Feed Storage

Four things to know as milk prices cycle lower

cesar_matamoros@cargill.com — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Producers are seeing lower milk prices from January 2025 highs. While this downturn still reflects basic supply and demand, there are significant differences compared to recent cycles: strong cull and beef prices, earning component incentives, corn silage quality by region and a younger generation of managers.

Friendshuh Farms separates corn silage to feed cows better

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

When a short, wet 2019 wheat harvest left dairies struggling with expensive and moldy straw, one farm decided there had to be a better way to feed dry cows than their Goldilocks diet. That challenge sparked an idea that would ultimately set the operation apart by separating corn silage into fodder and fines.

Real Producer Exchange Episode 3: Greg Nye

walt.cooley@agproud.com — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Dairyman Greg Nye knew his dairy was handling its feedstuffs too much. He didn’t like what that was costing his dairy in shrink. Given that his farm also feeds pricier non-GMO ingredients as part of its milk shipping agreement, he started looking at alternatives to how he was handling feed ingredients to save money.

How’s the weather? Plan your rations accordingly

Joel.Pankowski@churchdwight.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Variability isn’t ideal for any situation on a dairy farm, but one way to get through variation is to know when it’s coming. If you tested forages when they came off the field, you should have a pretty good idea of their quality – but there may be hidden challenges you need to prepare for.

[Podcast] Robotic milking with dairyman Jacob Twohey

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Walt Cooley is joined by Jacob Twohey of Twohey Dairy. Like 95% of farms in Olmsted County where they dairy, their farm is family-owned, and Jacob represents the next generation taking over the operation. They milk 260 cows and have transitioned to robotic milking.

Keeping silage clean: Hygienic practices for optimal feedout

rschmidt@lallemand.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Effective feedout goes beyond simply removing the plastic, tires and defacing the silo – it is about preserving quality and maximizing return on investment. Without proper management, silage can spoil quickly, leading to unnecessary waste, reduced feed efficiency and potential for digestive issues for your herd.

Successfully transition your cows from one silage to another

ben.jensen@hubbardfeeds.com — Thu, 29 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Silage can be difficult to introduce into an animal’s diet, but once it is established, moving from one crop to the next produces a new set of challenges. When changing types of silage, or from crop to crop, here are some things to consider.

Nexus awards: New feed pad design keeps rainfall out of lagoon, saves money on manure hauling

walt.cooley@agproud.com — Mon, 05 May 2025 06:07:45 -0400

A new feed pad design keeps leachate and rain runoff separate, keeping them out of dairy lagoons. The patented system from Dairy Nutrient Reclamation saves dairy producers money from not having to haul the extra water once mixed with manure.

California dairy innovates with automated indoor feed mill

audrey@agproud.com — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Known for its forward-thinking approach, River Ranch Farms LLC has embraced numerous innovations, from a biogas hub and solar fields to the recent development of an automated indoor feed mill. At the forefront is Forever Feed Technologies, a company that dairy producer Jack de Jong helped establish to explore the possibilities of sprouted grain feeding systems.

Five things to keep in mind when evaluating premixes

sblez@verizon.net — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

For many dairies, use of premixes is nothing new and they have been used in some fashion since dairying began. In many cases, however, because the practice is so common, we may tend to forget these are tools in our feeding programs that need to be reevaluated from time to time.

California dairy farmer installs fully automated feed center

audrey@agproud.com — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It was dairy producer Danny Martins’ vision to design a fully automated feed center where he didn’t have to rely on multiple feeders and could instead entrust just one person.

Building a strong foundation for your feed program begins with high-quality silage

kzm175@psu.edu — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The foundation of most diets fed to dairy and beef cattle includes forages, but making them into high-quality silage that can be fed year-round is a challenge.

Managing forage in the face of more frequent extreme weather events

jrl65@cornell.edu — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The list of notable weather events in 2023 is long and varied — from drought conditions in parts of the Midwest, to extreme flooding in portions of New England, to smoky skies from Canadian wildfires.

