Pioneer Forage Inoculant Receives Approval

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, has received temporary registration for Sila-Bac brand 11GFT forage inoculant. The company says this product offers livestock producers an additional avenue to enhance the nutritional quality of silage for reduced feed cost. “The fibre technology platform was launched in 2008 with 11CFT developed for corn silage. We now have expanded

Shotgun Silage, Grazing Mixes Tested

“The quality that brings to your soil is huge. You get better water infiltration, water and nutrient holding capacity, tilth, aggregation, and all sorts of good things.” – SUSAN AINSWORTH, MAFRI On Bernie Dueck’s farm near Sidney, the crop is coming up gangbusters. That’s right, in five-acre strips, there’s a whole whack of plants emerging,


Many Factors Affect Alfalfa Harvest Decisions

This year’s alfalfa hay harvest could be the earliest in years, according to J. W. Schroeder, North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist. Seeding surveys indicate that, unlike in the last five to six years, crops and forages are ahead of schedule this year. “Naturally, the weather in the next few days could change

Moo-Re Fibre Please, Say Cows

“Our concern is that in dairy rations, we have been feeding things that are too rich.” – DAN UNDERSANDER Everyone talks about the benefits of sowing alfalfa to boost pasture yields. But what about the upside to putting grass in a cow’s rumen? According to Dan Undersander, a forage agronomist from the University of Wisconsin,


Faster Feed-Out Can Reduce Spoilage

The fall of 2009 was fraught with weather-related harvest problems that hindered the storage of feedstuffs for many U. S. and Canadian producers. While spring seems a long way off, one must realize that once the freezing temperatures are gone, spoilage could be a risk, especially for those wet feeds and silages if they did

Timely Reminders For Silage Quality

Forages form the base of the dairy nutrition food pyramid. Poor forage quality quickly erodes that foundation and contributes to a host of feeding challenges on dairies, according to North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist J. W. Schroeder. Forage quality impacts cow performance and health. With spring forage harvest in full swing, here


High-moisture corn has advantages, disadvantages

“If you were planning to use the corn as livestock feed, highmoisture storage may be an option worth checking out.” High-moisture corn offers many advantages for producers who feed beef or dairy cattle, according to a North Dakota State University livestock expert. “However, successfully using high-moisture corn requires attention to storage conditions, feeding management and