6 steps to get the most from your corn silage
By Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian High purchased feed costs mean farms must get as much nutritional value as possible from their homegrown forages. These six steps can help you put up high-quality...
View ArticleWhat’s the goal? More milk or reduced purchased feed costs?
You’ve likely been told “variety A will produce more milk than variety B” when choosing your forage crop varieties. However, it usually doesn’t work exactly that way in the real world. The post What’s...
View Article11 tips for efficient corn silage harvest and storage
By Steve Murty | Nutrients lost through forage shrink have a real cost to your dairy. Here are 11 tips to efficiently harvest, pack, and cover your corn silage to reduce shrink and add dollars to the...
View ArticleDon’t miss the chance to make good silage
By Barry Visser | Most corn planting happened two to four weeks later than normal thanks to April rains and below-average temperatures. Despite the later spring, corn silage harvest is just around the...
View Article9 critical control points for TMR consistency
By Dr. David Carlson | The feeding process requires skill and attention to detail to deliver a high-quality, uniform ration to all cows within a pen. The following nine critical control points can help...
View ArticleCold weather stresses cows too
By Barry Visser | This winter has presented us with nearly every weather scenario possible: fluctuating barometric pressures, bitter cold temperatures and wind chills, and mild temperatures with rain,...
View ArticleTrial shows delayed sealing’s negative impact on forage quality
By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., Vita Plus | The initial phase of making silage is the aerobic phase and it is characterized by the presence of oxygen. The aerobic phase begins when the plant is...
View ArticleHeight considerations for corn silage cutting
By Barry Visser, Vita Plus | Corn silage harvest is at the doorstep for many dairy farms across the Midwest. The growing season has been nearly ideal for some while others have dealt with drought and,...
View ArticleLeverage the fermentation process for feed
By Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Ph.D., and Owen Mickley | Efficient, upfront fermentation is important to the nutrient profile of a forage. When forage is ensiled, bacteria ferment water soluble...
View ArticleVIDEO: Building safe and successful silage piles
Ease of management, ability to ensile a quality forage, and cost effectiveness make silage piles a great storage option. To ensure a successful drive-over silage pile is achieved, planning, preparation...
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