What is a good corn silage yield?

What is a good corn silage yield?

silage per acre can be expected for each 6 to 7 bushels of grain per acre. For example, if expected grain yield is 125 bushels per acre, corn silage yields will be about 18 to 20 tons per acre of 30% dry matter silage (5 to 6 tons per acre dry matter yield).

How do you grow corn silage?

Key takeaways

  1. Plant between April 21 and May 6.
  2. Have a final stand of 33,500 to 35,500 plants per acre.
  3. Use row widths narrower than 30 inches, if possible.
  4. Minimize soil compaction during silage harvest and manure application.
  5. Rotate corn with other crops when possible.

What stage of corn do you cut silage in?

The corn plant will approach silage harvest maturity at about 35 to 45 days, or 900 growing degree units (GDUs) after silking. The primary variance between hybrids of different relative maturities is the length of time between emergence and silking, not from silking to harvest.

How do you calculate corn silage yield?

The weight of the plants divided by 2 will provide the estimated silage yield. Example: The plants from 17 feet, 5 inches with a 30″ row spacing weigh 40lbs. This gives an estimated yield of 20 tons per acre (40/2). If the plant dry matter was 35%, then the calculated dry matter yield per acre would be 7 (20 • 0.35).

Which crop is best for silage?

The fodder crops, such as maize, sorghum, oats, pearl millet, and hybrid napier rich in soluble carbohydrates are most suitable for fodder ensiling. Quality of silage can be improved with the use of suitable additives such as molasses, urea, salt, formic acid etc.

How is corn silage price calculated?

Corn silage pricing considerations

  1. For fermented, shrunk and stored corn silage, multiply the price of corn by a factor of 10 to get a price per wet ton.
  2. For a crop of corn silage still standing in the field, multiply the price of corn by a factor of 7 to 8 to get a price per wet ton.

How long is silage good for?

A. Personally, I have seen silage keep well for three years if it’s maintained in excellent condition. With an extended ensiling period, you’ll want to have all the components of quality silage management in place. This means correctly harvesting, filling, packing and storing the forage.

How do you know when to cut silage?

Try to mow in late afternoon, when both the sugars and dry matter levels of the grass are at their peak. A fast wilt of 24-48 hours depending on mower type and weather conditions is best. Avoid delay in harvest especially as there is a high quality penalty associated with lodged crops.

When should I start cutting silage?

Silage harvest usually begins around 50% kernel milk which is 42 to 47 days after silking, so silking must occur by August 15-20 in order to mature before typical killing frost dates; but remember that the timing of silage harvest is dependent upon achieving the proper moisture for the storage structure (Table 1).

How long should silage ferment before feeding?

10 days to 3 weeks
The fermentation process takes 10 days to 3 weeks for completion. Silages should not be fed until after this process is completed for the best milk production and feed intake. Thus, the recommendation is to wait at least 3 weeks before feeding new crop silages.

How long can silage be stored?

How long can we store silage?

Provided the airtight seal of the wrap isn’t broken, the silage can be stored indefinitely. If it is broken, the silage begins to rot and must be fed out immediately.

What does silage cost per ton?

Example 1
Silage moisture level 70%
Silage dry matter level 100% – 70% = 30%
Silage value at 65% $29.25 per ton
Silage value at 70% $29.25 x (30/35) = $25.07 per ton

How much silage does a cow produce per day?

Silage is a substitute of green fodder. However, initially for 3 – 4 days, its feeding is limited @ 5 to 10 kg/animal/per day to adjust the animals on silage feeding.

What are the disadvantages of silage?

It requires a silo (a permanent structure) in comparison with the simpler methods of field curing and storing hay, this is likely to mean higher costs for small farmers. Wastage my be more, if silage is not properly made. Poorly prepared silages are not accepted by animals.

How can you tell if silage is good?

The DMD (Dry Matter Digestibility) is an accurate and reliable test of forage feeding value. The DMD result is used to estimate energy of the silage, as well as expected live weight gains/milk yields and planning supplementation rates. DMDs of 70% and over are good.

How many times a year do you cut silage?

Silaging can happen between two and five times over a 12-month period, depending on how much the grass is grazed but most farmers cut grass for silage three or four times a year.

What time of day is best to cut silage?

morning dew
The best time to mow grass for silage is when the grass is dry after the morning dew has gone of the grass. This is because it is easier to dry the dew of a standing grass crop. Farmers should also avoid soil contamination of the silage, because this can result in poor preservation and reduced feed quality.

How long is silage ready?

14 to 20 days
The silage is ready for use after 14 to 20 days and can be stored for several months without loss of quality.

How do you cut silage?

For good quality silage at an acceptable yield, cut just before heading. Similarly, although it might be tempting to cut low as this increases yield, the stem base is the part of the plant with the lowest digestibility. So again, overall quality will be improved by cutting higher.

How do farmers make silage from corn?

Silage is also made as a chopped, fermented feed source, primarily from annual crops like corn, barley, sorghum, oats, millet, and occasionally canola and wheat. Silage is made by packing the chopped crop into a “pit” and packing it down well so that any oxygen pockets are eliminated.

When is the best time to cut corn silage?

Note silking date of your fields. Silking date is the first indicator for estimating the date of silage harvest.

  • Assess kernel milkline levels. Start walking fields to assess kernel milkline levels about four weeks after silking.
  • Send in samples to a lab. Comparing a chipper-shredder lab sample to your own silage samples helps build the data needed to make informed harvest decisions for next year.
  • What makes more silage, corn or poplar?

    Silage should not be fed until after this process is completed for the best milk production and feed intake. Thus, the recommendation is to wait at least 3 weeks before feeding new crop silage. What makes more silage, corn or poplar? Silage can also be made from wrapped bales of grass, and most of the grains using the proper header with a forager.

    How much corn silage does a bred cow eat?

    How many acres of silage does a cow need? A cow can eat about 55-60 lbs of corn silage per day (33% moisture. To grow cattle from 300 to 1000 pounds on only corn silage would require about 7 tons of silage. Generally you could expect between 20 and 24 tons of corn silage per acre.