Hybrid Selection Pays
Dividends for New York Dairy
Planting com hybrids that are
scientifically screened for their feed
ing qualities is proving to be extreme
ly valuable for a 1,000-cow New York
dairy. In fact, Odyssey Farm, Copake
Falls, is saving enough to cover the
cost of all crop inputs for a year.
"We figure the hybrids we plant
for corn silage increase milk produc
tion by 4 lbs. or more per day," says
partner Weir Stewart (left in photo).
"In our operation, that's enough to
cover the entire cost of fertilizer, seed
and planting for one year.
"We discovered what differences
in corn-silage feeding quality
could mean to our bottom line
in 1991," continues Stewart.
"That's when we learned that
Cargill Hybrid Seeds has done
considerable research
screen hybrids for feeding
quality.
"There was a definite
drop in production when we
ran out of the silage from the
Cargill hybrids and began
feeding other silage. We also
discovered that we could
plant Cargill hybrids that
were highly digestible and also yield
ed excellent tonnage per acre.
"We've learned that a quality for
age program is extremely important
to maximize milk production," says
Stewart. "It's very difficult to over
come poor forage quality, even when
you add the expense of good
supplementation."
Selected fo* Piolit Potential
Hybrids are selected on the basis
of their potential to increase the prof
itability of livestock operations by
enhancing forage yield, reducing feed
supplement costs and improving ani
mal performance. Hybrid offerings
cover 80- to 120-day maturities.
Odyssey Farm managers found
the research especially important to
their operation since they prefer feed
ing rations with higher amounts of
com silage than haylage. Corn silage
is easier to manage from both a crop
production and feeding standpoint,
they say.
"It's difficult to harvest alfalfa
with consistently high feed value in
an operation this large," says partner
Bob Kimmel (right in photo). "Alfalfa
must be cut and harvested several
times a year and it can be difficult to
harvest at the best time for maximum
quality. Corn silage needs to be har
vested only once so total labor and
equipment costs are less. The time
available to harvest quality corn
silage is much wider than the time
available to harvest haylage.
"Good-quality forage is the basic
building block of any ration,"
Kimmel adds. "I've been involved in
the dairy business for more than 25
years, and I've learned that cows
are more healthy and give more
milk when they eat more.
Those that are eating the
most dry matter are
usually the healthiest. A
highly digestible ration
can affect milk produc
tion, improve health and
improve breed-back and
conception rates." M
FORAGE
QUALITY
PROGRAM
Milk Production Increases
If milk production increases
while herd size expands, that indi
cates that the cows are probably
being fed right. Young cows reach
peak production faster and they
maintain that peak longer.
Lee Hoover, Jr., Boiling
Springs, Pa., increased his herd's
production and held solids and
milkfat yields while expanding the
herd from 40 to 65 milking cows.
"High quality corn silage plays
a key role in our feeding pro
gram," says Hoover. "It reduces
feed costs and improves the cows'
appetite."
Hoover, now in his third year
Hybrids Pack More Feed Va
Fred England knows the val
ue of high-quality roughage as
well as the importance of dry mat
ter intake for efficient milk
production.
"High-quality corn silage can
make a big difference in milk pro
duction because it's a major eco
nomical source of energy," says
England, Williamsburg, Pa. "Good
silage keeps the cows eating. Their
intake level remains more consist
ent to better satisfy their total
nutrient needs."
The 1993 and 1994 crop sea
sons convinced England to pay
more attention to mthe hybrids he
planted for
growing com for
silage recom
mended by the
Cargill Com
Silage Menu,
likes the fact that
these hybrids are
screened and
selected through
an extensive
evaluation
program.
"I tried a
couple of bags the first yea
recalls. "It worked so well
planted more the next yeai
cows really like the silage. 1
For several years
he'd been interested
in producing silage
higher in feed value
and digestibility. Like
so many other pro
ducers, he figured |HHHm
that com varieties
that look good while
they're growing and RHb
produce high grain
yield could also yield
high-quality silage,
England has
found it very difficult
to identify hybrids that produce
consistent high yields of grain
with the right balance of stalk dry
down, ear moisture and total
digestibility.
"The Cargill Corn Silage
Menu made sense when I first
heard about it," he says. "I figured
it was worth a try even though I
was somewhat doubtful it would
work."
silage.
However, England discov-
eied that the Cargill hybrids rec
ommended for silage proved to
be much better than the others
he's tried.
"As soon as we started feed
ing silage from the Cargill com I
EIGH
BETTE