Silage Management
The impact of corn silage on a dairy’s bottom line is a year-round priority. From field agronomics in the summer and packing at harvest to nutritional balancing and ROI analysis during the winter feeding months, silage management demands constant strategic adjustment. This collection of insights explores how to optimize forage performance, milk production and cow health.
Get expansion plans started off right by making sure you have enough high quality silage.
Managing corn silage is top of mind for most producers this time of the year.
A perfect storm of winterkill and late first-crop harvest means many producers will be dealing with poor forages this feeding season.
There are necessary reasons to climb on the top of a silage pile or bunker. Before climbing to the peak, keep these safety tips in mind to help prevent falls.
Corn silage harvest is a critical time – you’ve got one shot to get it right for the season. Review tips on harvesting, chopping, packing and covering your corn silage.
It is inevitable that some silage losses will occur. Yet, producers can change the magnitude of these potential losses since some are avoidable.
In less-than-ideal harvest conditions, producers may be forced to ensile forages at high-moisture content. Early harvests — with moisture levels higher than 70% — can lead to increased effluent runoff.
Learn tips to retain dry matter nutrient content during corn silage harvest and packing for dairy and beef producers.
Growth stages, like corn tassel time and days until half-milk line, are good indicators to use to determine when to harvest silage. Learn the guidelines to follow to predict your harvest date.
My silage doesn’t smell right. Should I feed it anyway?
You know that a lot goes into making quality silage. Learn more about the top priorities for producing quality silage and how to harvest safely.
To be effective, your inoculant decision may require more consideration than you’ve given it in the past. Learn what’s important in making this decision.
Choosing the best hybrid is only half the battle. In-season management is crucial in determining optimum moisture for harvest. Explore the different ways to determining moisture.
The production methods of forage inoculants are absolutely critical to getting all the benefits of the bacterial inoculant product. When choosing a forage inoculant, follow a few essential tips.
If you think you may need to stretch your corn silage inventory due to reduced tonnage and quality, alternative feed options can be incorporated into the diet to minimize diet disruption.
Producers can evaluate their silage in several ways before it hits the feedbunk. Best practices recommend taking representative samples for comprehensive near-infrared analysis on a regular basis.
It’s time to start checking your alfalfa fields for any injury. Penn State forage management expert Jessica Williamson explains what to look for and how to evaluate your alfalfa crop for any damage.
Poor weather conditions have lowered sugar beet production, leaving cattle producers to find alternative energy sources. Learn about options to consider.
Wet growing conditions and short harvest windows during the 2019 season may have resulted in harvesting at higher moisture levels, which can increase the risk of a clostridial fermentation.
The objective when collecting a silage sample for laboratory analysis is to safely obtain a representative sample of all silage that will be fed. Check out the eight steps to collecting a quality sample.
It’s no secret the 2019 corn silage season was challenging. Understanding the conditions during the growing season can help producers manage expectations for the resulting feed and properly balance rations.
Learn how a precision feeding system of highly digestible feed sources can reduce daily ration costs and minimize manure output.
Times are tough for dairy and beef producers. These five strategies can help you make the most of your feeding program.
Ever considered using alfalfa as a cover crop for corn silage? There are some distinct yield benefits that might surprise you.
Enzymes in silage inoculants help generate sugars for the inoculant bacteria to use for growth and fermentation. They provide fuel for the “good” bacteria, which drives a fast, effective forage fermentation
Storing and feeding haylage is quite different than storing and feeding hay. Read through these do’s and don’ts to learn best management practices for haylage.
The mineral contributions of ash can be important to animal health and performance, which is why it’s important to keep the ash content in forages within acceptable ranges.
Where on the pile does silage usually start to spoil? Even small portions of a well-managed silage pile can still be vulnerable to spoilage where the pile is exposed to oxygen during feedout.
Dry matter (DM) losses can be significantly reduced in drive-over piles when properly covered and sealed. Check out these four rules to follow when covering and sealing a silage drive-over pile.
How do you find the right feedout rate for your silage pile? The ideal rate helps minimize the amount of air penetrating the silage face. Always keep feedout rates high enough to prevent silage heating. Learn more.