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Rawlins County Kansas | We've had this "opportunity" often here in NW Kansas the past seven years (we're neighbors to Lucas). A nitrate test is a must and make sure to sample the bottom of the plants as Lucas mentioned. High nitrate feed is not good for cattle, especially pregnant ones. Our corn bales have most times been excellent feed (one year the cows even preferred it over the cane) and often have good protein. This in turns means that we can cut down on feeding more expensive alfalfa. Additionally the corn bales make excellent bedding. In the old days we would use wheat straw but that got worked into the muddy ground so quickly we were bedding cattle all of the time. The corn stover lays on top of the mud better and makes a great place for a newborn to snuggle into when it's -15F and wet underneath.
The big downside to removing corn stover in NW Kansas is that it has a huge cost from a notill management perspective. When our farm decided to focus on farming rather than cattle we determined that the "cost" to our overall notill program for removing corn stover was in the $60-$80/T range, this accounts for the lost nutrients as well as lost yield in future years. In the event we sell corn bales then we decide how low the swather runs and absolutely no wheel rakes as it seems they can even pull up some of the SOM when throwing together windrows. Naturally this high of a price "prices" us out of the market most years which is just fine.
Last year we sold a few hundred acres of corn for feed and then immediately planted that ground to wheat. This turned out to be a good way of getting our residue bank rebuilt quickly.
Just a few more thoughts from NW Kansas,
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Baling drought stricken corn for dry hay?
