To estimate the value of drought damaged silage, what do you need to consider? You probably should start by comparing it to regular, high grain corn silage. One common rule-of-thumb for pricing regular silage is that one ton of silage in the silo is worth ten times the price of a bushel of grain. Using this rule, when corn is worth $2.20 per bushel, then regular silage is worth $22 per ton. Of course, drought damaged silage has lower feeding value than regular silage. But not as much lower as you might think. Silage from corn producing 5 bushels per acre or less will still have 75 percent of the feeding value of well-eared silage. And corn producing 40 bushels per acre is worth about 95 percent that of regular silage. So, value of drought damaged silage in the silo can be adjusted proportionately to regular silage using this information. Feed value stays high during drought because leaves and stalks retain many nutrients that normally go into the grain.

If the corn is still standing in the field, harvest costs must be considered. These can be as low as 4 to 5 dollars a ton when yields are high and near the silo to over 10 dollars a ton for fields with drought lowered yields that are several miles from the silo. One final consideration might be to compare the silage to other potential feeds. With hay prices running around 80 to 100 dollars per ton, corn silage may be worth a couple dollars a ton more this year than usual! Don't give up on your drought damaged corn. It still can make some useful and valuable silage.