The summer of 2012 provided challenging growing conditions for
crops in the Midwest. Many producers are faced with a different
feed situation than normal. The amount of variability in quality
and yield of forages harvested across the state of Michigan is
tremendous. For many Michigan producers, there was a shortage of
hay harvested while others were able to take extra hay cuttings
resulting in a normal or above normal yields. Likewise, corn
silage yield was inconsistent throughout the state. Many
producers made the decision to chop corn for silage to meet
forage needs instead of harvesting it as shell corn as planned
at planting time. Other effects of the drought were exhibited by
a large variation in quality of corn silage. Depending on when
the rain came, and how much rain, there is silage with no corn
grain and there is very ‘hot’ corn silage with upwards of 45
percent starch from plants that did not grow very tall, but were
able to produce normal grain yields. Producers who are short on
forages need to sa