Corn Silage

"I believe dairy farmers and forage harvesters are just like top-tier athletes. There is a strong competitive nature that contributes toward advancements in our industry."

Dr. Goeser   Director of nutritional research and innovation with Rock River Lab Inc., Watertown, Wis., Adjunct assistant professor, dairy science department, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Corn silage is a staple in dairy and beef animal diets across the US, providing valuable nutrients for growth and performance. As summer is rolling by and the new crop is beginning to mature, taking some time to think through the harvest timing and process could prove valuable in strategizing to put the most digestible forage in front of your animals over the coming year. Unlike alfalfa, we typically aren’t looking to feed corn silage for the protein content, but rather as an energy source. As we look at the needs of a dairy cow in particular, the greatest nutrient need, next to water, is energy. I recommend a few key harvest planning points as farms start itching to get the new crop corn silage harvested and into storage for fermentation to do its work.

According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, corn silage production increased by almost 4.3 million tons over the last five years. That is a lot of silage and a lot of work. Many farmers devote a substantial amount of time and labor into making silage every year. The process can be grueling and sometimes dangerous, especially during hot weather. 

As we enter the silage season, let us pause to identify and acknowledge potential safety hazards. Discussing safety is not “fun,” but it is a necessity for everyone. Safety hazards happen on a 20-cow dairy just as easily as on a 30,000-cow dairy. By the same token, safety hazards affect a farmer with decades of farming experience just as easily as a new employee with no farming experience. Being safe is everyone’s responsibility.

Across the country, producers harvest millions of tons of corn silage annually, but several factors can affect the quality of corn silage harvested. Ensiling and successful fermentation can help preserve forage and grains, but there are several factors to keep in mind during the harvest and ensiling procvess. 

This article contains a few check points and considerations for caution regarding this year's corn crop.

When corn silage is grown to be sold, it is understandable that an agreed-upon price is essential. However, putting a value on corn silage, even when it never leaves the farm is also necessary. Independent business financial consultant, Gary Sipiorski, says that most farms do not put any kind of a cost on planting corn for silage or alfalfa for hay – and they really ought to.

Patience, knowing the nutrient differences between crops, and monitoring cows will help make the transition to the 2021 corn silage crop a success.

Michigan and the Great Lakes Region have experienced less drought than the Upper Midwest, but that does not mean we should be sitting on our heels. Make extra efforts this year to optimize the value currently standing in the field.

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.