Rex says
Everyday utility math — the kind you'd otherwise pull up four browser tabs for. I keep it to one clean answer.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total silage tons (as harvested)
3,800
Tons per acre
25.33
Dry matter tons per acre
8.87
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How to use this
- 1Enter acres to chop.
- 2Enter expected grain-equivalent yield (bu/acre).
- 3Enter bushels per ton of silage (65% moisture).
- 4Enter target harvest moisture (%).
- 5Read your total silage tons (as harvested) on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Silage yield is commonly estimated from expected grain yield using a rule-of-thumb ratio, since the whole plant (stalk, leaf, ear) scales roughly with grain production once you account for typical harvest moisture. This calculator applies the standard 1 ton of 65% moisture silage per 7-8 bushels of grain yield ratio, adjusts for your actual harvest moisture target, and converts to total tons for the field so you can plan storage capacity and match acres planted for silage against herd feed needs before chopping starts.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Acres to chop: 150
- Expected grain-equivalent yield: 190 bu/acre
- Bushels per ton of silage (65% moisture): 7.5
- Target harvest moisture: 65 %
Results
- Total silage tons (as harvested): 3,800
- Tons per acre: 25.33
- Dry matter tons per acre: 8.87
What each field means
Inputs
- Acres to chop
- The acres to chop used in the calculation. Starts at 150 so you have a working example on load.
- Expected grain-equivalent yield (bu/acre)
- The expected grain-equivalent yield used in the calculation, measured in bu/acre. Starts at 190 bu/acre so you have a working example on load.
- Bushels per ton of silage (65% moisture)
- The bushels per ton of silage (65% moisture) used in the calculation. Starts at 7.5 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–10.
- Target harvest moisture (%)
- The target harvest moisture used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 65 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 55–72 %.
Results
- Total silage tons (as harvested)
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Tons per acre
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Dry matter tons per acre
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Where does the 7-8 bushel per ton ratio come from?
It's a long-standing agronomic rule of thumb from land-grant extension research relating grain yield to whole-plant biomass at typical harvest moisture. It holds reasonably well across most modern hybrids, though stress-shortened crops (drought, hail) can shift the actual ratio since stalk-to-grain proportion changes.
Why does harvest moisture change the tons per acre number?
Wetter silage weighs more per unit of dry matter because it's carrying more water weight, so chopping at 70% moisture versus 60% moisture produces more as-fed tons from the same actual plant material — but you're not getting more nutrition, just more water in the load.
What if my corn crop is drought-stressed?
Drought-stressed corn often has a lower grain-to-stalk ratio, meaning it can yield more tons of silage per bushel of grain-equivalent than the standard ratio suggests, since a higher share of the plant's biomass stayed in the stalk rather than filling the ear.
How do I use this for storage planning?
Multiply total tons by your expected shrink rate from the silage shrink loss calculator to know usable feed tons, then check that against your bunker, pile, or bag capacity before chopping starts so you're not scrambling for extra storage mid-harvest.
Accuracy and limitations
- Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.
- Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.
- Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Corn Silage Yield Estimator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corn-silage-yield-estimate
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corn-silage-yield-estimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corn Silage Yield Estimator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Corn Silage Yield Estimator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/corn-silage-yield-estimate) (2026).