The higher the quality of hay, the better the performance of the animals eating. Hay production occupies over 4 million acres in the state. Hay can then be fed during periods when pasture forage is not available or extremely limited. With the 1996 hay production of over 12 million tons, hay production is a major forage production effort. Silage is produced on approximately 120,000 acres for feedlots and confinement fed dairies.
Silage is forage that is preserved by fermentation in an air-tight silo.
Silage may be made from any forage but is primarily made from corn or sorghum hybrids.