High-moisture shelled corn has higher feed value than dry-rolled corn and about the same value as steam-flaked corn. It also offers a number of other advantages for growers over dry corn, including earlier harvest, no drying costs and higher yields (earlage).

Harvest flexibility
For growers who value harvest flexibility, high-moisture corn is a great tool. When corn dries too much to provide quality silage, they can begin cutting earlage. When the kernel matures and the cob dries, growers can harvest just the high-moisture grain. Once it’s too dry for high-moisture corn, the crop can be shelled as dry corn.  

Growers have three ways to harvest high-moisture corn. They can harvest the whole ear, harvest the grain and some cob or take only the grain. Harvesting the whole ear (cob, shank and some husk) adds some valuable fiber to the ration.

Harvesting the whole ear can increase dry matter yield 15 to 20 percent per acre more than harvesting grain only. The cob, husks and shank are highly digestible forms of fiber when harvested before kernel maturity. Once the kernel reaches maturity, the cob quickly hardens, reducing digestibility.

Harvesting the grain only can cause loss of the small tip kernels, which often are ejected from the combine. The starch and sugars in ear tips and immature cobs have good feed value.

When grain is expensive, it’s important to bring in all nutrients possible from the field. With high-capacity forage harvesters equipped with a snapper head and an onboard kernel processor, harvesting earlage can be done quickly and efficiently.

However, if earlage is harvested when too dry, it’s difficult to pack and has poorer feed value. Proper earlage moisture – 36 to 42 percent – is critical for proper fermentation and optimal feed value. Kernel moistures will be in the 30 to 36 percent range when earlage is in the 36 to 42 percent range.

Processing considerations
Like any silage, ensiling high-moisture corn requires good management during packing and storage. The degree of processing required differs for dairies and feedlots. Dairies tend to process finer because of the faster rate of passage through a cow’s digestive system.

The finer the feed is processed, the better it packs. If kernel moisture drops below 25 percent, processors should roll or grind the corn finer and add water if possible.

If high-moisture corn is processed by a roller mill, all kernels should be broken into a minimum of four to six pieces, not just nicked or cracked. Hammer mills or tub grinders typically will produce smaller particles.

Ideally, all kernels would be broken, but the product would be flour to achieve 0 percent whole kernels. A good goal is less than 5 percent whole kernels and less than 20 percent fines when using a tub grinder.

Preserve with inoculants
Inoculants are a valuable tool when working with high-moisture corn. Research-proven inoculants will produce higher-quality feed when corn is harvested at the correct moisture, properly processed and good silo-filling practices are followed.

Research has shown that inoculation with products specifically designed for high-moisture corn is highly effective at reducing dry matter losses and improving the feed value. They are another tool growers can use to improve feed efficiency when corn is expensive.

Inoculants help improve consistency and can be particularly important when feeding high-moisture corn in summer months. Exposure to air and higher ambient temperatures can start aerobic activity, heating and nutrient loss.

Those are highly digestible energy components being lost. It’s important to retain that energy when corn is $2 per bushel, but it’s critical when corn is $7 per bushel.

Starch availability increases
Operators also need to realize that the longer high-moisture corn is stored, the faster it will digest in the rumen. High-moisture corn kernels contain starch granules encased in proteins. During storage, these proteins break down, allowing the starch to become more available and more digestible in the rumen.

Operators need to formulate rations to account for the more digestible starch. High-moisture corn fed in winter will react much differently than the same ingredient fed in summer.

In the final analysis, properly managed high-moisture corn offers better feed efficiency than dry corn. And with high feed costs, that’s a crucial difference.  FG

Steve Soderlund
Livestock Information Manager
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc