Advantages of High Moisture
Corn
Comments and opinions by James I. Sprague, Nutritionist
Feedlot's Reasons for Using High Moisture
Corn
Feedlots have important reasons to consider high moisture corn, including:
fast and efficient material handling; lower energy cost of processing
compared to flaking; harvest time discounts in price; moisture discounts
over actual moisture content; and potential for excellent feed efficiency.
A WHO Tub Grinder processes high moisture corn.Grain Producers' Reasons
One of the important reasons for developing, harvesting and storing
high moisture corn was due to farming efficiency. The grain producer
has less field losses, and the fields can be worked for wheat or other
fall planted crops. Feedlots often work out deals to supply manure
to the producers of the high moisture grain.
Lower Energy Cost of Processing Compared to Flaking
With high natural gas or other energy costs to produce steam for the
flaking process, the use of high moisture grain is a viable alternative
for all or part of the grain fed to finishing cattle.
High moisture corn, if processed and managed, can be very competitive
to flaked corn in our opinion if all costs are considered.
In my opinion, there is no question that flaked corn is usually superior
for grain utilization than other processing methods, but if high moisture
corn is processed fine enough, with enough moisture and excellent
bunk management, it can compete with flaked corn.
Harvest Time Discount in Price
This can be an advantage, but if the market turns, it can be a disaster.
Feedlots can protect the price with risk management.
Advantage of Moisture Discounts
We recommend using the southwest scale or Colorado scale of discounts
of moisture and foreign material. The discounts are 1.5 per point
of moisture. Some feedlots only shrink 1.3 per point. That only makes
up the difference back to a dry basis. They do this to be competitive
with other marketing channels. Certainly high moisture corn requires
drying if sold into the normal grain channel and this drying change
can be discounted at the feedlot.
We have noted that some feedlots do not monitor foreign material.
Some combines will deliver considerable pieces of cobs and stalks
with the grain. It does take time to test for foreign material, but
it will pay the feedlot to consider this extra step of managing the
inbound grain.
Potential for Excellent Feed Efficiency
This author has been observing feedlot use of high moisture grain
for 40 years. Plus my former consulting associate, Dr. John Thornton,
has several years of "on-hands" feeding of high moisture
corn and now 10 years of consulting experience with high moisture
corn of all types and moisture contents. We believe there is a lot
of art and science in the harvesting, processing, preserving and feeding
high moisture corn. We suggest feedlots work with their nutritionist
to evaluate the steps of the process. For example, we believe a finer
product will achieve better feed efficiency, but it must be accompanied
with excellent bunk management. We believe the moisture level should
be over 30 percent and preferably near 35 percent. To achieve this
goal takes very fast harvesting. We believe the finer product must
have more roughage in the ration.
Adding Water to Corn Below 30 Percent Moisture?
The answer to this question is not clear. Once the grain moisture
drops, the sugar content and fermentable fraction to ensile the grain
diminishes. The added moisture helps seal off the air, which is important.
But if this grain (with moisture added at ensiling) is as good as
field moisture grain (that is ensiled at 30 to 35 percent moisture)
has not been determined to my knowledge. We think that it is not as
good as 30 to 35 percent high moisture corn.
But if water is added to corn, it takes a large supply of water to
keep up with the fast harvesting and grinding of the modern high moisture
corn storage operations. To make adding water work for high moisture
corn operation the water must delivered fast and in volume. ©
