B3o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 25,1984 Daily \- 1 Pipeline \ “ I f Glenn A. Shirk 'CX, VI Extension Agent Harvesting Cora Early Many dairymen are low on com silage and com grain. They will be harvesting some of their com as early as possible, perhaps as green chop. Others will be feeding hot, uncured silage. While these normally are not recommended practices, they can help stretch present feed supplies, and tie a dairyman over until some better or more economical feeds become available. Here are a few thoughts which may help you make the best of a bad situation. Green Chopping Corn If you have to feed green chopped corn, don’t be surprised if both production and fat test drop. Chances are, it’s lower in protein, lower in fiber, higher in moisture, and different in nutrient content than what you had been feeding. You may have difficulty getting sufficient dry matter into the cows, and you should be alert to other adjustments that are necessary to keep the ration balanced. Don’t wait until you are com pletely out of forage before you start green chopping. Start while you still have some higher protein, higher fiber, drier forages to feed along with the green chop. This should help cows make better use of the feed and reduce the risk of digestive upsets, butterfat depressions and production losses. Or maybe you will want to restrict the feeding of green chopped com to certain groups of cattle. Heifers, dry cows, and tail enders probably will be affected less by it than higher producers. Uncnred Silage It’s very easy to throw cows “off” by feeding hot, uncured silage. It’s a problem many dairymen face, especially those who have only one sUo, and depend upon custom filling services. And, once cows are off, its hard to bring them back again! It certainly would be nice to have two silos and two different har vesting dates to work with! Then, you could always be feeding cured silage out of one silo while the other is being filled and cured. In the absence of an addition silo, you might be able to fall back on a stack or bag to carry you through the filling season. Yes, it may be more inconvenient and you may have more storage and feeding losses. But if you can avoid throwing your herd off, it may be worth the extra inconvenience, losses and costs. To do this, you’ll need to cut some silage early, perhaps an earlier-planted, early maturing field. Several weeks later, you could then fill the other silo, If you don’t have any early corn, still fill a bag or more a stack for feeding out of next year at filling time; that’ll help you next year but it doesn’t solve this year’s problem. This method has the advantage of concentrating all silo filling activities into one period of time. To minimize the problems of heating, of feeding uncured silage, and of poor bunk life, consider using a silage preservative, especially on the silage you will be feeding out first. Some additives, such as am monia, work as a preservative, while also providing an economical source of protein (NPN). However, ammonia is dangerous to handle, and excess amounts in the feed can be toxic to cattle. So, if you use ammonia, he careful, and follow the recommendations precisely. Immature Com Another alternative, if you don’t have any early com is to cut the com at an immature stage and put it in a stack or trench. This material will be high in moisture, and will be better suited to a stack or trench where juices can escape. To help boost the energy content of the material,.and to help dilute the moisture, ground ear com, or some other dry form of energy, could be added to the silage at time of ensiling. Several problems associated with harvesting immature com are: you sacrafice yield - that’s a hidden cost to you, the material is higher in moisture and it’s lower in fiber and energy. So, if your present silage is in short supply, don’t cut the entire crop at an immature stage. Limit , this to only the amount you need now, and as I mentioned earlier, be sure to make any adjustments in the ration that are necessary for keeping it properly balanced. As silo filling time approaches, you still have time to