Subject: Re: [Graze-l] Mr. Corn Silage
Dave
What North American Farmers don't get is that corn silage is extremely
expensive to grow and to feed. I get twice as much for my milk as a Kiwi and
I can not justify it. I agree it is great feed with pasture but is not
economical if you want to keep more money in the back pocket. I can have
grain dust from the export terminals delivered far cheaper than corn silage
can be grown for.
Brad Cowan
Astoria Oregon
> Yes many (over 50%) of NZ
>> dairy farms are now using maize (corn) silage and some palm leaf kernel,
>> but there are conflicting figures being thrown round on the economics of
>> all these in the NZ system.
>> I do believe they have a place in the NZ grass based system, but more as
>> a feed balancer then as a feed.
>>
>> regards
>> Ian Buckingham
>>
> What Kiwi farmers don't get is that corn silage is a perfect marriage to
> pasture intake. Pasture is high in protein roughly 26% which is well above
> what the cow needs. She must then divert energy (which could be used to
> produce milk) to excrete that excessive protein. By supplementing pasture
> intake with a small amount of corn silage (preferably the new modern corn
> silage varieties, Jungs Highly Digestible Silage is the one we use),
> energy and fiber are introduced into the rumen to dillute that high
> protein, increase the rumen bugs, so cows more efficiently utilize that
> pasture intake.
>
> Corn silage is a companion to pasture intake, rather than some drought
> insurance fill the gap feeding strategy.
>
> Dave G.
> WisCOWsin
>
> _______________________________________________
> Graze-l mailing list
> Graze-l@witt.ac.nz
> http://graze-l.witt.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/graze-l
>
>
> This communication - including any attachments - may contain legally
> privileged information, and is confidential to the addressee. If you are not
> the intended recipient you should delete the communication and contact the
> sender immediately. If you have received this e-mail in error, you must not
> read, copy, disseminate, distribute or otherwise use or disclose any part of
> this communication, or any information on matters or persons to which it
> refers. WITT reserves the right to monitor all e-mail communications sent
> through its network.
>
>
