Silage

Silage pit on farm covered with tires
Once silage is exposed to oxygen, its quality can decrease quickly. For best results, don’t expose more than three days’ worth of a pile at a time.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Retaining Silage Quality During Feedout, Grasshopper Management

May 21, 2024
Tips on retaining silage condition during feedout, planning the optimal time for grass hay harvest, and controlling grasshopper in rangeland and forages.

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Tractor and grain truck harvesting silage
Though delaying small grain harvest can produce higher yields, it also decreases crude protein content. Producers should consider the animal being fed and feeding method before harvesting to get the most out of these crops.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Preparing for First Cutting Alfalfa, Small Grain Harvest Strategies

May 14, 2024
With the first harvest of 2024 beginning soon, producers should take this time to perform equipment maintenance and strategize the timing of alfalfa and small grains harvest based on operational needs.

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Cattle in snow-covered corn residue
While fall and winter weathering can reduce its nutritional quality, cornstalks are still a great and economical winter feed source if supplementation is managed appropriately.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Tips for Cornstalk Grazing, Using Bad Hay and Silage

December 26, 2023
Considerations for grazing cornstalks with snow cover and utilizing low-quality hay and silage during periods of low supply and high feed costs.

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Cattle grouped during snowstorm
For every degree of cold stress a cow faces, they increase their energy requirements by 1%. It's important to provide shelter and adjust feed to help cattle meet these energy requirements and avoid body condition loss.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Cold Stress Preparation, Feeding Brown Hay and Silage Safely

December 19, 2023
Extension educators provide recommendations on preventing body condition loss in cattle during low temperatures and ways to safely feed heat-damaged hay and silage.

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Loading corn silage after harvest
In addition to associated costs, producers considering harvesting drought-stressed corn should also evaluate the impact of doing so on future crop production before making a final decision.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Understanding Nitrate Scores, Corn Silage Pricing

September 6, 2023
Extension educators review the importance of understanding nitrate and nitrate nitrogen scores in forage test results, how to price corn silage to salvage drought-stressed crops, and selecting winter annual forages.

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Loading corn silage
Silage harvesters can put out impressive volumes of chop, often overwhelming the packer with too many loads before they can get a proper pack. Remember, the speed of chopping should be determined by the packing speed, not the silage chopper.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Corn Silage, Last Cutting Alfalfa and Forage Inventories

August 29, 2023
Best practices for packing and covering corn silage, timing the last fall alfalfa cutting, and taking inventory of fall and winter feed supplies.

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Corn silage
Silage is the most widely preferred method of utilizing drought-stressed corn, as the ensiling process reduces nitrate levels by as much as one-half to one-third; however, proper technique is critical and testing before feeding is recommended. (Photo by Kristen Ulmer)

Drought-stressed Corn: A Feed Opportunity

August 18, 2023
When grain harvest of drought-stressed corn won’t be a viable option, it can be utilized in several other ways with careful management and care in feeding.

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Drought-stressed soybean field
Drought-stressed soybeans with few to no pods present. Depending on economics to harvest, using drought-stressed soybeans for forage may be an option. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Soybeans for Forage

August 17, 2023
Brown soybean plants that were evaluated by crop insurance at 2-4 bu/ac can be grazed if a grower doesn’t wish to harvest them. They’re just low quality.

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