As dairy producers have been growing more corn silage and feeding it in lactating cow rations, there has also been a rise in the use of other annual forages. This has been driven by expanding interest in planting cereal grains after corn silage is chopped and harvesting forage the following spring...
Feeding a higher percentage of forage in dairy cow diets is a strategy that’s growing in popularity as homegrown feeds become more cost-effective compared to high-priced commodities. High-forage die...
Even if I yell at you, I still love you. Not exactly the definition of modern parenting, but it is my opening line when I teach my daughters to drive. As I sit next to them for the first time in the p...
Forages are the foundation for nutritionally sound, profitable, and rumen-healthy rations. When Randy Shaver with the University of Wisconsin-Madison surveyed high-producing Wisconsin herds, he calcul...
Fall weather often brings cool and wet conditions that can stimulate mold growth in crops prior to harvest. This can boost mycotoxin levels in silage. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by some molds...
Different reasons exist for growing small grain crops on a dairy farm. Winter annual crops capture nitrogen from the manure applied to the soil, protect the soil from erosion...
Over the past 30 years, alfalfa has lost market share to corn silage in dairy cow diet formulations. Multiple reasons have been cited for this shift, including lower alfalfa yields, winterkill risk...
