You Can Add “Shredlage” to Your Dictionary

Every year Webster’s dictionary adds new words to its voluminous Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.  Last year, “tweet” and “bromance” we’re added to the coveted collection of words.

In the dairy world, “shredlage” is a word that has only entered our farm vocabulary in the past few months and has already been trademarked. Shredlage describes a new kind of corn silage produced when corn is harvested with a modified chopper.  The modification replaces a now standard kernel processor with what might be best termed a shredder processor.

This may not be a brand new idea, but the usage and relevance has become more pertinent in the past few years.  Researchers at Perdue University found that shredding corn required 40 percent less energy to harvest than chopping.

This technology is not yet available to the average dairyman, but the kinks are being worked out.

So, what are your thoughts on shredlage? Comment below and let us know.  You can learn more at shredlage.com or by following @VTDairy (Virginia Tech’s Dairy Science Dept.) on Twitter.