What lessons have you learned from your 2011 season? What advice would you give to other silage producers for next year?
As we wrap up the 2011 silage season, we asked our participants to sum up their year and if they will do anything different for the 2012 season.

We also asked them to share a piece of advice that might help other producers be more successful with their silage crop.

Do you do any testing on your silage once it’s in the pile or bunker? What are you looking for when you test? How do you incorporate the silage into your ration?

Corn silage harvest is underway in most parts of the country, so we wanted to start looking ahead. We asked our producers about testing their silage once it is in the pile or bunker and how they incorporate it into their feed ration. It was quite obvious that testing is a very important part of silage production, something none of them would do without.

When do you anticipate harvesting your corn silage crop? What do you look for to know it’s time to chop? Will you use an inoculant?

It’s almost hard to believe we’re talking about harvest, but the way the summer is flying by, it will be here before we know it. As we spoke with our producers this month, all agreed that the use of an inoculant is important.

How do you store your silage? Why have you chosen that method? What equipment do you use to pack your pile?

Although some of you might have just gotten your corn silage crop planted a relatively short time ago, this issue we wanted to think ahead a few months to the end result and ask our producers about how they store and pack their silage.