Operation of whisky distilling plants throughout the year produces considerable quantities of by-products malt distillers grains (draff) during the summer months. Draff is traditionally used as a ruminant feedstuff with the greatest demand being in winter. Competitive prices during summer make draff a very attractive buy and summer purchase, with subsequent storage on the farm for winter feeding is now a widely accepted, practice. However,, there is little information about the consequencies of long term draff storage or a detailed evaluation of different ensilage methods. This investigation examined the effects of three different storage methods on dry matter losses in the silo, and evaluated the recovered feedstuff using young steers.

Storage methods - Each storage method was examined in duplicated sleeper walled silos, each containing approximately 6 tonnes of draff. The silos were roofed and had individual effluent tanks. For method 1 draff was tipped into the pits and a top sheet was held in place by an incomplete surface covering of sandbags.