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Friday On The Farm: Silage Chopping 🌽

September 30, 2022 1 Comment

Corn Fed Beef

 It's time for a monthly update about what's happening on our farm and farms in our area this time of year!

Farmers in the area are harvesting corn crops to make 'cow chow.' 🌽  Farmers in our area mainly harvest corn crops in three ways:
  • Silage is when the whole corn plant is chopped - the kernels, cob, ear, husks, stalk, and leaves. All of this is ground up and stored to feed cattle later.
  • Earlage is when the whole corn ear is chopped - the ground kernels, cob, husks, and the whole ear. This is different than silage because the husks, stalk, and leaves are not chopped. Earlage is stored and will be used as cattle feed.
  • Harvesting Corn is when only the corn kernel is harvested from the plant. This will be used for cattle feed or be taken to an ethanol plant.
All of these have different nutritional values and are used in different feeding rations for cattle. The rations are designed by certified cattle nutritionists!
Farm feed
Silage finds
Silage and earlage are stored in a ‘pit’ and tarped to create fermentation. Pictured above is a small silage pile that we will use to feed our calves this winter… And a lizard that Eric found when tarping the pit :)
Hope you enjoyed this month's version of Friday On The Farm!



1 Response

Donna Baalman
Donna Baalman

September 29, 2023

That was a very interesting story. Thank you so much for sharing it.

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