Silage Earlage Decision Aid
The Silage/Earlage Decision Aid calculator from South Dakota State University (SDSU) helps producers estimate the value per acre of a silage crop, potential yield and calculate the number of acres needed to meet feed inventory needs. Producers can enter their own numbers into each of three sections to the calculator.The first section calculates the value of a ton of silage and the value per acre to the crop grower. Section two assists the producer in calculating the value of a ton of silage when harvest and hauling costs are included and a shrink factor is applied. Section three calculates the number of acres needed to meet the wintering needs of livestock fed. This tool is available in two versions. The quick version calculates the costs of corn silage standing in the field. The full version includes calculations for silage by ton, silage by acre, acreage, earlage, custom expenses and information about feed composition. The full version can be downloaded and saved to your computer. For more information, visit https://igrow.org/agronomy/profit-tips/silage-earlage-decision-aid. Note: This story appeared in the February 2017 issue of Drovers.
