April 19th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
Have you taken advantage of one of the latest NutriDense offerings, Silage University?
If you are a dairy producer, seed representative or just plan curious about what corn silage is all about, head on over to Silage U. There you’ll find a training module that walks you through animated diagrams, visuals and quotes from university researchers about silage.
You’ll learn about:
- Why corn silage is important to dairy production
- How the cow’s digestive system works
- The definition of high-quality corn silage and why it’s so important
- How corn silage quality is measured
Why Silage U? Listen to Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager, explain more in this podcast.
Tags: corn silage, Dairy, Greg Jones, Silage U
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March 30th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
Agri-View recently caught up with Lee Kilmer, an Iowa State University Extension dairy specialist, to discuss how dairy producers can reevaluate their rations to combat high corn prices. In the article, Kilmer provides insight on how nutritionists and researchers can examine starch digestibility to make better use of the starch in corn.
“One way to partly counter high corn prices is to feed less of it — or less starch,” Kilmer notes in the article. “Another way to combat high corn prices is to analyze the corn silage that’s being fed for its total starch content and the digestibility of the starch.”
For more tips on managing feed costs, check out these previous posts on The Corn Feed:
Tags: corn prices, corn silage, Dairy, Dr. Mike Hutjens, Iowa State University, starch digestibility
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March 23rd, 2011 by Courtney Beck
For many years, producers have turned to alfalfa haylage as their forage choice for dairy cows. However, corn silage has established itself as a choice as well. Both alfalfa and corn silage help optimize digestion and fermentation, while reducing feed costs. So how does one plant rank against the other and why are more producers leaning towards corn silage for dairy forage?
In a February article in Hay and Forage Grower, recently retired University of Illinois dairy scientist Michael Hutjens gives the inside scoop on the pros and cons of corn silage and alfalfa. Click here to read Dr. Hutjens’ full article on “Alfalfa vs. Corn Silage”.
Tags: alfalfa haylage, corn silage, Dairy, Dr. Michael Hutjens, Hay and Forage Grower
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March 15th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
Last month in Hoard’s Dairyman, Dr. Michael Hutjens, recently retired University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana extension dairy specialist, addressed a common dairy producer conundrum – selecting the best corn silage variety.
In the article, Dr. Hutjens suggests that the best fit for silage depends on herd goals:
“Selecting corn silage is similar to selecting sires for your dairy herd. Each farm has different needs and should select corn silage based on their situation, growing days, soil quality, disease pressure and services provided by the dealer.”
Check out the Feb. 10, 2011 issue of Hoard’s Dairyman for the full article.
Tags: corn silage, Dairy, Dr. Mike Hutjens, Hoard's Dairyman
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March 9th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
Earlier this week, we shared with you an article our own Mark Schultz penned for Progressive Forage Grower on corn silage hybrid selection. The publication covered seed selection again in the launch of an interesting new column, “Silage Season,” that will follow several dairy producers from across the country throughout a complete corn silage growing season.
This month, the featured producers share what type of seed they will be planting and why. As might be expected, what ends up in the feedbunk was one of the most common factors growers considered before purchasing their seed.
One producer, Keith Dawydko of Anchor Farms, Inc. in Clarence, N.Y., decided to give NutriDense a try after learning of the positive outcome from Dyna-Gro trials in the fall of 2009. The 92-day Dyna-Gro hybrid produced above-average results with 10 percent crude protein.
Check out the full article online here, and be sure to follow the producers each month to learn from their successes and challenges and pick up a tips you can incorporate on your own farm.
Tags: corn hybrid, corn silage, Dairy Producers, Progressive Forage Grower
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March 7th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
For many dairy farmers, selecting the right corn silage hybrid can be a daunting task. Producers must maximize the amount of milk each acre produces, a task that requires thoughtful planning, careful execution and some cooperation from nature.
In a recent issue of Progressive Forage Grower, BASF Plant Science sales agronomist Mark Schultz shared some pro tips for selecting the right corn silage hybrid. Click here to read the full article and learn how to choose a hybrid to help your land do what it’s there for: making milk!
Tags: BASF Plant Science, corn silage, Mark Schultz, Progressive Forage Grower, Silage
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February 28th, 2011 by Courtney Beck
There is a new feature on our Dairy page that helps to make math fun – and profitable.
Previously on the blog, we showed you the results of university research studies using NutriDense Silage at Cornell University, the University of Missouri and the University of Kentucky.
Using the recent study from Cornell University – which concluded that lactating dairy cows fed NutriDense Silage showed a 6 to 8 percent improvement in feed efficiency – our team put together a “cow”-culator that determines a dairy producer’s annual savings with a 6 percent improvement in feed efficiency.
Head on over to the Dairy page by clicking on the image below to play with the numbers yourself:
Tags: corn silage, Cornell University, dairy feed, dairy nutrition, feed efficiency, NutriDense Silage
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February 24th, 2011 by Karlie Justus
For our final installment in this podcast series with Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager, I learned more about Silage University, one of the newest projects at NutriDense.
Silage U is an online learning tool for dairy producers, seed representatives and others involved in the dairy industry. The training module features information portrayed through University researcher quotes, animated diagrams and visuals. Listen in as Greg discusses the reasoning behind Silage U and how it can be a valuable tool for those in the dairy industry.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Also check out these previous podcasts with Greg:
Have questions for Greg? Contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.
Tags: corn silage, dairy feed, dairy nutrition, dairy silage, Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage, Silage University
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February 10th, 2011 by Karlie Justus
We’re back again this week with another podcast with Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage product manager. After looking back on NutriDense Silage’s highlights in 2010, Greg is back to talk about his team’s goals for 2011, including partnerships with seed partners and upcoming research projects.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Have questions for Greg? Contact him at gregory.jones@basf.com.
Tags: corn silage, dairy nutrition, Greg Jones, NutriDense Silage
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February 3rd, 2011 by Courtney Beck
We were excited to be a part of the Carolinas/Virginia chapter’s recent “Best of National Agri-Marketing Association Awards” program, and honored to receive two awards for work we created around NutriDense Silage.
When it comes to quality corn silage, we want to share the positive NutriDense Silage results we’ve seen with producers, nutritionists, researchers, veterinarians and others in the dairy industry. For us, ads and communication materials are important conversation vehicles about feed efficiency and income over feed cost (IOFC) benefits NutriDense Silage can provide.
This ad, which was featured in Progressive Dairyman, Dairy Herd Management and Dairy Today magazines, won a Chapter Merit nod in the Single Page Ads category:
Additionally, this World Dairy Expo aisle banner won a Regional Merit and Chapter First award in the Exhibits category. It hung at WDE and tied into our Green Bay Packers ticket giveaway at our booth.
Tags: Carolina-Virginia National Agri-Marketing Association, corn silage, NAMA, NutriDense Silage
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