• Corn silage should be harvested at 35 percent dry matter (65 percent moisture) and one-half to three-fourths milk line. When results from numerous studies were combined and analyzed, harvesting corn silage at 40 percent dry matter or higher resulted in decreased milk yields of 4.4 pounds of milk per cow per day.
Thus, to prevent silage from being too dry if harvest time is extended or plant disease results in rapid drydown of the plant, starting at a slightly wetter moisture level may be warranted. At a dry matter of 35 percent, effluent from silos should be minimized.
• For choppers equipped with a kernel processor, corn silage should be chopped to a theoretical length of 3/4 inch with no more than two or three half or whole corn kernels in a 32-ounce cup and corncobs should be broken into eight pieces. For choppers without kernel processors, silage should be chopped to a 1/2-inch theoretical length.
• To minimize losses, spread fresh silage into thin layers within the bunker, or drive over the pile and pack using 800 pounds of tractor weight per ton of silage (as fed) delivered per hour. Use of dual wheels on tractors does not increase packing density. The total weight of the tractor is the key factor and more important than time spent packing.
• Treat silages with proven inoculants at the recommended doses that, first, enhance fermentation resulting in a rapid decrease in silage pH and, second, decrease yeast counts and heating during feedout. However, the use of inoculants will not replace good silage handling and preservation practices.
• Line the sides of the bunker walls with plastic, with extra plastic overlapping the walls. Once filling is complete, take the excess plastic overlapping the walls and cover the top. Place another piece of plastic over the top of the silo. These pieces of plastic should overlap by 3 to 4 feet, and the overlap should be weighted down with double the amount of weight as the remaining plastic.
• Silos should be covered immediately after filling. Chose plastic with low oxygen permeability.
• For drive-over piles, side slopes should not exceed a 3:1 slope. This allows for water to drain off the pile and for safer packing with equipment. When covered, plastic should extend 4 to 6 feet off the forage surface around all four sides and be weighted down with a 6- to 12-inch layer of sand or soil or sandbags.
• After covering silage with plastic, weight plastic down with tire sidewalls or sandbags that touch to keep all layers of plastic close to the silage top surface. Uncovered silage results in losses in organic matter of 47 percent within the upper 20 inches and 11 percent losses within the next 20 inches. This area represents over 25 percent of the total amount of feed stored in the silo structure. Covering silage reduced these losses to 20 percent in the upper 20 inches and 5 percent in the next 20 inches.
• Silage spoilage reflects not only that which is visibly molded, but also silage that does not show any signs of spoilage. Feeding spoiled silage results in decreased feed intake, even when fed to heifers or dry cows, and may result in diseases, such as listeriosis. 
—From the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
