Try to keep all that juice with the silage as it ferments, as that will provide the cows with lots of lactic acid!! You might be missing out on some starch as you said, but the higher sugar content will be converted to more lactic acid. The cows will need less feed, as it will be more digestible. As I mentioned below, the higher moisture content silage will be like Sauerkraut for cows!!
On a trip to New Zealand a number of years ago I briefly worked on a daily farm. They asked me if I wanted to cut hay & I responded I would when it quit raining. I was told if they waited for the rain to quit the field would never get cut. I have never got so wet in my life driving a tractor with no cab. I had chills for days as was soaked to the bones
Always a challenge. Seems like you’ll have enough after all the harvest is done, then by spring the cows have eaten a lot and we have to start adjusting corn silage to make it through. Maybe this year will be differnt
Don’t think you’ll be alone in making tough gameday decisions due to feed levels from this drought. We’ve got plenty of farmers in WI in severe drought areas who I’m sure will face similar decisions. I do think leaving the alfalfa in might be a nice hedge in case next year is also dry, those deep roots being established could really help bridge some gaps in forage!
We will be chopping corn around middle of September or could be first of August with all the dry weather same as you just a little late on growth but that is mother nature for you
Good luck with the feed my guy, best video production to date for sure and I watch all of your vids. Can we maybe just get a family photo? I think you have like 3 kids now!
I like your videos, you do a great job making them. I see you work very hard, and are very knowledgeable in what you do. Best of luck for a very hard job, that does not get recognized by the public.
Would you not find it easier to put all your silage in bunkers as opposed to towers. I know over here in the U.K. we only use bunkers also what is the difference with alfalfa silage and ordinary grass silage. Cheers great videos keep them coming
I'm assuming they don't do that because it takes more or less 15 minutes to grind up a silage bale and they use a lot of silage, which would add up to a lot of time spent just chopping it in the mixer.
eric what if you put perforated drain pipe on the sides of the silage piles in between the cement wall and the tarping on the bottom. dont glue the pieces together so you just take them out in 10 foot sections as you go back into the silage to feed and you can reuse them each year. it would give rain water a easy way to escape so it doesnt get trapped and go stagnant and rot the pile as much. just a idea
That would allow air into the pile, which would cause rotting of the silage. Ensiling is an anaerobic process, limit oxygen to ensure fermentation works. Great question!
The equipment costs for hired machines is deductible each year, but purchased machines have to be depreciated. When just the base chopper is over $500k, and you only need it a few 100 hours per year, it doesn't pay for itself. They have a relationship with the custom crew, so they get ALL the equipment and people for only the time they need it. Great question!
I believe you have more heads to feed now with the new barn also. It's been a tricky year for many farmers let's pray for a decent harvest this fall for all. Hopefully your milk count won't hurt too much. Cheers 🇨🇦
I am always amazed at how fast your custom harvest team can chop your forage crops. Sure sorry that you have to deal with a feed shortage right now. I know it is always a concern when you have to shake up the milk cow feed ration with wet forage. One year I chopped dry hay bales and blended them in to help offset the wet corn silage. The cows really liked it, and production did not suffer too badly. Of course I was only feeding about 60 milk cows back then. I hope you have an abundant corn silage crop. And that your milk output stays stable, and the girls stay happy. I really enjoyed the video footage your took from the top of the Harvestore silo. Thanks & have a blessed weekend with your family.😊
Maybe when they do Hay or corn silage you could do an interview with the custom chopping company. Explain their equipment and what models and make the run and why they run those. (For example I think most of their carts are and blowers are field line, that's a small company why do they choose field line. And etc with each PCs equipment they have.)
No fun running out of feed with that many cows. We ran out of dry hay a couple years when we were milking but with only 40 cows it wasn’t to expensive to buy hay
I always enjoy watching the corn silage harvesting, that crew sure does an awesome job for you. Sure is a lot different from when I did it back in the early 70's, of course it was a lot more mature and not as advanced method. When the neighbor hog farmer did his, he would use a wagon that I would help pull the silage from the back of a push wagon and we used hook forks. I enjoyed watching, Thanks for sharing, I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend!
