corn silage 2020

On October 6, corn was chopped for silage. The silage will be fed to our cows over the winter months.

A sample of silage was collected and sent to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis. The test will provide nutritional value of the feed. It is important to know the quality of the corn silage we are feeding our cows in order to meet their nutritional requirements.  

Two 100' bags were filled with corn silage for 2020. That is 200 tons of feed. Along with the silage, hay and cornstalks will also be fed to our cows.

Our cows will enjoy the corn silage this winter!

a fall sunset

After work and cattle chores, I hit the road for an evening walk. The sun was setting on a field of corn. And as I walked, I enjoyed the beauty... the pink, orange, and purple hues. Amazing! It was so peaceful and beautiful. Fall sunsets like that are perfect for long walks.

2019 corn silage

 

Preparing for winter, corn was chopped and bagged this fall. The silage will be used to feed our cows throughout the winter. Along with the corn silage, the cows will also be fed hay and cornstalks.  

 

 

Two 150' bags were filled with corn silage. That is 300 tons of cow chow. Hay is in short supply this year due to a frigid winter, wet spring, and dry summer. And, we are anticipating another rough winter. We chopped and bagged double the amount of corn we normally do to ensure we have the quality and quantity of feed we need for our cows.

 

A sample of the corn silage was collected and sent off to Dairyland Laboratories for feed analysis. As cattlemen, we like to know the quality of the feed to meet the nutritional requirements of our cows.

Friday on the Farm

 

It was stunning. The sunset tonight made me slow down. I took the time to enjoy the moment. The colors were just incredible. The sun made the corn look like it was on fire. My dog, Diesel was with me in my truck. I think he even was in awe of the sunset.

Friday on the Farm

Harvest started. Today, I hauled corn in from the field into a grain bin to fill. I always enjoy watching the bin fill as loads of grain are hauled into the site. Golden kernels of corn sprinkle down from above.  

[ view agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

feeding silage

We opened the silage bag this afternoon. It smelled so good!

 

 

In September, we chopped six acres of corn and bagged it to store until fed. The silage will be used as feed for our calves.

 

 

When we opened the silage bag, we were so pleased with the quality! I will be sending a sample of silage into a lab for feed analysis.

The silage will be fed along with rolled corn and grass hay. With a tractor, we scooped up a few loader buckets full of silage and dropped it into one of our SI Feeders wagons. It did not take long for the calves to figure out silage tasted good. The wagon was barely in the lot before it was surrounded by happy calves.

Friday on the Farm

 

In the evening, I walked out to the pasture to check cows and fences. On the way, I greatly enjoyed  the sun setting over a corn field where we chopped silage and seeded rye. In the pasture, I spent a little extra time with the cows feeling so blessed. The cool, fall sun was so peaceful. It made my heart smile.

 

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

corn silage

We chopped corn and bagged it as silage for feed this winter. The silage is additional feed to hay baled this season.

 

 

I caught silage in the field and hauled it into the site to be bagged. On my cabless tractor, I got a little silage in my hair. Ha! It is an interesting process to me. I love seeing how quickly the bag fills.

 

 

 

Really nice looking silage to feed! And, it smells wonderful! Our cattle will very much enjoy chowing on it.

 

 

 

We bagged 150' of corn silage. When we feed the silage, we will use the loader tractor to scoop and fill the SI Feeder wagon. 

Friday on the Farm

The sun sets on a harvested field of corn. It was so beautiful and peaceful watching the sun set while on my evening walk! Fall evenings like this are amazing. I am so blessed to farm and experience the simple beauty of living in the country. Life is good.

 

 

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

corn is ready for harvest

During a pleasant fall day of harvest, I snapped a few photos in the field. Corn was ready to be harvested as the combine rolled through the field. Husks revealed golden kernels of corn.

Friday on the Farm

sun sets on a day of harvest

 

Harvest is going well. We are very pleased with corn yields. It is a blessing.

 

The sun sets on a day of harvesting corn. This gorgeous Illinois sunset is absolutely breathtaking!  

God creates such beauty.

Friday on the Farm

 

corn filling the grain bin

 

Grain bins are starting to fill with corn. On Tuesday, we started harvesting corn!

Fields of corn are in great plant health. Corn is testing around 21% moisture. We are extremely pleased with the yield so far. Corn is averaging 245 bushels per acre!  

Friday on the Farm

kernels are beginning to dent

Looking at corn fields today, I opened a few ears of corn. Corn plants are in the R4 stage. Kernels are in a series of development stages. The kernels of corn in the dough stage and beginning to dent. We need rain to ensure a good test weight.

 

 

[ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

corn silks

The sun begins to sit on a corn field. Corn has pollinated and silks are browning. The weather was perfect during corn pollination. The kernels are now beginning to fill.

 

Friday on the Farm

silks

Corn is in the R1 stage. Silks are starting to emerge on the ears of corn. Soon, pollen will be shedding.

Friday on the Farm

emerging corn

 

Corn emerges from the soil. The late afternoon sun shines down on corn spiking through the soil.

Friday on the Farm

germinating corn

Brushing away soil revealed germinating corn. After planting, fields are checked for seed germination.

Friday on the Farm

a seed is uncovered in the soil

When planting corn, we check seed spacing and seed depth. Soil is uncovered in each row to find seeds. This is periodically done throughout the field. Seed spacing and seed depth is important to optimize plant growth and yield potential.

Planting 2014

planter is loaded with corn to plant

Corn planting began yesterday! It was nice getting into the field. Planting also continued today. This morning, I cultivated a field to encorporate manure into the soil for fertilizer. The field will be planted tomorrow.

It was a gorgeous day to be in the field planing corn. The sun and soil was good for my soul!

  



planting corn



Friday on the Farm



unloading corn



 

It was another day of harvest on my parents' farm. I unloaded corn from wagons and augered it into the grain bin for storage. At the end of the day, I snapped this shot. With my camera, I crawled underneath the wagon as corn was augered into the grain bin. I never know when I will be inspired to capture a photo. And, I will do whatever to take a great shot!