Climate change or weather cycles drive nutrition at the farm level. This year’s spring was wetter than usual causing crop planting dates to be from on the early side to very late depending on where you farm. Often the weather extremes have been in the same area, or even on the same farm.
The spring of 2019 was, in many areas, one of the wettest recorded. This was on top of saturated grounds from record rainfall in the months before. As a result, there will be lots of immature corn silage to deal with this harvest season.
Due to the late planting year, silage across the midwest will be effected. The growing season weather and the timing of the first frost will determine the quality.
Opening up new silage is commonly associated with a dip in milk production, but the transition can be smoother — and less costly for producers — with a few easy fixes.
Corn silage is a valuable source of energy for beef and dairy cattle. Managing the process of turning the corn crop into a high-quality fermented feed can be a profitable transaction, or could be financially devastating.
In many regions, corn silage harvest is delayed by weeks, which forces producers to make a decision: Harvest wet, immature corn or delay and take a risk on the weather.
Producing a consistent, high quality corn silage requires planning and management. The goal is to provide an environment conducive to a quick and favorable anaerobic (without air) fermentation process. To accomplish this requires chopping at the correct moisture content, removing the air as quickly as possible after chopping, and maintaining an air/oxygen limiting environment throughout storage.
Corn silage quality can vary in nutrient content throughout the year. With the advances in laboratory testing technology it is no longer just fiber and starch to consider, but their digestibility, the kernel processing score, and particle size distribution. Based on all this added information, what defines good quality corn silage?
Dairy operations can feed cows economically with high-forage diets using corn silage as the sole source of forage. Whether you are feeding a high-corn silage ration today or are considering it in the future, producers should consider several management factors when feeding high rates of corn silage.
