permaculture

[Mark <mpludwig@facstaff.wisc.edu>]

Making silage on a small scale with small equipment....


> Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 23:47:10 +0000
> From: dick874 <sbevier@chatham.k12.nc.us>
> Subject: [grazersedge] Ref Buck rake? David and Ken
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> Hi David and Ken,
>         Since you are interested i'll describe the process of making what
> I call LC2 (long cut/low cost silage)  As I said it works quit well for
> small acreage which can't justify the expence of heavy metal just to
> harvest your spring surplus. Bear in mind custum harvesting of silage
> is not an option in our area.
>         We cut the grass/legume when the clover starts to bloom.  I use a
> Massy Ferguson Model 47 sickel bar mower i found for 150$ so the
> windrow are not chopped. conditioned or fluffed in any way.  I cut in
> the morning what I feel i can get up that afternoon.  I have done both
> operations in a light rain with no apparent affect.
>         In the afternoon we rake and pile the grass. I have done it as a
> one man operation but it goes MUCH faster with a second tractor to help
> compact the pile and even faster with a third person on the pile to
> dress it and work out the clumps. I built my rake 8'wide so we make the
> pile two loads wide.  If my pastures were flatter i think i would make
> the rake  10' wide.  I dump the loads side by side and go back for
> more. Each trip back you drive over the previous loads making the stack
> as long as you want and as high as your nerves can take. I have made as
> high as 8'(which setteled over the summer to about 6') I have found
> that it picks up best if you back in the opposite direction you mowed.
>         When completed the stack will look like a loaf of bread with a
> ramp at both ends. We cover with black plastic and weight with tires as
> with any silage pile.  The tire weight helps to finish cosolidation.
> To feed we run an electric wire in front of it and move it daily. this
> works very well as we have an adjacent field where we strip graze
> winter annuals.
> There are of course problem areas;
>         Deer walk on the pile poking holes in the plastic
>         Our hot summers cause spoilge next to the plastic
>         it is slow compared to more modern methods but i feel it is
> excellent for small acreages
>         it is a pain in the neck but that could be fixed by converting the
> rake to fit a front end loader.  At the time i built it we did not have
> one so made mine for 3 point hitch
>
> The benifits are;
>         Cheap, well within the limits of a small acreage farmer
>         Harvest in wetter weather than hay
>         only two trips across field
>         Cows love it
>
> Last year i pooled with two other famers to harvest each others. We
> found that we could easily do 20-25 acres in a normal day.  Two
> tractors mowed and picked up. the third worked the pile. Working by
> myself i found I could do about 10 or 12 acres in a long day.
>         On quality. Depends on when you cut it and how well you compact
> it. it is probably not as good as silage in an upright silo but is as
> good as any thing made in a trench . I think the cows perfer the longer
> cut as it is no problem for them to ruminate.  I can't think of
> anything else.  It almost sounds to simple but it works.  If you have
> other specifc question i'll be happy to answer.
>
> Take care
> Dick B
> PS. with our extended drought there was no spring surplus this year.
>
>
>
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Mark P. Ludwig
Poultry Research Lab
University of Wisconsin -Madison
608-262-1730 WK
608-846-7125 HM