sell it off or use it for other purposes.
Forage Wagon Alternative for Silage: Instead of using buckets to scoop silage out, you can reuse the forage wagon to roll over the silage piles. The forage wagon will automatically pick it up, and you’ll already have it loaded for delivery. This method saves time and eliminates the need for a conveyor system, which might be missing or hard to use. It took me a while to figure this out, so I thought it would be a great tip for everyone.
Wrapping Up
For now, though, I’d recommend bailing the silage as it’s probably the easiest option. Bales are simple to move around and don’t require compacting or scooping from the ground. Plus, you can use a bale collector to make it even easier to transport them. This method is much more efficient for selling and moving your silage.
And there you have it! Whether you’re stacking silage bales or working with a bunker silo, you’ll have your silage production in Farming Simulator 25 running like a well-oiled machine. Remember, there’s always more than one way to harvest those sweet rewards in Farming Simulator 25—so experiment, get creative, and most importantly, have fun!
