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You're Welcome At My Fire Anytime
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Aug 2004
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Nice! I like that silage shooting out in the top pic!
Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla!
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
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Roundoak, it's getting to be that time of year!
Glad the ground firmed up enough for your crew.
Some guys just started chopping corn around here last week. Our little 45 acre patch could still use some time but I imagine it'll be done before the end of the month.
What do you guys usually average tonnage-wise? This year we will probably be down around 20 ton or less.
The front end of that 4650 manages to stay 'afloat' okay?
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Joined: Dec 2009
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Campfire Outfitter
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Sam, we figure to average 20-21 ton/acre.
The 4650 does plow more than ideal, but gets the job done.
You're Welcome At My Fire Anytime
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Joined: Apr 2009
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,972 |
Lookin good, always feels great when you get through corn season.
We're probably at least a week or more out here. The wet summer really held things up. Heard they aren't really chopping down in Lancaster yet.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,069
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,069 |
I always liked to feed it to dairy cows. It made good milk and kept the cows about 1/2 drunk all winter.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,156 |
Unfamiliar with that. I'm guessing that is stalk, leaves, and corn ears all chopped together then in an airtight pit?
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 19,102
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2002
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Pretty much. The correct name is Ensilage although very few use it. miles
Look out for number 1, don't step in number 2.
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Joined: Sep 2011
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 60,721 |
We need to get started on chopping corn here. Rain Monday delayed things.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2005
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Looking very good there. What are you feeding it to?
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Joined: May 2004
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,816 |
Is that stuff still green ? It looks like it in the picture. Ours will be burnt up by August. They started picking a month ago and just finished a week to a week and a half ago. The grow time on corn in this area is sure short compared to what it was in Indiana. I would be up in a tree on opening day of bow season which was oct 1 and they would just be starting to pick.
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Joined: Sep 2011
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Sep 2011
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We finished filling our little pit silo just a while ago. I've found over the years, the last packing with a tractor, and duals leaves the top smoother, less spoilage.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 18,991 |
What's the consistency?
Big as kernels? Kernels plus fine stalks? All fine?
Dave
�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz
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Joined: Sep 2011
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 60,721 |
Dave, are you asking what corn silage looks like? Hmmm. The finer the cut, the better. That is easier said than done however.
These premises insured by a Sheltie in Training ,--- and Cooey.o "May the Good Lord take a likin' to you"
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,069
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 19,069 |
It' s been many years, but when I was a youngster, we planted quite a bit of sweet corn and field corn. When the sweet corn was ready and we would cut it ( by hand) and mix with alfalfa we baled before it dried and chopped both together it. I believed the chopper was a hammer mill (might be mistaken) that had enough force that it also blew the mix into a vertical silo near the barn , not a trench silo. I think we planted the sweet corn because it matured earlier.
At the same time frame because the pasture was about done by mid July, we would cut two wagon loads a day by hand to feed to about 30 dairy cows. As the field corn started to mature,but before it dried, we would chop some of it into the silo if it wasn't completely full.
Later years, the milk inspector made us stop using the vertical silo next to the barn and we had to use trench silo that was away from the barn where the diary cows were housed.That was real pain, taking the wagon up to the trench, shoveling ensilage on it, hauling back to the barn shoveling it in a wheel barrow and hauling it into the cows. There were no front in loaders back then.
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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Campfire Outfitter
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Looking very good there. What are you feeding it to? Part of the ration fed out to beef cows and some dairy heifers.
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Is that stuff still green ? It looks like it in the picture. Ours will be burnt up by August. They started picking a month ago and just finished a week to a week and a half ago. The grow time on corn in this area is sure short compared to what it was in Indiana. I would be up in a tree on opening day of bow season which was oct 1 and they would just be starting to pick.
The upper 3/4 of the plant is green, leaves show some brown and husks dry tan color. Total plant moisture should be in the 60-65% range at that point.
Last edited by roundoak; 09/24/17.
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What's the consistency?
Big as kernels? Kernels plus fine stalks? All fine? Particle size varies as you never get a standard size in the chopping process. Finer the better to help in compaction.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,208 |
Been some years, but was thinking closer to 55%. Hard dent stage of the kernel. The wetter it is the more seepage you get and it retards fermentation a bit. I've heard of old timers catching the seepage from the old stave silos and making liquor out of it. From the smell I don't think I'd be inclined to try it. As for chop size, nutritionist told us that larger is better for the cow, smaller packs and ferments better.
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