Producer Question from 2010
Q: What is the value of ground ear corn per ton. We figure silage at about ten times the price of corn. Having trouble coming up with a price for ground ear corn. (September 21, 2010)
A: The energy value of regular corn is 88% TDN. The energy value of ear corn is around 80% TDN. That makes ear corn about 90% ((80/88)x100) the energy value of corn. Corn and ear corn are both energy sources.
Consider pricing ear corn at 90% the value of corn. If corn is $4.50/bu, then it is $0.0804 per pound or $160.71 per ton. That prices ear corn at $144.64 per ton. You would need to add a processing fee on to that price to cover grinding (fuel, labor, depreciation on equipment) the ear corn.
Dr. Rick Rasby, Professor of Animal Science
Animal Science, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE