Producers who utilize HMC have a substantial economic investment in their pile or silo full of corn and, ideally, they’d like to get a return on that investment. There are several important factors to consider when preserving HMC.

There are three areas where consistency is necessary to optimize feed management: inventory, mixing of the total mixed ration (TMR) and the feedbunk.

Because feed costs are a very significant contributor to total running costs, they are a focal point for producers looking to reduce costs without negatively impacting animal performance and farm profitability.

Properly ensiled forages can be stored for extended periods of time and support the performance and health of your herd. Alternatively, you could be dealing with spoilage, plummeting palatability and a rising feed bill.

Corn silage harvest is complete for another year. As is often the case, silage inventory from last year’s harvest is running really low, and you are likely anxious to open a recently filled storage structure to start feeding it to your lactating cows.

Ensiling or fermenting fresh forage is an effective way to preserve nutrients, allowing us to feed animals year-round. However, the value and quality of silage is dependent on how well it was preserved.