Corn Silage Harvest Timing Is More Important Than Ever for the 2026 Crop
Corn silage harvest timing is a balancing act of corn maturity, labor and equipment efficiency, weather forecasts, and a bit of luck. This year more than ever, timing of corn silage harvest will drive dairy profitability and will be a critical tool to manage feed costs in 2027.
Recent markets have moved corn meal prices back up into the higher quartile, with significant volatility in the market as we look to 2027. As corn meal pricing increases, it is critical to take advantage of the starch that is available in your corn silage to reduce purchased feed cost.
The graph below shows samples representing 2025 crop year corn silage tested at the Green Mountain Forage Lab. Note that these are fermented feeds, so any decrease in dry matter during fermentation has already been realized. As dry matter increases, so does the starch percentage of the crop. For corn between 20% and 36% dry matter, starch increases 1.07%-units for every percent-unit increase in dry matter. In other words, there is a slightly greater than 1 to 1 relationship of increasing starch and dry matter as the plant matures. (After 36% dry matter, starch tends to level out, without significant increase as the plant reaches higher dry matters.)
In an example Northeast dairy cow diet that contains 25 dry matter pounds of corn silage, an increase from 25% to 35% starch in silage will equate to approximately 6 pounds more corn meal equivalent provided to the cow per day. Therefore, reducing the need for added cornmeal by 5-6 pounds per cow per day. In addition, higher starch corn silage generally contains a lower proportion of fiber, potentially creating an opportunity to feed more homegrown forage.
The table below outlines the additional corn meal needed for lower dry matter, lower starch corn silage. This scenario is based on a diet with 25 dry matter pounds of corn silage, and the total starch level of the diet was held constant. As the starch in the corn silage increases, the additional corn meal supplemented in the diet decreases.
A farm feeding higher dry matter, higher starch corn silage can realize up to a $0.75/cow/day savings in corn meal inputs. This is figured at the high estimate of $250/ton corn meal. However, even at a lower price of $200/ton corn meal, the savings would still be as much as $0.60/cow/day from the low starch to high starch corn silage.
As cornmeal markets are continuously volatile, timing of this year’s corn silage harvest will set the stage for profitability well into 2027. A few days’ difference in harvest time can have a large impact on DM and starch levels. Harvest timing can be optimized by running dry matter and starch values on green corn silage samples before harvest begins. Poulin Grain hosts a number of Corn Silage Burn Down events where this can be run instantaneously, or samples can be sent in to our lab. Work with your dairy nutrition consultant to identify the best way to dial in the timing of your corn silage harvest and get the most out of your corn crop investment in 2026!
~ Written by: Melissa Carabeau, M.S. — Director of Dairy Business, Poulin Grain Inc.
