One year's worth of corn silage for a 300-cow dairy is worth about $60,000. Don't be afraid to spend money on a forage analysis to optimize this investment in your cows' nutrition, says Joe Harrison, professor of dairy nutrition and nutrient-management specialist at Washington State University.

In addition to a standard nutrient profile, arrange for an analysis of the silage's fermentation profile, fiber digestibility and starch fraction.

Keep a record of this information from year to year so that you can compare changes that may relate to weather, hybrids, varieties, harvesting methods and storage techniques, Harrison adds.

One year's worth of corn silage for a 300-cow dairy is worth about $60,000. Don't be afraid to spend money on a forage analysis to optimize this investment in your cows' nutrition, says Joe Harrison, professor of dairy nutrition and nutrient-management specialist at Washington State University.

More and more dairy producers are contracting out their corn-silage needs. Bill Weiss, dairy nutritionist at Ohio State University, provides these four guidelines to help you conduct a successful transaction for corn silage: