Effects of corn silage crop processing and chop length on intake, digestion, and milk production were evaluated. Corn silage treatments were harvested at one-half milkline stage of maturity (65% whole-plant moisture content) and at 0.95-cm theoretical length of cut without processing (control) or 0.95-, 1.45-, or 1.90-cm theoretical length of cut with processing at a 1-mm roll clearance. Twenty...

A finishing experiment evaluated substitution of corn with corn silage in diets with modified distillers grains with solubles (MDGS). Steers were fed 15, 30, 45, or 55% corn silage in diets with 40% MDGS. Two additional treatments were tested with 30% corn silage and 65% MDGS and 45% corn silage and 0% MDGS. As corn silage inclusion increased, there was a slight linear increase in F:G with a li...

Corn hybrids for silage vary in yield and several quality traits that affect farm profitability, which is the prime criterion on which hybrids should be ranked. The partial budget approach is the only way to rank corn hybrids for silage for individual farms according to their effects on farm profits. Partial budgets consider only those costs and returns that change in response to the corn hybri...

This study estimated the fermentation characteristics and nutrient value of corn-lablab bean mixture silages relative to corn silages. The effects of feeding corn-lablab bean mixture silages on nutrient apparent digestibility and milk production of dairy cows in northern China were also investigated. Three ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were used to determine the ruminal digestion kinetics ...

Corn silage is a palatable high energy, low protein forage that is used in most dairy rations across the US. The usage of corn silage has grown over the last decade. Seed companies have focused breeding activities on corn silage hybrids resulting in corn silage hybrid differences that rival other species in nutritional differences. When making decisions about the quality of corn silage, dairy p...

An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of corn silage particle size and fat supplements on performance, solid passage rate through the digestive tract, and chewing behavior in dairy cows. The forages were coarse or fine corn silage with geometric means of 8.8±2.7 and 5.6±2.8 mm, and alfalfa with geometrics means of 7.0±3.3 mm, and fat supplements were neutral fat (palm) and soy-o...

Advanced Corn Silage Production 605. Circle all correct answers and Discuss. 1. With corn silage, high grain yield reduces fiber production per acre. a. True. b. Likely. c. Doubtful. d. False. e. Conditional. 2. Delaying harvest decreases digestibility of NDF from corn silage. a. True. b. Likely. c. Doubtful. d. False. e. Conditional. 3. More mature corn silage has less NDF only because it is d...

Corn harvested for silage is an important feed crop on most Pennsylvania farms, where cropland often is limited. The crop provides livestock producers with a high-yielding, relatively consistent source of forage and the animals with a highly digestible and palatable feed. Corn silage produces more energy per acre than any other crop grown in Pennsylvania. Corn silage serves as a high-energy for...

Rumen characteristics and digestive kinetics of brown midrib corn silage were evaluated with five late-lactation (221 DIM +/- 20 d) multiparous cows fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannula. Dietary treatments were applied by using a single reversal design with two 21-d periods where either brown midrib (BM3) or isogenic (ISO) corn silage were included in a total mixed ration formulated to be 4...

Whole-plant corn was harvested at early dent, quarter milkline, two-thirds milkline, and black layer stages to evaluate the effects of maturity on intake, digestion, and milk production when corn was fed as silage in the diet. Twenty multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated experiment with a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Diets containing 50% forage (67% corn silage and...