kids encyclopedia robot

Silo facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Two Silos
Two Silos beside a barn

A silo is a tall building used on farms. It holds a special type of animal food called silage. Silage is made from chopped green plants, like grass or corn stalks. Unlike hay, which is dried, silage is kept wet. It ferments, which means it changes in a way that helps it stay fresh all winter. This makes it great food for farm animals, especially dairy cows.

When Were Silos First Used?

Silos are a fairly new invention for farms. Farmers started using them a lot in the late 1800s. They are still an important part of farming today!

How Silos Are Built and Used

Even though silage can be stored in different ways, the most common silo looks like a tall cylinder. It usually has a cone or dome-shaped roof on top. There is an opening at the very top where farmers put the silage in. Along one side, there are doors that run all the way down. These doors are used to take the silage out.

In the past, a farmer would climb up the outside of the silo to reach the top of the silage inside. Then, they would go in and shovel the silage out. There's usually a chute on the outside of the silo. The silage would fall down this chute, making it easy to collect and feed to the cows. Nowadays, special machines do all this hard work!

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Silo para niños

kids search engine
Silo Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.