Posted on December 16th, 2020 in Forage Foundations
By Kate McAndrews, Vita Plus sales manager Cellphone use while operating equipment is a form of distracted driving and it is extremely dangerous. If you don’t have a safe communication system in place for you and your farm crew, developing a plan in the offseason would be time well invested.
Stephanie Jens, Lallemand Animal Nutrition, and Dr. Michelle Chang-Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus Safety is a value at Vita Plus, and we remind all our customers, staff, and industry partners to be safe during forage harvest and throughout the year. This video offers tips to follow when working around forage bunkers and piles.
"Everything we do is dangerous," Arnold said as she launched a discussion about safety on harvest crews and why accidents happen, followed by Jens speaking on the importance of preharvest safety meetings.
Posted on September 26th, 2018 in Forage Foundations
By Dr. Michelle Der Bedrosian, Vita Plus forage products and dairy technical specialist Gas production during fermentation is normal and it will occur for roughly a week after a silo is sealed. While most gases are harmless, others are deadly.
By Peter Coyne, Vita Plus dairy service specialist
Ben Franklin said it well.
Having a well-planned corn silage harvest is essential if we want to maximize forage quality for the herd in the next year. On a good day, custom operators chop about 100 acres of corn silage with one chopper. For a 1,000-cow dairy, each day of chopping results in about a month’s worth of corn silage for the milking herd.
Posted on January 26th, 2017 in Forage Foundations
By Jon Urness, Vita Plus national forage specialist An American university once received a $250,000 federal grant to study the characteristics of cow manure. The conclusion of its study: manure is slippery. I think they could have saved the money and just asked a dairy producer. I don’t know the specifics of the study, but we sure don’t need a university study to tell us something we have known for decades: things can get slippery on the farm, especially in the winter.
Posted on January 27th, 2016 in Forage Foundations
By Jon Urness, Vita Plus national forage specialist We all know things get slick in the winter time, but that’s especially true around forage bunkers, piles and bags where moisture and loose plastic add to the challenge. Here are five reminders to help keep you safe as you work through the cold months...
Posted on December 4th, 2012 in Forage Foundations
Dr. Ken Griswold has made a career out of forages as a part of the Penn State Cooperative Extension dairy team. While that does mean he’s an expert in the field, it doesn’t mean he’s immune to the dangers that come with putting up high quality forages.
This past September, Griswold was working in an upright silo and was exposed to silo gas. He already felt sick by the time he got home. That night, after falling asleep in a chair,...
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