(b) Size and Type of Livestock Operation
The most suitable type of storage structure for a particular farm situation will vary with the type of livestock, the feeding program, the size of operation, and the types of feed.
For example, beef cattle that are finished in a feedlot can usually be full-fed corn silage. Thus, self-feeding from a horizontal silo might be used. However, if the cattle are to go back out to pasture after a winter season in the feedlot a full-feed program of corn silage may not be advisable. Thus, controlled or limited feeding may be re-quired, thereby nullifying a possible advantage of the horizontal silo.
Size of silo affects such items as initial cost, operating cost, labor, degree of mechanization, etc. It also affects the choice of the total storage and handling system, i.e. - what may be suitable for hundreds of tons may not be suitable for thousands of tons and vice versa.