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.
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.
If silage face management isn’t the best it could be, it might be costing you a 10% loss in dry matter. Read tips to minimize silage exposure to oxygen and best management practices to help reduce spoilage.
You’ve heard the term “fiber digestibility” for years, but do you really understand why it’s so important? We’ll explain it. Plus, learn how it could impact a later-than-usual harvest.
With a wet planting season this year there is increased risk of spoilage any time there is physical damage to the corn plant from insects, disease or weather. Learn what to do.
Worried about frost damage harming your corn silage crop? Learn tips on managing harvest when frost hits at different corn growth stages.
Silage structures have year-long safety concerns — from harvest to feedout. Yet, there should be little risk as long as everyone knows and understands the silage safety guidelines.
Corn silage may be in short supply this year, making the quality even more important than usual. Follow these recommendations to monitor moisture and minimize losses.
Harvesting corn silage at the right moisture content and particle size is critical to making high-quality silage. Have a look at different methods and tools to monitor whole-plant moisture content.