• Check silage storage containers for signs of spoilage, which can depress milk production if fed to cows.
• Avoid overexposure to harsh elements such as heavy rain and snow by checking storage materials for rips and tears.
• During feedout, shave the silage pile from the top down and then side-to-side.
• During cooler weather, feed six inches or more per day; during summer months, feed 12 inches per day.

To read the full article and learn more about silage storage, click here.

#AgChat – Harvest: This week’s #AgChat focused on the challenges and rewards farmers deal with during harvest time, including best practices, safety, time management, economic effects, labor laws, projected yields and buyer expectations.

Farm Computer Usage: The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report stating that 62 percent of farms now have internet access and more than 70 percent of production farms use the Internet for farm business, among other finds. Read the full report here or check out Progressive Dairyman’s coverage here.

Animals and Ag: Browse the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA) website for hot topics in the animal ag industry including animal care, disease protocol and identification regulations. Stay up-to-date by liking them on Facebook or following them on Twitter.

The Voice of Rural America: Listen in to @agritalk’s weekday radio show at 10:06 CDT to hear discussions on drought, animal disease, federal regulation reviews, ethanol and more. Miss an episode? Subscribe to their podcasts on iTunes or visit their archives to get caught up!

In general, silage harvest begins when the milk line is one-half to two-thirds of the way down the kernel, or 42 to 47 days after silking. However, evaluating fields individually is important because maturity and moisture stages in corn silage can vary due to factors such as weather conditions, weed management, soil moisture and soil fertility.

Proper maturity and whole-plant moisture levels at harvest helps ensure the overall quality of the silage at feed out. According to J.W. Schroeder, North Dakota State University Extension dairy specialist, harvesting corn silage when whole-plant moistures are around the 60 to 75 percent range will bring higher milk yields per ton of silage fed, as well as allow for proper storage conditions and fermentation processes.

To read more about harvesting silage corn at the right moisture, check out this Hay & Forage Grower article.

For further reading:

• Back to Basics: Corn Silage
• Quantifying the Importance of Silage Management

Additionally, according to Cattle Network, dairy producers should be aware that silage could spoil very quickly once the freezing temperatures are gone. They recommend a faster feed-out (one foot per day) to avoid losing silage to spoilage.