A Comparison of Early, Medium and Late-Maturing Varieties of Silage Corn for Milk Production: Report of Second Feeding Trial

Abstract

Summary The second year results support those of the first year. All of the silages were a little more mature the second year, containing more dry matter, and this was markedly true of the early silage. The grain required per 100 pounds of tnillr when the amounts of hay and silage were the same for all groups was 28.94, 34.28 and 39.60 pounds respectively for early, medium and late silage. The area of corn required by medium and late to equal an acre of early in feeding value (two years combined) is 0.77 and 0.82 respectively. The silage required for one pound of milk of 12 per cent solids is 3.5 pounds of early, 4.2 pounds of medium and 5.4 pounds of late. The pounds of milk produced per acre of silage is 7078 from early (12.4 tons), 7663 from medium (16.5 tons) and 7527 from late (20.3 tons). These yields were obtained from cows during their first five lactation months.