Post by anthonyg on May 2, 2016 7:57:19 GMT -5
The weather where I live can sometimes be trying for making hay, especially out of legumes or other slow-drying forages. Also, I sort of think baling hay for a cow and some sheep is silly. The cost of the baler is pretty high and they are pretty annoying machines and take up much space. Also, for sheep at least, loose hay is pretty dirty and can ruin their fleeces. Might moisture forage is much cleaner as there is no dust and chaff flying around. There is enough of that in the barn as it is.
I was intrigued by the idea of making silage in garbage bags, pressing them out in 55 gallon drums or garbage cans or something. I aways though this a reasonable idea, and lo and behold, Google has yielded some leads...
smallfarmcanada.ca/2014/making-forage-on-a-very-small-scale/
pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadq897.pdf
www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/dairy/as1252.pdf
www.esgpip.org/pdf/Technical%20bulletin%20No.%2012.pdf
It seems very do-able to make silage on a small scale and it seems that if one mows with an everyday rotary mower in the morning, then one can have their medium moisture haylage packed away by night. Pretty nice. Even better than hay in a day, an idea of Gene Logsdon that I have tried and works (IF your stand of forage is pretty wimpy....if it's thick and tall it doesn't dry down fast enough).
thecontraryfarmer.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/an-offbeat-way-to-make-good-hay/
So what do people think?
One objection I've always had to the idea of silage is that surely no animal has evolved to eat anaerobic fermented food...there are no silos, bunkers, or plastic bags in nature. But then again no animals eats cured forages either (hay). I like sauerkraut. I've read that cows can get very loose eating silage...is this an obstacle?
thanks!
I was intrigued by the idea of making silage in garbage bags, pressing them out in 55 gallon drums or garbage cans or something. I aways though this a reasonable idea, and lo and behold, Google has yielded some leads...
smallfarmcanada.ca/2014/making-forage-on-a-very-small-scale/
pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnadq897.pdf
www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/dairy/as1252.pdf
www.esgpip.org/pdf/Technical%20bulletin%20No.%2012.pdf
It seems very do-able to make silage on a small scale and it seems that if one mows with an everyday rotary mower in the morning, then one can have their medium moisture haylage packed away by night. Pretty nice. Even better than hay in a day, an idea of Gene Logsdon that I have tried and works (IF your stand of forage is pretty wimpy....if it's thick and tall it doesn't dry down fast enough).
thecontraryfarmer.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/an-offbeat-way-to-make-good-hay/
So what do people think?
One objection I've always had to the idea of silage is that surely no animal has evolved to eat anaerobic fermented food...there are no silos, bunkers, or plastic bags in nature. But then again no animals eats cured forages either (hay). I like sauerkraut. I've read that cows can get very loose eating silage...is this an obstacle?
thanks!