FEED & NUTRITION

Chopping silage

Starting with the final result in mind is a good approach when it comes to chopping silage. Chopping is only part of the equation, as farmers have storage and animal conversion to manage as well.

Challenging growing conditions have created potential shortages in silage stocks over the past few years, which has sparked interest in putting up alternative silage crops, some more creative than others.

We all know how important leaves are to forage quality. Leaves contain the bulk of the energy and protein and are more digestible than stems. This is especially true for alfalfa.

Sitting here at my new kitchen-countertop office location during the COVID-19 pandemic has given me an opportunity to reflect on our past research work and contemplate new directions to take based on what we have learned.

Grass silages can be the most versatile forage crop available to producers. They also can be the most challenging.

The primary purpose of our haymaking equipment is to dry hay to the optimum moisture for storage, then package densely. This winter, our shop has been a staging ground for improved hay drying.