A34-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, October 31, 1998
Shelled Corn, Ear Corn and Snaplage - What’s the Difference?
Often times dairy producers who arc low on, corn, look to High Moisture Ear Corn or Snaplage
to extend their feed supply. HM Ear Com and Snaplage will extend tonnage but what is the
nutritional value of each? How much effective-fiber docs the cob and husk provide in the
ration?
First, let's define exactly what each feedstuff contains.
High Moisture Shelled Corn - basically clean corn grain harvested at ah increased
moisture level (25%-30%).
High Moisture Ear Corn - corn grain and cob only (27%-35% whole ear moisture) -
usually harvested with a corn busker or combine with special sieves.
Snaplage - com grain, cob, husk, and some stalk material (27%-38% moisture) - usually
harvested by placing a combine header on a forage harvester.
As you include more plant material along with the corn, the overall energy level (Meal)
decreases due to the dilution of higher energy grain with lower energy parts such as cob and
husk (Table 1)
Table 1 ■ Average nutrient composition of high moisture shelled com, high moisture ear com,
and snaplage.
Dry Mailer (DM) %
Crude Protein % of DM
NDF. % of DM
Lignin, % of NDF
Fat, % of DM
NE (L) (Net Energy) (Mcal/lb DM;
Effective Fiber increases chewing, rumination, and production of saliva to buffer the rumen and
prevent acidosis. What determines whether the fiber in a feedstuff is “effective” or not depends
on particle size, fiber digestibility, and bulk density. Ground HM Ear Com and Snaplage have
little effect on chewing because of the small particle size and increased rate of passage While
HM Ear Com and Snaplage will increase the overall fiber level of a ration, they contribute little
to effective fiber.
Recommended Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) levels for high producing dairy cows ore 25% to
30% of the ration dry matter, and 30% to 36% for mid or late lactation cows. HM Ear Corn and
Snaplage contain higher levels of NDF than HM Shelled Corn. Included in this increase of
NDF is an increase of lignin, which is completely indigestible by animals.
Table 2 shows three separate rations, one with HM Shelled Corn, one with HM Ear Com, and
one with Snaplage. As you can see, the overall net energy per pound is decreased with Ear Com
and Snaplage, while NDF is increased. This decrease in overall net energy will not support the
desired 100 lbs. per day which the ration was originally formulated fur. The addition of more
corn to offset this decrease in energy can result in unnecessary gut fill and hamper intake on
high producing dairy cows. HM Ear Corn may supply the necessary energy for mid to late
lactation, lower producing cows, but not for high producing, early lactation animals.
Along with this increased energy also comes starch which is more soluble in the rumen.
However, one must be cautious to not overfeed this readily available starch and cause an
acidosis condition in the rumen
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Table 2 - Rations in which HM Shelled Com is replaced on a pound-for-pound basis with
HM Ear Com or Snaplage (formulated for a 1350 Ih. Holstein cow producing 100 lb. of milk
60 days in milk).
High Moisture Shelled Corn
(0.92 MCal/lb)
High Moisture Ear Com
(0.80 Mcal/lb)
Snaplage
(0.75 Mcal/lb)
Alfalfa Haylage
Corn Silage
Whole Cottonseed
Protein Supplement
Mineral and Vitamin Premix
NE(L) (Net Energy Mcal/lb)
NDF(% of DM)
Basically, considering the lack of effective fiber, low digestibility of fiber from the cob and
husk, High Moisture Ear Corn and Snaplagc is not as efficient as High Moisture Shelled Corn ii
normal corn silage/haylage rations for high producing dairy cows
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Pounds of Dry Pounds of Dry Founds of Dry
Matter (DM) Mutter (DM) Matter (DM)
Ration I Ration 2 Ration 3
Ration Ration Ration
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