Discussing timely producer questions

Crystal_Prom@cargill.com — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Learn how to manage forage inventories after harvest, improve average daily gain of calves and capitalize during times of tight farm margins.

Identifying profit leaks on a dairy

brian.lammers@adm.com — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

There are a few areas on a farm that don’t receive as much attention by publications, consultants and even the dairy producers themselves that can have a dramatic impact on farm profitability.

Crop season safety

kw566@cornell.edu — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:33:07 -0400

Farming is not just a job. It is a way of life. Unfortunately, many dangers are associated with this vocation. Individuals on farms are exposed to a host of mechanical and environmental hazards every day that increase risk of injury or death.

Hot cows hate hot feed: How to prevent contamination and boost ROI

Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Rising temperatures in summer months are challenging for highly productive cows, and this is exacerbated if feed is unstable, heating and spoiling during feeding.

Strategies for corn silage success: Focus on management

kimmo@novonesis.com — Thu, 11 May 2023 15:58:40 -0400

As spring progresses to summer, the percentage of haylage and small grains in TMR often increases to stretch corn silage inventories or to dilute corn silage if the quality isn’t as good as we had hoped.

Good face management leads to greater dry matter recovery and higher-quality silage

cmccary@vitaplus.com — Fri, 05 May 2023 15:13:35 -0400

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.

Forage opportunities to combat rising costs

jrl65@cornell.edu — Sat, 11 Mar 2023 23:00:00 -0500

The cost of crop inputs and common feed ingredients used in dairy rations has dominated many discussions this past year. A commonality in growing crops and feeding cows is the need to balance cost and efficiency with production and return on investment.

[Podcast] The cost of uncovered silage

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 09:31:43 -0400

This podcast episode is with Jared Coley, of Setac, a silage and feed covering company in Idaho's Magic Valley.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how hot your feed is

bpamp@provimi-na.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 17:11:38 -0400

Consider this: 85% of farmers are applying some sort of forage preservative either at harvest or in the total mixed ration (TMR) wagon. Using an inoculant at harvest along with harvesting and ensiling practices can constitute a proactive approach.

Stabilize milk production this fall

askidmore@lallemand.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:24:48 -0400

It’s common for dairy producers to experience a “fall slump,” or a time when cows fail to reach their full production potential. Producers also might notice decreased feed intake or loose manure.

Shopping your silage piles

katie_raver@rockriverlab.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:01:52 -0400

When following a recipe, it's often necessary to grab the correct ingredients at the store in order to get the optimal desired outcome. Similar to whipping up a cake or mixing your favorite dry rub, creating a dairy ration requires specific ingredients.

A smooth transition to new corn silage: Focus on starch digestibility

don.jaquette@adm.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:43:36 -0400

Corn silage harvest is complete for another year. As is often the case, silage inventory from last year’s harvest is running really low, and you are likely anxious to open a recently filled storage structure to start feeding it to your lactating cows.

What would make your ideal feed center?

jrasmussen@vitaplus.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 16:13:06 -0400

The evolution of how we make feed for cows is truly amazing. Experienced farmers may remember riding with their fathers to the local mill to have feed ground, mixed, bagged and delivered to a feed room.

The challenges of finding feed

Mon, 31 Jan 2022 14:00:01 -0500

I’ve had calls from two friends lately. “We’re out of hay, I don’t know what to do, can you help us?”

Take steps to limit clostridia

Tom.Rehberger@churchdwight.com — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 22:09:34 -0400

Managing the welfare and resiliency of cows on a dairy involves a series of routine daily tasks, such as feeding, milking and general herd care.

Send everybody home safely after making silage

brian.holmes@wisc.edu — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 17:51:09 -0400

The late Keith Bolsen said many times that a key goal of making good silage is sending all workers home safely to their families at the end of each day. To meet this goal, producers must design their facilities and equipment to protect workers and must implement practices to keep workers safe.

Pile guide: Silage surface and face management

audrey@agproud.com — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 22:12:49 -0400

When it comes to silages and drive-over pile building, Peter Robinson, a UC – Davis extension specialist, believes there is a preference for dairy producers to leave silage oversight to the custom operators who come in and build the piles.