I'm confused about silage

[martita]

This has probably been discussed on here somewhere, but I have only managed to find bits and pieces of information. We have fed Monica silage off and on, so I want to make sure we are doing what's best.
The silage we get here is only what is left over after harvesting the ears of corn. So just stalks and leaves. From what I've read when some people talk about corn silage they are talking about the whole plant, ears and all, correct?
We have been able to buy small quantities at a time, so we don't have a problem with it going bad, which is one of the things I've seen mentioned on here.
I guess my question is - is this an ideal food? If it is just stalks and leaves is it not considered grain? We prefer not to feed grain.
What prompted my question was a recent post on milk from grass fed cows where Kelsey said:

Aug 22, 2011 15:52:48 GMT -5 Kelsey said:

There's a big difference between raising cattle on pasture and supplementing with hay and some grain, and raising cattle in a dry lot setting, feeding exclusively hay, silage, and grain.

Silage here is lumped together with the other stuff fed in the dry lot setting, and I'm wondering whether it is just the setting that is negative, or if there is something wrong with silage itself. Our Monica is on about 8 acres of pasture and we also fed some alfalfa. But she really loves the silage!
Many of out neighbors grow corn - we have even located some who grow non-GMO - and next year at harvest time we would like to arrange to take the stalks off their hands and start making our own silage. But we would only go to all the trouble if it is really something worthwhile and healthy to feed our cows.
If there is already a thread that addresses these questions, please point me in the right direction. I have had some trouble searching this site.
Thanks in advance for your help!

[twistedwillow]

I would love to know as well. And I'd love to know the best way to make silage. It all confuses me for some reason.

[suzorse]

here is a link where it was talked about familycow.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pasture&thread=23557&page=1
Suzanne

[martita]

Thanks, Suzanne.
That clears up some doubts I had about making our own. But I am still concerned about using corn stalks to make it. In that thread it seems people were using grass clippings. Does anyone have experience with corn silage in particular? Ours wouldn't have the kernels or cobs in it, just stalks and leaves.
Thanks!

[dexterfarm]

silage here is made from the whole corn plant while still green. If you are making it from the stalks after the harvest when they have dried up I dont think there would be much nutrience left in it.

[martita]

Thanks dexterfarm. That makes sense. When I asked how the people around here make it they said that there is a very small window of time in which to get it done. It isn't green, but it isn't totally dry either. Also, fermenting it presumably ups the nutritional value, no? Around here the actual corn goes to making tortillas or to sell at market, NOT to feeding animals, so all we would be able to get our hands on would be the stalks after harvest.
Anyone else have any thoughts? Am I just feeding Monica air if we only give her the stalks?

[Tim in NY]

There is plenty of nutrition in dry cornstalks after picking. Plenty enough to keep pregnant dry beef cows alive and growing all winter in many areas where such is grazed off. So I think silage made from such should be an acceptable feed. Its probably pretty low in energy, you'd probably want to get it analyzed if there aren't figures available locally so you can guestimate what else to supplement with.

[jwaller]

'Back in the day' people would feed what was called corn stover. The stalk without the ear. Lots of beef operations feed baled or breadloaf piles of corn stalks. Husk makes for good feed. But most of the feed value is still in the ear.

I'm thinking of putting up silage now that I'm retired and will have more cattle next year. Have to have enough cattle to feed enough silage so exposed silage doesn't spoil. Takes a few head depending on if silage is in a big bag or pile. Have NO desire to use the old silo again. Makes great feed but my days of climbing up the silage shoot to pitch down silage every day are long gone.

Silage is chopped when the corn is dented but not dried. I like the smell and cattle like the fermented silage. And you get feed from the whole plant not just the ear. I've also toyed with the idea of going back to picking corn (ears only) and grinding whole cob for feed. Used to do that all the time, but the thought of picking corn in later fall when it's cold and grinding my own feed in the winter just doesn't seem like such a good idea anymore. Local feed mill doesn't grind ear corn anymore. So I'd have to have my own mixer mill, start tractor, grind when needed even if below zero and the fish are biting in the winter.

What I have done for many years is haul my grain (oats, dried shell corn, barley or whatever) to town and pay the elevator to store it for me and grind feed as I need. I can either run to town with a wagon and get feed (save trucking and have coffee in town) or pay to have it delivered by the mill if time, fish or weather keep me otherwise occupied.

[farmer48]

My family used to run small dairy we feed corn silage all winter . When the corn was harvested for silage my dad planted wheat and that lasted the summer they both are good feed

[Annie]

The way the corn and silage work around here is that corn silage is made from the sweet corn stalks just after the sweet corn is picked. That means the stalks are still green.

They never use feed corn stalks, because they dry out before they even pick the corn.

Silage being something that is fermented has a small alcoholic content. Our sheep used to act like lambs, jumping around and playing, after eating the really good stuff.

In Belgium, where they feed sugar beets during the winter, they have announcements on the radio in the spring to watch out for drunken cows....

Our cow does well on silage, and the way it works is that it can help increase her production like grain does, but does not disrupt her stomach balances if she has more the way grain can. However, it does not increase her cream production the way grass does. OTOH, she totally loves silage!!!!

[spenrod]

Dried corn stalks and leaves can be fed to cows but what you don't want to do is feed only the dried product. Corn stalks, after they are dried, have very little nutritional value and definitely not enough to sustain a milking cow. They can be used for roughage much like straw can. A few years ago some farmers in virginia thought it would be a good money saving move to feed only corn stalk bales. The result was their cows died of malnutrition with full stomachs. Moral of the story: cows will eat it, but definitely don't feed only it.

[jwaller]

My land renters baled their corn stalks at my place for roughage for feedlot cattle. I did some for bedding. Then I raked the leaves, etc after the stalks were baled. Got lots of nice roughage for steers on full feed.