Corn Silage vs. Grain

[Stocker Steve]

Some bigger operators here green chop and make silage piles to extend the "grazing" season. Once you own all the equipment this seems to work well. We are in a drought pocket so I ended up with a lot of unplanned silage this fall. Now I need to buy some additional equipment to feed it.

We had a grazing "expert" from Ireland through here last year. He could not understand why folks had all these silos and silage handling equipment rather than just a front end loader to feed grain or byproducts. No one gave him an answer -- but I do know that not too long ago you could not expect ripe corn in this area.

Have you seen any studies comparing the economics of, or the negative associative effects from, supplementing forage with grains vs. corn silage?

 

[mnmtranching]

Steve, This is the way I look at it. [I am not a big operator]

I put up corn silage. #1 it's difficult for me to put up enough hay.

#2 It's nice to use the whole plant when I need to forage/filler.

#3 Corn does not require as much rain as hay, on dry years I can still get a decent crop.

#4 I use lots of cow manure on my corn ground, good place to utilize it.

#5 Easy feeding, I use a skid steer and fenceline feeding. And good corn silage with good grain is excellent cattle feed. Cows can get fat on you.

There are some draw backs. Takes more time, labor, fuel, than a combine and storage.

I don't know if this is what your looking for. My thoughts.

 

[hayray]

Last winter I wanted to buy some but after I crunched the numbers it was more expensive than feeding my own hay, cause I was trying on cutting back on that inorder to sell more hay. I also looked at Beet pulp. The biggest factor was the amount of dry matter in a ton of silage vs. dry hay. Now the numbers would be different obviously if the cost of purchased hay was compared. I know plenty of people that winter their cows on silage and they do great on it, real high energy and high rouphage.

 

[TexasBred]

Corn silage is a great feed but as you mentioned it usually only runs from 30 to 35% dry matter so you're paying for a lot of water. It will take around 35 lbs. of corn silage to give you the same dry matter as 12 lbs. of hay. It has good energy on a dry matter basis has equal or higher protein than hay but will definitely fatten cattle. Just takes a different feeding setup, additional time and equipment to feed properly.

 

[msscamp]

Some bigger operators here green chop and make silage piles to extend the "grazing" season. Once you own all the equipment this seems to work well. We are in a drought pocket so I ended up with a lot of unplanned silage this fall. Now I need to buy some additional equipment to feed it.

We had a grazing "expert" from Ireland through here last year. He could not understand why folks had all these silos and silage handling equipment rather than just a front end loader to feed grain or byproducts. No one gave him an answer -- but I do know that not too long ago you could not expect ripe corn in this area.

Have you seen any studies comparing the economics of, or the negative associative effects from, supplementing forage with grains vs. corn silage?

What kind of additional equipment?

 

[rkm]

Was that grazing expert from Ireland visiting Minn. in June when everything was green? If he was there in Jan. or Feb, he would know why you have all those silos and equipment. :shock: :shock:

 

[Stocker Steve]

Was that grazing expert from Ireland visiting Minn. in June when everything was green? If he was there in Jan. or Feb, he would know why you have all those silos and equipment. :shock: :shock:

He was here in July when grain corn was still cheap.

In my area corn has doubled in two year going from $1.60 to $3.27 per bushel, but silage has only gone up a little. The local forage prices usually suggest it is a buyers market.

 

[Johnny]

What does corn silage cost in your areas?

Had a quote a cpl of weeks ago for $55 per ton delivered.

He said it was 12% CP and 63% TDN. This would be about same as the ryegrass balage I am putting up.

If analysis is same, would a ton of corn silage be any better than a ton of balage? On a dry matter basis, of course.

Johnny

 

[Stocker Steve]

This year it was $25 a ton for corn silage delivered. It has corn in it but it would only yield 30 to 50 bushels of grain per acre.

 

[somn]

This year it was $25 a ton for corn silage delivered. It has corn in it but it would only yield 30 to 50 bushels of grain per acre.

Stocker Steve that $25 dollars per ton on that silage you speak of is priced almost identical to corn. The most commonly used ratio of corn to silage is 7 to 1. 7 bushels of corn will yield 1 ton of silage so this particular corn yielded 50 bpa. 50 bushels divided by 7 bushels would be 7.14 tons of silage per acre. 7.14 tons x $25 per ton = $178.50
50 bushels of corn at $3.50 = $175.00. The two methods are within $3.50 of each other on per acre gross revenue. The two will always go hand in hand. Unless of course your name is mnmtranching then all logic goes out the window. He claims a 12 to 1 ratio. But on his farm roundup also wears off so consider the source.

 

[Stocker Steve]

This year it was $25 a ton for corn silage delivered. It has corn in it but it would only yield 30 to 50 bushels of grain per acre.

Stocker Steve that $25 dollars per ton on that silage you speak of is priced almost identical to corn. The most commonly used ratio of corn to silage is 7 to 1. 7 bushels of corn will yield 1 ton of silage so this particular corn yielded 50 bpa. 50 bushels divided by 7 bushels would be 7.14 tons of silage per acre. 7.14 tons x $25 per ton = $178.50
50 bushels of corn at $3.50 = $175.00. The two methods are within $3.50 of each other on per acre gross revenue.

Two related questions -
1) Does the energy value of the corn stalk change with low or high grain yields per acre?
2) Do you have test data or ADG data for sweet corn silage which contains no grain?

 

[somn]

This year it was $25 a ton for corn silage delivered. It has corn in it but it would only yield 30 to 50 bushels of grain per acre.

