Storage Solutions
Try these tips for high-quality, high-yielding silage
With today's high feed costs, silage management can have a significant impact on your bottom line. That's why you must pay attention to hybrid selection, field conditions and harvest timing/management to help make the most of your silage crops.
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Better bunker management offers bottom-line advantages
Growing conditions determine fiber digestibility, and the right combination of weather conditions make for an optimum silage crop, say experts at Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. While temperatures and moisture levels over the course of the growing season will set the stage, you can actively take steps to preserve silage quality once the silage is harvested through good management, resulting in better feeding material for your livestock.
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Beware of silo gas
Toxic gas associated with fermenting silage may cause severe injury or death to persons who are exposed to injurious concentrations.
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Considerations for using a silage facer
A silage facer may provide greater consistency in feed quality and ration composition for producers handling lots of feed daily.
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Determine the value of improved silage management
Of course, silage management is important. But it’s not always easy to quantify just how important. To illustrate the effects of silage management on your profitability, check out this spreadsheet, developed by Brian Holmes, University of Wisconsin ag engineer.
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Manage feed inventories for maximum profitability
Feed costs are the single largest expense on most dairy farms, comprising between 40 and 60 percent of the total cost of producing milk.
It is thus important to closely manage on farm inventories of feeds in order to maximize the profitability of the farming enterprise, says Mike McFadden Michigan State University extension dairy educator.
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What can you do with used plastic?
Use these hints to help safely recycle materials from silo bags and other forage coverings.
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Analyze hay storage cost
New tool helps you compare the cost of different hay storage options.
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Inoculant benefits
Growers cite inoculant benefits — advantages of 11CFT inoculant are apparent in their operations.
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Why use inoculants
The most important thing a quality inoculant can do is maintain or retain more of the forage that is put in a bunker. Paul Porter, Pioneer Hi-Bred dairy specialist, says that improvement in dry matter recovery can add up to some substantial dollars.
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Bunker set up and management
Bunker management can have a serious impact on the nutritional value of silage. Most management revolves around keeping oxygen out of the forage mass. Paul Porter, Pioneer dairy specialist, looks at some keys to bunker management.
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