A: Closely watch the quality of the forage coming out of the Harvestore, particularly toward the end of the material. Air can seep into the feed material, resulting in a fair bit of spoilage. The amount of spoilage will be closely tied to the moisture level in the silage, with a loss of water content over time. If the material is close to 60% dry matter (40% water) you have the potential for a lot of heat damage from air seepage, especially when the lower door was open during feed out. Examine the silage closely. If it looks darkened and smells of typical heat damage, then its value may be seriously lowered. If the material has a reasonable appearance and odor then conventional lab analysis should be used for formulation into the diets. The actual feed value is difficult to determine. Start feeding with a slight discount in energy value 5-10% letting the cows indicate it's it acceptability as feed. The cows (or feedlot steers) are probably the best indicator tha the feed is OK to eat. Add it gradually into the diet and let the cows be the test. Always monitor the cows more frequently when trying new feeds and keep notes as to there reactions to the feed, amount of feed eaten, etc.