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Forage Harvesting and Handling

Forage Harvesting and Handling. Hay making objectives. Cut, crimp, rake and bale within a few days time Reduce plant moisture from 75-85% to below 16% Store protected from rain and wet soil Prevent dust and mold contamination Leaf shatter Dirt Molds—formed in the windrow in the bale.

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Forage Harvesting and Handling

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  1. Forage Harvesting and Handling Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  2. Hay making objectives • Cut, crimp, rake and bale within a few days time • Reduce plant moisture from 75-85% to below 16% • Store protected from rain and wet soil • Prevent dust and mold contamination • Leaf shatter • Dirt • Molds—formed in the windrow in the bale Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  3. Respiration Rain 1/10 inch ½ inch 1 inch Mow-condition Tedding Swath inversion Raking 1-7%--- 4% normal 3-7%---5% 7-27%---17% 12-50%---31% 1-4%---2% 2-8%---3% 1-3%---1% 1-20%---5% Minimize losses Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  4. Baling Small bales Large round bales Storage Inside Outside Typical losses 20% good conditions 40% to 50% w/ rain, round bales, outside storage 2-6%---4% normal 3-9%---6% 3-9%---5% 6-30%---15% Hay losses Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  5. Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  6. Sickle-Bar Cutting Unit

  7. Mower-Conditioner $12,000 to $36,000 1-4% DM loss

  8. Self-Propelled Mower-Conditioner $60,000 to $90,000

  9. Rotary-disk w/ rubber roll conditioner

  10. Steel Roll Conditioner

  11. Flail Conditioner

  12. Hay Macerator

  13. Macerated Hay

  14. Windrow Inverter $8,000 to $10,000 1-3% DM Loss

  15. Tedder 3% loss in a wet crop, 10% late in drying process

  16. Tandem Wheel Rake $10,000 to $12,000 1-20% DM Loss

  17. Suggestions • Cutterbar and rotary disk mowers have offsetting advantages. Rotary disks are most useful when greater harvest capacity is needed. • Conditioning is a good investment in all systems. • Take advantage of natural drying conditions • Wide swath and rake or • Narrow swath and invert before baling (30% moisture) Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  18. Suggestions • Tedder/rake might save ½ day at 1st cut, but 8% loss with alfalfa < 40% moist. • Tedder within a few hours of mowing (50-60% moisture) or after rain • Inside storage or weather protection can be justified in most conditions. • When hay is transported relatively long distances, large high-density rectangular bales are preferred. Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  19. Small Rectangular Bales Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  20. Large Rectangular Bales Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  21. Round Baler $15,000 to $30,000 Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  22. Bale size • Small square bales are easy to handle (50 lb). • Convenient for stabled horses. • Labor intensive for several horses. • Large square bales stack tightly for shipping. • 2-4 ft width and height, 4-8 ft long, 450-2000+ lb • Large round bales are heavy 600-1000+ lb but labor efficient. • Many horse owners are not set up to handle large bales. Premium for delivery and handling.

  23. Bale Tuber $15,000 to $20,000 Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  24. Round Bale Storage Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  25. Plastic Bale Wrap Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  26. Covered Stack Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  27. Shed Storage Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  28. Round Bale Storage Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  29. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  30. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  31. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  32. Feeding losses 3.5% waste 6.1% waste 14.6% waste 11.4% waste Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

  33. Making Silage • Controlled fermentation of high-moisture forage. • First few days plant enzymes and microbes are active, metabolize soluble carbohydrates to CO2, H2O and heat. • Anerobic microbes multiply using sugars and starches for energy, produce lactic acid. • Lactic acid levels of 7-8%, pH = 4.0 fermentation stops, stable storage Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  34. Making Silage • Optimal dry matter 30-45%. • Too wet • pH too high, development of clostridial bacteria, butyric acid, odor. • Seepage of soluble nutrients. • Too dry or poorly packed • Excess heating, molds, bacteria, yeasts. • Unpalatable, may be toxic. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  35. Silage harvest systems • Silage production is a major cost of milk production. • Own or custom hire? • Labor available • Crop acreage • Crop quality Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  36. Suitable days for harvest • Only 2 days out of 3 are suitable for corn silage harvest in September and October. • Hours per day available? Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  37. Equipment set • Forage harvester • Transport wagons or trucks • Silo blower or packing tractor Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  38. Prevent crop flow bottlenecks • 2-row pull-type • 3 7-ton self-unloading wagons when hauling 1.75 miles or less • 8-row self-propelled • 8 9-ton dump trucks when hauling 5 miles. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  39. Silo Filling and Storage • Fill fast • Uniform moisture and maturity • Pack well • Exclude oxygen • Cover • No cover costs 30% of top 3 feet. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  40. Packing or filling silos • Packing increases silage density, excludes oxygen, promotes fermentation and improves quality Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  41. Upright Silo8-10% DM loss Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  42. Bunker Silo12% DM loss Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  43. Bag Silo6% DM loss Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  44. Silo Feed-Out • Unload fast • Size face for feed removal of 5 inches per day. • Sample for feed composition and quality. Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  45. Dairies of 75-, 150-, 300-, 600-, and 1200-cows with replacements Mix of new and used equipment New tractors to power pull-type forage choppers Used tractors to pack bunker silos, forage blowers and transport wagons. Used trucks for transport on larger farms. Compare harvest systems Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  46. Harvest Costs • Machinery ownership • Purchased, depreciated over 7 years, replaced • 6% real interest • R&M on accumulated use • Fuel and lube • Labor for chopping, transport and silo filling plus 15% support time Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  47. Requires a systems approach • Not included: • Mowing and raking alfalfa • Crop storage • Timeliness penalites • Storage losses • Charges for • Land • Crop establishment • Crop care Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  48. 1-row chopper 2 used 60 hp tractors 80 hp tractor 2 self-unloading wagons Forage blower 565 tons alfalfa silage 990 tons corn silage Within .25 miles 101 hours machine use $132 per hour $8.58 per ton 75-cow herd Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  49. 4-row SP chopper 2 210 hp tractor/blade (used) 3 15-ton dump trucks 6470 tons alfalfa silage 7935 tons corn silage Within 2 miles 186 hours $428.75 per hour $5.54 per ton 600-cow herd Harrigan, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, MSU

  50. Silage harvest costs Harrigan, 2006 Purdue Hay Day

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