Packing density can make or break corn silage quality, yet many southern Idaho operations still struggle to hit the minimum standard.

Planning ahead is the key to accurate forage inventories and minimizing costly waste. Universities offer checklists and calculators to guide dairy and cattle producers, while extension specialists and feed company representatives provide practical advice on storage, sampling and shrink calculations.

We’ve all seen it. Top-layer spoilage – a rind of discolored, decomposing feed often laden with yeasts, molds and mycotoxins on the top of your silage bunker or pile.

It is essential to reduce variation when dealing with what represents – on average – 45% of the cost of operating and is a major source of stress for both the animals and employees.

Even when a farm does everything right prior to feedout, silage piles that are subjected to less-than-ideal face management have the potential for massive spoilage.

North American farmers can show impressive year-over-year gains in corn and alfalfa yields, but if silage isn’t managed correctly, it could just mean more and more feed loss each year.