More and more acres of corn grown for silage are being harvested using custom harvest operators. In order to harvest all of the acres, often operators have to start earlier and finish later.
Corn is somewhat unique as a forage.
Unlike alfalfa, quality then begins to increase as development continues and grain filling progresses. In fact, corn silage quality is better near maturity than at flowering. Milk per acre accounts for changes in fiber, digestibility and yield of a forage. These data suggest that an optimum harvest period exists for maximizing milk per acre yield. Harvesting prior to the dent stage will significantly reduce milk yield per acre.