An abundance of new information on an age-old feed has led extension specialists from Iowa State University and University of Nebraska-Lincoln to offer a one-day conference for cattle producers, nutrition consultants and extension personnel. Galen Erickson, beef feedlot extension specialist with UNL, said the June 17 Silage for Beef Cattle Conference, sponsored by Lallemand Animal Nutrition, will capitalize on the resurgence of silage in beef diets.

Silage for Beef Cattle Conference is June 17; view online or attend in-person at Mead, Neb. (Photo: Scott Olson/Thinkstock)

"Corn silage appears to be very economical in beef growing and finishing situations, and we know many people use it," he said. "If it is going to be used, however, it’s important to know the specifics about types, storage and pricing, and this conference will tackle all those issues."

The agenda features eight presentation sessions and a panel discussion, and will be held at the Christenson Research and Education Building at the UNL Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center at Mead, Neb. The conference is approved for 5 CEUs from the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).

Presenters and topics include:
-Bob Charley, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, "Corn Silage Fermentation Process"
-Keith Bolsen, KSU, "Silage Safety, Shrink, and Methods to Control Losses"
-Renato Schmidt, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, "Impact of Silage Inoculant"
-Jim MacDonald, UNL, "Optimizing Corn Silage Harvest for Quality and Yield"
-Dan Loy, Iowa State, "Evaluation of Silages, and What a Feed Test Means for Good vs. Bad Silage"
-Andrea Watson, UNL, "Use of Corn Silage in Growing Programs and Protein Considerations"
-Terry Klopfenstein and Henry Hilscher, UNL, "Economics of Silage Use and Proper Pricing

Registration begins at 8:15 a.m., and the meeting ends at 4 p.m. It is free for those preregistered by June 13. Otherwise, the fee is $30 per person for those not preregistered with that amount due on-site. The conference brochure is available on the Iowa Beef Center website.

"Because we know there’s a great deal of interest in this topic, and we know not everyone can travel to attend this conference, we’re also offering a web viewing option for the entire day available to people with internet access from anywhere around the world," Erickson said. "In addition to this streaming option, we plan to capture shorter segments that highlight the take-home points and provide them after the conference, and we’ll provide a proceedings of all the material presented during the day."

Source: Iowa Beef Center