Ideas for Coping With Heavy Corn Silage Feeding

• Check particle size of corn silage to ensure adequate effective fiber
• When corn silage is the major forage, 5 to 10% of particles should be greater than 0.75 inches; for rolled or processed silage, 10 to 15% of particles should exceed 0.75 inches
• Feed more protein than with haylage rations
• Choose economical protein sources such as soybean meal or canola meal, especially for medium and low production levels
• Consider non-corn based byproducts such as soybeans, brewer’s grains, wheat midds, whole cottonseed, etc.
• If corn silage is ammoniated, allow a 2 to 3 week adaptation period, introduce it gradually, and include it in the close-up dry cow ration for rumen adaptation
• Feed more calcium, potassium and sulfur
• Add a rumen buffer, such as sodium bicarbonate, at 0.8% of ration dry matter
• For milking cows, minimum ADF (17%) and NDF (28%) should be met, and at least 19% of NDF should come from forages
• Ration NSC should be under 40% for milking cows
• Heavy corn silage rations are more suited to TMR rations than single ingredient feeding, to reduce rumen acidosis problems
• It is critical to monitor body condition of heifers, late lactation and dry cows to avoid overconditioning
• Dilute high silage rations with low energy feeds (poor hay, straw etc.) or restrict feeding to avoid overconditioning
• Choose a different grain source other than corn 

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