Edible covers for feeds

Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.

Salt Institute

Salt and Trace Minerals newsletter

Fall 2004 (Vol. 36, No. 3)

Non-recylable black plastic covers are often used to protect cylindrical bales of hay and silage. This article reports a five-year research effort at the University of Illinois to develop a

covering that exhibited six characteristics: 1) effective protection, 2) edible by livestock, 3) nutritious, 4) palatable, 5) cost effective, and 6) easy application. The solution: An edible covering of salt and other edible materials sprayed onto the bales with a cement pump. Its ability to resist moisture, in the current interim report, is 85% of the black plastic tarp.