If the muddy, wet April and May kept you from seeding alfalfa this spring, now is the time to put the finishing touches on your preparation for late-summer seeding...More
If wet fields delay silage-corn planting until after June 15, northern New York growers may want to consider brown midrib (BMR) sorghum-sudangrass instead...More
When appropriate silage inoculants are applied to chopped forages, they are cost-effective, says J.W. Schroeder, North Dakota State University Extension dairy specialist...More
Ohio farmers whose wet fields prevent them from planting cool-season perennial forages by May 15 should consider warm-season annual forages instead, says John Grimes, Ohio State University Extension beef coordinator...More
Don’t try to make a perennial forage seeding if wet field conditions delay planting until after May 1, advises John Grimes, Ohio State University Extension beef coordinator...More
The higher price of inputs this season puts even more pressure on maximizing corn silage yields, points out Chad Lee, University of Kentucky Extension grain crops specialist. Here are his guidelines for putting silage corn in the best position to reach high yields...More
The knives on self-propelled choppers are of higher-quality materials than they used to be and don’t need to be sharpened as often, according to a study by Karl Wild, University of Applied Sciences, Dresden, Germany...More
Custom operators harvesting snaplage for clients should “err on the wet side rather than on the dry,” says Bill Mahanna, nutritional sciences manager at Pioneer...More
A forage harvester’s operating efficiency is largely determined by its length of cut. That’s the main thing he learned from a self-propelled chopper competition held near Bakersfield, CA, last July. The four self-propelled harvester brands – Claas, John Deere, Krone and New Holland – competed in a Chopper Challenge...More
Oregon State University (OSU) has developed the first winter hooded barley that produces high yields of forage, thrives in the Northwest and resists a fungus known as stripe rust...More
In the Netherlands, police were strict with trailer operators who lost some of their silage along roadways during last year’s corn silage harvest. Owners of loaded, uncovered silage trailers were fined 240 euros ($316)...More
Fires in upright silos can range from being a nuisance to a financial burden to deadly if not handled correctly, says Dave Hill, director of Penn State University’s Managing Agricultural Emergencies program...More
Baleage has gained a following. The wrapped round-bale silage takes less field-drying time than baled hay and has a wider moisture-content window compared to chopped material stored in bunker or bag silos...More
“We get feedback from producers and even nutritionists, at times, that all corn silages are pretty much the same – they’re low-protein, high-energy forages,” said Karl Nestor. “That’s not true anymore,” said the senior animal nutritionist...More
Corn silage yields were short across Pennsylvania this year, so many farmers bolstered their forage supplies by planting oats after the silage harvest, reports Paul Craig, Dauphin County Extension agent...More
Pearl millet silage produced equal amounts of milk with higher milkfat levels than corn silage in a dairy feeding trial at McGill University in Quebec...More
Bill Fuller invited neighbor Roy Marcantel to harvest and feed some of his 2009 Big Fellow soybeans. Marcantel harvested the crop as baleage without mixing it with corn, then fed it to yearling Braford heifers as their primary forage throughout the fall and winter...More
Bill Fuller wasn’t satisfied with the 7-9% protein content of his corn silage and wanted to make it a more complete feed for his beef cattle.
“I wanted something to blend with corn as a protein supplement”...More
“Due to variability in stalk and ear development, corn silage made from drought-stressed corn should be tested more frequently for moisture content, starch content and NDF digestibility in order to better formulate rations for high-producing dairy cows”...More
Alfalfa (40% NDF) and orchardgrass (60% NDF) hays supported similar milk production levels when they replaced corn grain in rations at the University of Minnesota...More
Sweet corn cannery waste doesn’t have the quality or consistency of corn silage. But at a third to half the price, it’s an effective way for some dairies to shave their feed bills...More
Brian Vaassen and Mike Hutjens recommend welcoming the New Year with a thorough checkup of this year’s corn silage. “Quality is optimized if the crop remains in storage for three to four months...More
