If you are feeding your dairy cows corn silage, you may have questions about how much is appropriate. The answer varies per farm based on factors such as cow number, amount of corn silage fed and maturity level of the silage.
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How much does corn silage cost?
Feed costs have been a major expense for dairy farms for years. As a result, many farms have made adjustments to their diets and rations in light of increasing grain prices.
Corn silage is often included as part of Ohio’s dairy cows’ rations due to its low protein content and high carbohydrate content that meet their energy requirements.
Corn silage is primarily carbohydrate-based, consisting of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), starch and sugars. These essential nutrients support animal growth while helping keep bodies in optimal condition.
Corn silage is a cost-effective alternative to hay and often included in dairy cow rations. However, the exact amount of corn silage should be included depends on the needs of the herd.
How much corn silage do I need to feed my cows?
Cows typically consume 20 to 30 pounds of corn silage daily on a dry matter basis, depending on their age. As such, depending on the age, some cows may require more or less feed depending on their needs.
To give you an estimate of how much food your cows need daily, a 500-pound dairy cow typically consumes around 20 pounds of corn silage when not lactating. This amount provides them with most of their energy requirements for non-lactating cows.
Another factor to consider is the type of kernel processing you are using on your corn silage. According to researchers at Kansas State University, cutting TLC by 15% and smallening its kernel size with a kernel processor can result in improved feed to gain ratios for steers and heifers.
Dairy cows should receive 2.5 to 3.5 kg (5 to 7 lb) per head per day of long hay along with corn silage for effective roughage. However, if the quality of the hay is poor, switch to higher quality roughages like fescue hay or mature corn straw instead.
How much corn silage should I feed my cows?
It is essential to provide your cows with enough forage and grain each day. A dairy cow’s dry matter intake is the primary limiting factor in her milk production.
If you have a large herd, it is beneficial to divide them up according to nutrient needs and feed silage only to those groups that require less nutrients. The remainder of your cattle can be fed hay or another forage source.
When selecting how much corn silage to feed your cows, take into account starch concentration and digestibility. These factors will have an impact on their performance and wellbeing.
It is worth noting that corn silage made from drought-stressed corn can have different nutritional values than other corn silage due to the amount of grain developed and how it was chopped.
How much corn silage do I want to feed my cows?
To determine how much corn silage to feed your dairy cows, first determine their energy requirements. From there, you can calculate how many pounds of corn silage should be fed per dairy cow daily.
Eric Bailey, University of Missouri beef cattle nutrition specialist, offered some helpful guidance last month at the Lawrence County Soils and Crops conference in Mount Vernon. To determine how much silage to feed your herd, he suggested consulting with Eric Bailey’s advice.
He suggests producers test the moisture of their silage using the “grab test.” This involves pressing a handful of corn silage together and seeing if it holds together without crumbling away, then it likely contains over 60% moisture.
Corn silage is a good source of energy and roughage, but if the corn used in its production was drought damaged, then it may not meet nutrient values.