Very interesting! Adapting to different conditions by harvesting some corn early. I also follow Jan's channel. On a regular basis, he gets milk from each of his cows to check production and for possible mastitis. This also allows for optimal breeding. They, too had some crops not grow as well as they would have liked due to drought. I think it was worse where he is* compared to your operation.
How many bushels of core did you produce from a acre? I remember the John Deere combine on my grandfather's farm in McConnellsburg back in 60's. These new machines have come a long way.
Still the driest year on record here eastern Montgomery County, MD, and we've been seeing some of those not-filled-out ears in the sweet corn. Hope the main harvest goes well.
Probably best not to stand close behind the cows for a few days!😀
😂😮😅
Hopefully they dont get diarrhea
Ha ha! That is really funny. Also be careful when you do the AI yourself.
😂 would be a good idea to mix some dry hay into that fresh silage
😂😂😂😂
Keep the faith, your family has a beautiful family farm!
Try to keep all that juice with the silage as it ferments, as that will provide the cows with lots of lactic acid!! You might be missing out on some starch as you said, but the higher sugar content will be converted to more lactic acid. The cows will need less feed, as it will be more digestible. As I mentioned below, the higher moisture content silage will be like Sauerkraut for cows!!
We can't harvest hay here in Maine. Started raining in late May and has not stopped.
On a trip to New Zealand a number of years ago I briefly worked on a daily farm. They asked me if I wanted to cut hay & I responded I would when it quit raining. I was told if they waited for the rain to quit the field would never get cut. I have never got so wet in my life driving a tractor with no cab. I had chills for days as was soaked to the bones
We have our own unit exactly because of the reliability of a custom crew. It is an older claas but it works
Good luck with the feed for the cows. Stay safe
It's crazy we are a few hours west of you and can hardly get any crops harvested because it rains so much!
Always a challenge. Seems like you’ll have enough after all the harvest is done, then by spring the cows have eaten a lot and we have to start adjusting corn silage to make it through. Maybe this year will be differnt
Excellent video Eric! Best wishes on the corn harvest and interim feed mix. Enjoyed the video. Thanks!
Love your positive attitude, in tough times. Awesome videos thank you
Great view from the top of the silo. Beautiful farm land Eric. God bless all you farmers.
Wow I never thought we would see those 3 bunks empty!
Praying the ladies transition well!
Don’t think you’ll be alone in making tough gameday decisions due to feed levels from this drought. We’ve got plenty of farmers in WI in severe drought areas who I’m sure will face similar decisions. I do think leaving the alfalfa in might be a nice hedge in case next year is also dry, those deep roots being established could really help bridge some gaps in forage!
We will be chopping corn around middle of September or could be first of August with all the dry weather same as you just a little late on growth but that is mother nature for you
Good luck with the feed my guy, best video production to date for sure
and I watch all of your vids. Can we maybe just get a family photo?
I think you have like 3 kids now!
Great video brother from the imperial county California 👍👍🇺🇲
تحياتنا ليك تحيا الفلاحة وتربية المواشي الله يعاون
I like your videos, you do a great job making them. I see you work very hard, and are very knowledgeable in what you do. Best of luck for a very hard job, that does not get recognized by the public.
The machine is like a companion to work quickly with humans
Especially intersting. regarding moisture content. Thanks
Corn isn’t shorter, you’re taller.
Is this a shredlage chopper? The chopped corn pieces look big. We aim for about 60% moisture on or normal chopped corn.
Would you not find it easier to put all your silage in bunkers as opposed to towers. I know over here in the U.K. we only use bunkers also what is the difference with alfalfa silage and ordinary grass silage. Cheers great videos keep them coming
I’ve always had it inoculated can feed after 10 days. Just have plan ahead little further is all?
Good stuff Eric
Yea another awesome video god bless y’all
Just wondering how many trailers would it take to fill one of those bags🤔
Good show Eric
Love your videos
Looks like you need a few of those fake owls to perch on your silos, will keep the birds from pooping all over them
Another very interesting video Thank you 😊
Does this mean that you will run out of feed earlier next year too? Did you have more cows this year?
I don’t know much of anything about silage. Is there a reason you put the alfalfa in the wet bin instead of a bag or bunker like the corn?
Cheers.
