Back in the day (up to the 80's - smaller farms), corn silage was an essential part of the feed program for beef cows in our area. Primarily, you could always get some before the drought killed any potential for corn grain. There was always some cob/grain in the silage, but would be very hard to cob pick or shell off the stalk.

Beef cows / cattle, would get corn silage and hay/grass hay with mineral block. They were nicely conditioned for spring calving with healthy calves.

Our soils were such, they couldn't support good corn production (gravely loam soils, with poor rains). Corn silage was part of the "grains" rotation . . .. .  small grain, hays, and corn - for feed. Not much for soybeans, as it took most all soil production for feed for the beef cattle operation.