make a few decisions and adjustments which might help carry you through this year’s sitations and pave the way for a better situation next yera. Take time to think about your situation and your options now, rather than after silo filling time. Erosion Control Project covers 14 Pa. counties CHAMBERSBURG - Franklin County is part of the Mason-Dixon Erosion Control Project covering 14 counties in Pennsylvania and eight counties in Maryland and two counties in Delaware for special conservation assistance. This area is rated as one of the most productive agricultural areas in the northeastern United States, states John R. Akers, District Conservationist for the Cham bersburg Field Office of the USDA Soil Conservation Service. Average annual soil losses in the Mason-Dixon Erosion Control Ares are estimated to average 17 tons per acre per year on unprotected cropland. This greatly exceeds the normally acceptable soil losses of two to four tons per acre per year. The Special Project Area in Franklin County is a 161,944-acre area located primarily in the shale area of Franklin County. The five townships of Hamilton, Let terkenny, Lurgan, Montgomery, and St. Thomas comprise the Special Project area or about 34 percent of Franklin County. SOME EXTRA (i CASH! J Y Advertise With A 'll Lancaster Farming v/ CLASSIFIED AD... Phone: 717-394-3047 or 717-626-1164 BUY. SELL. TRADE OB BENT THROUGH THE —— (CLfISSII=I<EP )PK PS) PHONE: 717-626-1164 or 717-394-3047 Mon., Tuos., Wod. 8 AM to 9 PM - Thurs. & Frl. 7 AM to 9 PM LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT it SUPPLIES ■ HORSE - CATTLE ■ FLATBED TRAILERS J - Over 150 NEW Models In Stock In 10 Brands . I HEW WWTS " W 2 Horse Extra Wide Thoroughbred Deluxe w/4 Wheel Brakes, Bus Windows, Spare ■ I Tire, Rain Doors $2895 I | 2 Horse Thoroughbred Gooseneck, Fully Enclosed $3495 | ■ 4 Horse Gooseneck w/Side Load & Dressing Room $7500 ■ _ 16 ft. x 6 ft. Bumper Stock $2295 _ ® 16 ft. x 6 ft. Gooseneck Stock w/'/2 Nose $2950 ® I 16 ft. x 7 ft. Bumper Stock $3250 I | 16 ft. x 7 ft. Gooseneck Stock w/Full Nose & Wood Lined $3750 | ■ 16 ft. Flatbed w/Tandem Axles, Brakes & Ramps $ 1295 ■ ? 20 ft. x 8 ft. w/Dove Tail. 7 Ton GVW - $2350 " ■ 20 ft. x 8 ft. w/Dove Tail, 9 Ton GVW - $3500 ■ I 20 ft. x 8 ft. w/Dove Tail. 12 Ton GVW - $3975 I | USED UNITS | ■ Rice 2 Horse Front Unload —slooo _ Russter2Horse-StockCombination $l5OO ® Valley Gooseneck Stock $2350 I Valley 24 ft. x 7'A ft. Gooseneck Stock - $3750 Trade-ins Accepted We Also Carry New Farm Machinery Pipe Gates Plywood New and Used Chevy Trucks Equipped to Handle Your Loads Free Delivery to New Holland Open 9 to 6, six days a week CLOSED THURSDAY B LUX STABLES Jesse R. Austin, Distributor J ■ 10214 Lanham Severn Rd., Lanham, Maryland 20706 _ ■ (301)464-2574 _ ■ AUGUST DISCOUNT COUPON i B $5O CASH REFUND B I with the purchase of any new trailer I * Limit One Per Customer. Offer Ends 8/31/84 ■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■l Mason-Dixon ROPE IN LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT h SUPPLIES Some of the shale soils farmed in the Special Project Area have less than 20 inches of soil over shale rock. When 40 inches is considered a deep soil, erosion losses on these shallow soils must be held to less than two tons per acre per year which is a thin sheet of less than 1/64 of an inch per acre per year. Sheet erosion is not visible to the naked eye. Therefore, when one observes rills or small gullies, the losses are three to five times the acceptable loss per acre per year. With above average rainfall for June and July this year, erosion losses have been very visible with rills and in some places gullies have formed since corn was planted in the spring. It is too late to prevent these losses but plan ning can be done this fall to minimize the soil erosion losses for next year. Anyone desiring conservation planning or practice assistance may contact the Soil Conservation Service office at 550 Cleveland Avenue, Chambersburg, or call 264-7013 for an on-farm ap pointment. < t i HVI STOCK LOUIPMINT h SUPPI ff S
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