Comparison of Silages Made from Field Corn (Ohio M15) and Silage Corn (Eureka) for Milk Production

Abstract

Immature (Eureka) and mature (Ohio M 15) corn crops grown in the same field were ensiled in separate silos at the same time. Just prior to ensiling, the 2 varieties were randomized in order to calculate the yields per acre, dry matter content, yield of stalks, bushels of U. S. No. 2 corn, and lb. of corn and stalks per lb. of silage. Silages were compared in feeding trials with and without a grain supplement. In the trials without grain supplement, there were no significant differences in the amount of fat-corrected-milk produced per lb. of dry matter. The estimated average amount of U. S. No. 2 corn consumed in the immature silage was 0.76 lb., whereas the mature silage supplied 5.6 lb./day. In 12 trials where the immature and mature silages were compared using a grain supplement, the cows produced slightly more milk on the mature corn silage, although the difference was not considered significant.