eCorn Silage Archive
A Good Seal Keeps Oxygen Out, Losses Down
A bunker or pile covering that's sealed correctly will minimize spoilage losses, says Richard Muck, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center ag engineer. ...
Wisconsin Program Offers Economic Insight
Wisconsin growers have until Aug. 25 to enter the annual PEPS program, a crop production contest that also gives growers information on the profitability, efficiency and conservation of their crop. Entry ...
Spreadsheet Calculates Silage Hybrid Differences
The Michigan State University CornPicker for silage Excel spreadsheet allows silage corn growers to calculate partial budgets showing how silage corn hybrid changes affect farm profits. ...
Cost-Saving Ways To Improve Silage Density
To improve the packing density of your corn silage, think like an agronomist, suggests Paul Craig, Dauphin County, PA, Extension agent. Or, rather, think about what an agronomist wants to prevent – compaction ...
Oxygen-Barrier Covering Systems Lower Losses
Dry matter recovery at the tops of bunkers and near bunker walls can be improved by as much as 15 percentage units if oxygen-barrier films are used to cover stored silage, says Rich Muck, a ...
Higher Buchneri Rates Work
Higher rates of Lactobacillus buchneri inoculum, which increases acetic acid levels, will likely be more effective in reducing aerobic spoilage in silage than lower concentrations, according to researchers. ...
What Silage Additives Need To Work Well
Harvest, storage and feeding conditions can affect the effectiveness of silage inoculants and other additives, warns Limin Kung, University of Delaware dairy nutritionist. ...
Nutritionist Survives Silage-Pile Collapse
Doug DeGroff no longer judges the safety of silage piles by how they look. Last August, DeGroff, a dairy nutritionist from Tulare, CA, had just taken ...
Silage Studies Turn Creative
Faster Feedout Can Reduce Spoilage, Expert Says
The faster silage is fed off the face of a bunker or pile, the less time it’s exposed to oxygen and subject to spoilage, says Brian Holmes, a University of Wisconsin ag engineer. He generally suggests ...
Balance Rations To Avoid Rumen Problems
“Nutritionists love to include corn silage in a ration,” says Mireille Chahine, Extension dairy specialist with the University of Idaho. Corn silage adds ...
Make Silage Storage Site Safe, Too
When designing storage for silage, make sure the apex of any pile or bunker silo is never higher than the reach of the equipment used to remove silage at feedout...
Sealing Silage Right Keeps Spoilage Down
More silage managers are covering bunkers and piles with plastic films, yet many do lousy jobs of sealing them well enough to prevent spoilage and maintain silage quality. Although those aren't ...
Shrink Loss Reduced With Safety-First Actions
The best way to avoid high shrink loss in bunker silos or drive-over piles is to first think safety, says Keith Bolsen, professor emeritus and forage ...
Western Dairies Improve Silage Quality
Idaho dairies have come a long way in learning how to properly store corn silage, says Mireille Chahine, University of Idaho ...
