Drive-over piles have become popular storage systems for many livestock operations today, but too often this silage never makes it from the pile to the feed bunk.

This loss in feed is commonly referred to as “shrink” and is measured by subtracting the total tons of silage fed from the total tonnage ensiled.

The air conditioner was working fine. Both windows were open and the air from outside was flowing freely through the cab of the Freightliner.

Hydraulic systems on agricultural equipment are used to complete such maneuvers as lifting the buckets on skid steers or adjusting the position of combine headers.

Forages are the foundation of a successful pasture-based dairy. So when forage yield or quality drops, so does milk production.

Successful forage systems consider more than annual forage yield or milk production per acre. They also consider plant persistence, long-term sustainability, cost per unit of milk produced and, ultimately, profitability.