Corn Silage Production and Management
Corn silage is an important source of forage. It makes up over 40% of the value of the forage fed to dairy cows and is also a important feed in the industry.
Several characteristics of corn silage make it attractive to many livestock producers. It is a palatable forage with relatively consistent quality and higher yields and energy content than most other forages. Corn silage production requires significantly less labor and machinery time than other forages because it requires only a single harvest activity. Hay and haycrop silage, on the other hand, often require multiple harvests. The cost per ton of dry matter also tends to be much lower for corn silage than for other harvested forage crops.
Proper moisture level is important to help in the process of excluding air from the mass as the structure is filled. Getting the air out is important to start the fermentation process.