Stocker Steve that $25 dollars per ton on that silage you speak of is priced almost identical to corn. The most commonly used ratio of corn to silage is 7 to 1. 7 bushels of corn will yield 1 ton of silage so this particular corn yielded 50 bpa. 50 bushels divided by 7 bushels would be 7.14 tons of silage per acre. 7.14 tons x $25 per ton = $178.50
50 bushels of corn at $3.50 = $175.00. The two methods are within $3.50 of each other on per acre gross revenue.

Two related questions -
1) Does the energy value of the corn stalk change with low or high grain yields per acre?
2) Do you have test data or ADG data for sweet corn silage which contains no grain?

No it does not usually change. And no I do not have any test data or adg we only fed sweet corn silage as a source of roughage before monensin came along. I'm guessing it would be real close to feeding baled corn stalks. Something to chew on.

 

[TexasBred]

Compliments of Wisconsin Extension Service:

· Grain yield method for estimating silage yield: Grain yield method for estimating silage yield: For moisture-stressed corn, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be obtained for each 5 bushels of grain per acre. For example, if you expect a grain yield of 50 bushels per acre, you will get about 10 tons/acre of 30% dry matter silage (3 tons/acre dry matter yield). For corn yielding more than 100 bushels per acre, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be expected for each 6 to 7 bushels of grain per acre. For example, corn yielding 125 bushels of grain per acre, corn silage yields will be 18 to 20 tons per acre at 30% dry matter (5 to 6 tons per acre dry matter yield). See also Table 2 in A1178 "Corn silage for the dairy ration."

For moisture-stressed corn, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be obtained for each 5 bushels of grain per acre. For example, if you expect a grain yield of 50 bushels per acre, you will get about 10 tons/acre of 30% dry matter silage (3 tons/acre dry matter yield). For corn yielding more than 100 bushels per acre, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be expected for each 6 to 7 bushels of grain per acre. For example, corn yielding 125 bushels of grain per acre, corn silage yields will be 18 to 20 tons per acre at 30% dry matter (5 to 6 tons per acre dry matter yield). See also Table 2 in A1178 "Corn silage for the dairy ration."

 

[somn]

Compliments of Wisconsin Extension Service:

· Grain yield method for estimating silage yield: Grain yield method for estimating silage yield: For moisture-stressed corn, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be obtained for each 5 bushels of grain per acre. For example, if you expect a grain yield of 50 bushels per acre, you will get about 10 tons/acre of 30% dry matter silage (3 tons/acre dry matter yield). For corn yielding more than 100 bushels per acre, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be expected for each 6 to 7 bushels of grain per acre. For example, corn yielding 125 bushels of grain per acre, corn silage yields will be 18 to 20 tons per acre at 30% dry matter (5 to 6 tons per acre dry matter yield). See also Table 2 in A1178 "Corn silage for the dairy ration."

For moisture-stressed corn, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be obtained for each 5 bushels of grain per acre. For example, if you expect a grain yield of 50 bushels per acre, you will get about 10 tons/acre of 30% dry matter silage (3 tons/acre dry matter yield). For corn yielding more than 100 bushels per acre, about 1 ton of silage per acre can be expected for each 6 to 7 bushels of grain per acre. For example, corn yielding 125 bushels of grain per acre, corn silage yields will be 18 to 20 tons per acre at 30% dry matter (5 to 6 tons per acre dry matter yield). See also Table 2 in A1178 "Corn silage for the dairy ration."

Stocker Steve it seems TexasBred and I finally agree on something. 5 to 1 is a very real possibility unlike mnmtranchings 12 to 1. Using the 5 to 1 ratio that silage is now priced considerably higher than corn. Selling the 50 bpa silage returns $250 dollars to the farmer selling the corn still will only return the farmer the $175 per acre. I used the 7 to 1 because that is the most commonly used and accepted method. Talk to any FSA employee they know that ratio by heart. The farmer selling the silage apparently is using the 7 to 1 ratio.

 

[mnmtranching]

The US average bushel per acre corn is 156. Some yields at 300 + some are 50 and less. It's OK to use averages. Fact is, you got to consider the corn you have, not what the averages are.

mnmt

 

[somn]

The US average bushel per acre corn is 156. Some yields at 300 + some are 50 and less. It's OK to use averages. Fact is, you got to consider the corn you have, not what the averages are.

mnmt

And the US average bpa corn yield of 156 changes the ratio how? The ratio seldom varies in the case of drought it makes the ratio closer not farther apart. Yet you got 12 to 1. Wonder how that happened? Seems impossible but then again roundup wears off there at your farm so I guess anything is possible.

 

[mnmtranching]

Mr Somn;

The Law of average is a good guide. You should consider extremes.

Example, The average temp for today is 15 degrees, the record is in the 50's the low in the -30's.

Life expectancy is 78, some die very young and some will live to be 100 plus.

Or, The average IQ is 100, the higher the IQ the easier it is to figure things out, the lower? OH Well.

Have a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season.
And, will Chat Again.

mnmt

 

[somn]

Mr Somn;

The Law of average is a good guide. You should consider extremes.

Example, The average temp for today is 15 degrees, the record is in the 50's the low in the -30's.

Life expectancy is 78, some die very young and some will live to be 100 plus.

Or, The average IQ is 100, the higher the IQ the easier it is to figure things out, the lower? OH Well.

Have a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season.
And, will Chat Again.

mnmt

Does this law of averages also make roundup wear off? A real man would admit to being wrong or at the very least admit that they never weighed anything so all figures used were simply made up figures from inside your mind. There is no shame in admitting you made up numbers that were wrong but continuing to tell mistruths to these people here on the board is shamefull. So maybe try telling the people you were wrong about the 12 to 1 ratio and that you were wrong about roundup wearing off. I'd rather be hated for doing the right thing and calling a spade a spade than be loved for telling people things that make me look good.