The aim of this study was to obtain information on current corn ensiling practices in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In summer 2014, 20 dairies were visited to create a snapshot of ensiling practices. Producers answered a short survey, and observations at the silage structure were made. Herd size ranged from 350 to 5250 cows (median = 1800). Five consecutive truckloads of corn silage delivered to dairies were sampled and composited for wet chemistry nutrient analysis (Table 1). Descriptive statistics were conducted with PROC MEANS of SAS and correlations were evaluated with PROC CORR of SAS. Structures were primarily wedge piles (n = 16). Delivery rate varied; the 5 truckloads of corn were delivered in as little as 8 min and in as many as 64 min. Most dairies utilized one packing tractor (n = 12), with delivery rate of the 5 loads ranging from 8 to 40 min. Fewer dairies used 2 packing tractors (n = 7), with delivery rate ranging from 10 to 64 min, and one dairy utilized 3 packing tractors with a delivery rate of 22 min. Fourteen custom harvesting companies were utilized on the 18 dairies that did not harvest their own corn, with 4 of the companies harvesting on more than one dairy. Corn silage processing score (CSPS) was analyzed; 9 samples were optimally processed (CSPS > 70%) and 11 samples were adequately processed (CSPS between 50% and 70%). No samples were inadequately processed. No correlation was found between DM and starch content (r = 0.290, P = 0.214) or DM and CSPS (r = −0.001, P = 0.995). Harvesting parameters varied, but kernel processing was a practice utilized on each dairy; CSPS showed that all samples were either adequately or optimally processed. Table 1. Nutrient composition (% of DM unless otherwise noted) of chopped corn (n = 20) taken at harvest in California’s San Joaquin Valley

	DM, %	CP	ADF	NDF	Starch	NFC	Ash	CSPS (%)
Average	35.9	7.7	24.4	41.0	30.2	43.6	5.4	70.7
Median	35.9	7.8	24.9	42.3	29.0	43.2	5.4	69.4
Minimum	31.2	6.2	20.2	35.2	23.3	36.6	4.2	50.7
Maximum	40.3	8.8	28.3	46.7	36.7	50.7	6.8	82.2
SD	2.5	0.6	2.1	2.8	3.6	3.1	0.7	9.8