With this year’s high feed values, dairy producers can lower ration costs big time by reducing forage losses during harvest, storage and feeding, says Brian Holmes, a University of Wisconsin ag engineer. He says a recent analysis compared good and fair management practices for a 100-cow herd where alfalfa and corn silage were fed to lactating cows, dry cows and most heifers based on their needs. Corn silage, valued at $125/ton of dry matter, represented 55% of the whole-herd forage diet. The remaining forage, alfalfa silage, was valued at $150/ton of dry matter.
The annual dry matter losses with good and fair management were $24,160 and $41,031, respectively, a $16,871 difference. Holmes says producers can move from fair to good forage management by adopting these practices:
Properly adjust equipment, minimize hay handling operations and harvest at the recommended moisture content of 60-65% for alfalfa silage and 65-70% for corn silage.
Fill silos as quickly as possible.
Pack bunkers, piles and bags densely during filling.
During feed-out, remove at least 6” from the silage face daily and keep the face smooth and without fissures.
Deliver the correct amount of feed to the mixer wagon and don’t spill.
Monitor feed bunks closely and adjust the amount delivered to minimize refusal.
