Use of Forage Harvester for Stack Silage and Chou Moellier

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 84, Issue 4, 15 April 1952, Page 322

Use of Forage Harvester for Stack Silage and Chou Moellier

THE VALUE of the forage harvester for making pit silage was ■ discussed in the July 1950 issue of the "Journal". In this article J. N. Whyte, Farm Machinery Instructor, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, describes two further uses of this equipment—making stack silage and cutting and chopping chou moellier. PROVISION of silage and green fodder crops for supplementary feeding is of particular importance to dairy farmers, especially to those engaged in town milk supply on the Taieri Plain, where grass production is restricted by climatic conditions to approximately 8 months each year. In some cases stall feeding is carried out, so that labour costs and convenience are important in considering stock food supplies. As only the few farmers on the higher ground above average plain level can use pits or trenches for silage, the bulk of this fodder must be made in stacks. Because of the difficulty of securing labour for silage making and the arduous job of feeding out, often under extremely unpleasant climatic conditions in winter, keen interest has been taken in equipment which lightened these tasks. Demonstrations in the field had shown that the forage harvester and trailer outfits could reduce the labour force and cost of silage making and that goodquality fodder resulted from the chopped material, which was relatively easy to feed out. Chou moellier crops averaging 4 to 6ft. high, in which lodging is not uncommon, formerly were cut and loaded by hand for feeding out on pastures or in sheds. The new

equipment, with some local adaptations, has proved capable

of dealing satisfactorily even with lodged and tangled crops and thus has reduced the time and heavy labour previously involved.

Stack Silage

In a field demonstration in 1949 the forage harvester performed satisfactorily in heavy grass and clover crops, the length of chopped material varying from l|in. to 4in. The material was transported in a home-made trailer, unloaded at the stack site, and lifted with a 3-tine, enginedriven grab up to a round stack 18ft. in diameter. A team of three, one operating the tractor, forage harvester, and trailer, one unloading the trailer and working the grab, and the third building the stack, carried out the work efficiently and expeditiously. The quality of the silage was good and the material was much easier to feed out than where unchopped grass and clover were processed. The following points were noted from this demonstration: — The team of three with the forage harvester could carry out silage making with a smaller labour force and much more conveniently than when the old method of mowing ■ ■ and transporting unchopped material was used. Time could be saved in cutting, loading, and transporting with the trailer by traversing the paddock so as to form a loop; this avoids crushing uncut material and enables the tractor driver to secure a trailer load with the minimum of travel. The roof and door of the trailer should be covered with scrim to ensure retention of chopped material and the door should be hinged at the top to facilitate rapid unloading. The 3-tine grab was inefficient in retaining chopped material an d the addition of 2 tines appeared warranted. Stacking with the short, chopped material was difficult and an increase in length would be advantageous. The -diameter stack was too narrow to permit safe building.

A forage harvester purchased in 1950 by a dairy farmer was efficiently operated by a -man team, which with improved technique and modified equipment built 22ft.diameter stacks rapidly. Modifications included increasing the length of chopped material to an average of approximately 4in.; this was done by removing 2 of the 4 cutters and reducing the speed of cutter revolutions. Two additional tines were added to the grab, making it a 5-tined implement, and these modifications resulted in easier lifting and more satisfactory stacking of material. A further improvement was the replacement of canvas on the trailer roof and door with scrim. Unloading was considerably accelerated by having the door swinging from the top. Even with the wider (5-tined) grab the material was spread easily and evenly and no difficulty was experienced in stacking by the usual methods for silage making. An occasional raking down was sufficient to ensure straight sides, and a canvas sheet was used as a windbreak when necessary. It was found that a diameter of 22ft. was greater than could be stacked satisfactorily with the equipment, so that in future the size of stack will probably be reduced to 20ft. diameter. Good-quality silage was processed, the advantage of easy feeding out again being demonstrated. There is no 'doubt that the purchase of the forage harvester on this farm, where cows are stall fed mainly on home-grown fodder for some months each year, has been a good investment. Chou Moellier Cutting, transporting, and feeding out chou moellier, usually under cold, wet conditions, is probably one of the most unpleasant jobs on a Taieri dairy farm. On the heavy alluvial Taieri Plain soils crops up to 6ft. in height and 2in. in stem diameter are not uncommon, and at times lodging and tangling add to the difficulty of utilisation. The usual method is to cut with a slasher, manhandle on to a sledge, trailer, or cart, and feed out either on a pasture or in a shed. If the forage harvester could be operated satisfactorily, its advantages were obvious, and although some difficulties were experienced, especially in tall, tangled crops, all can now be utilised efficiently. The operation is trouble-free in standing crops, where even the tall, heavy-yielding areas can be cut, chopped, and broken into about 2in. lengths.

After various modifications had been tried it was found that even lodged and tangled material could be dealt with by attaching a scythe blade along the extended divider horn. As the chopped material heats if kept for more than 48 hours, cutting is completed in the afternoon and the fodder is spread out on a floor if not fed within 48 hours. The. chopped chou moellier was relished by the cows, which showed no sign of choking or of digestive troubles. The time and labour saved by the use of the forage harvester on . this important fodder crop add to the value of the recently introduced equipment.