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Farmers expect poor forage quality to threaten milk production

Dairy farmers that couldn’t plant corn silage in a timely manner this spring are worried about next year’s feed quality.

Sixth-generation farmer Stephanie Schafer milks 300 cows in Mid-Michigan and says while she’s grateful she was able to plant corn as a cover crop on prevent plant aces, it will only be a filler.

“Ours is waist-high, it will never mature, and the importance of that ear and that grain is that it’s the energy and the starch that a cow needs to produce milk.”         

Not only is she concerned about feeding marginal grain, Schafer doesn’t expect it to ferment properly.

“And if it doesn’t ferment properly, then I’m spending money on some inoculants to get it to ferment so that it can be somewhat good feed.”

In the fifth year of low milk prices, she’s not sure how she’ll cover increasing feed costs.

“I might not qualify for a loan interest loan; how do I buy corn?  Is there going to be enough corn available to feed cows?”   

And with limited crops in the surrounding Midwest states, Schafer says all livestock producers are facing similar challenges and trying to find feed for their animals.