ALWAYS GOOD VIDEOS
how do you ever get caught back up with feed. using some of next years to finish this year. Just hope for a bumper crop next year?
Growing more acres of forage next year
Love from India 🇮🇳
Maybe a suggestion why you don't make bales from your alfalfa fields next year?
Maybe not because he said they aren’t growing any alfalfa next year.
@@phil6465 oh
The cost would be a major factor
@@torrenwalker1203 true
I'm assuming they don't do that because it takes more or less 15 minutes to grind up a silage bale and they use a lot of silage, which would add up to a lot of time spent just chopping it in the mixer.
Starch is the key
Not sure what happened to the algorithm but i haven't seen a videk of yours in my feed for over a month.... Well since this video came out.... 🤷
Hey Eric what port of landcater pa you form I go too landcater all the time like to meet you
If you are replacing Alfalfa with spring cropping will you double crop every acre?
Plan to double crop about 2/3 of our acres. Will rotate in soybeans every third year.
What about loaders..will you get one
Question how is the area for T B (Tuberculosis )
Massey Ferguson❤❤❤❤❤
Thats some green forage what tell you haur stomach problems,
Where will you and your father be getting your protein for the cows if your not going to be raising alfalfa.
I dont know why, but i love watching manure being spread on the bare fields.
Went from a half a bunk too much to half a bunk not enough did you have more cows or did you not compact as good since you swapped machinery??
👍👍👍
👍
I have a suggestion: if you save the corn juice you can sell it to vegans! 😆😆
how are the solar panels?
Still waiting on the power company, hopefully will be running soon.
eric what if you put perforated drain pipe on the sides of the silage piles in between the cement wall and the tarping on the bottom. dont glue the pieces together so you just take them out in 10 foot sections as you go back into the silage to feed and you can reuse them each year. it would give rain water a easy way to escape so it doesnt get trapped and go stagnant and rot the pile as much. just a idea
That would allow air into the pile, which would cause rotting of the silage. Ensiling is an anaerobic process, limit oxygen to ensure fermentation works. Great question!
@@MorganOtt-ne1qj in between the plastic amd the wall. No air would get in the clump
@@DIGGER19860 It would get in through the perforations from the open end of the pipe.
yum - lettuce
cows get salad with dinner
great episode!
💜💜💜💜
You will .
watch out for raccoons put holes in bags.
Eric, would it be feasible to get a diamond core drill bit and drill a couple of holes to the rear of the bunk to drain the water out?
What you going to do to replace crop you used to fill bad.
Won’t that shorten your harvest to fill the bunker?
Are there no commercial cow/pig farms local to sell your "spoiled" feed to? I know our farm would take it if we could
😎
We would like to see a chisel plow around the farm
Hmm not a good position to be in. Hopefully you can make the transition without too many upset tummies.
Hoppas du har mer till dina kor. Varför tar du inte över efter din far, han verkar bestämma allt. Köp nya traktorer och snåla inte på allt.
Be better you didn't hire so much out
The equipment costs for hired machines is deductible each year, but purchased machines have to be depreciated. When just the base chopper is over $500k, and you only need it a few 100 hours per year, it doesn't pay for itself. They have a relationship with the custom crew, so they get ALL the equipment and people for only the time they need it. Great question!
For our situation hiring a custom guy makes the most sense.
First
Who really cares 😂
I believe you have more heads to feed now with the new barn also. It's been a tricky year for many farmers let's pray for a decent harvest this fall for all. Hopefully your milk count won't hurt too much. Cheers 🇨🇦
Hey Eric, I learn more every video. I’ve never shied away from work - I admire everything our farmers do for us !!! John
Same man. After playing the game(FS22) and watching so much irl content I have a whole lot of respect for farmers.
You are lucky to have the reliable custom harvester who can come when you need them.
Did Y'all have more cows last yr or they eat more sees like you ran out a little bit early this yr ! GOD BLESS !!!
I sure hope the feed does well by your cows.
Thank you for taking the time to share your videos with us. 😊
Awesome video Eric. Sorry that y'all ran out of feed. thank you and your family for feeding us buddy
Is the shortage of feed a result of having a larger herd, or are you feeding them more daily to increase the milk output?
The Great American Farmer, I salute your drive, your a strong man, You are Blessed By the Almighty...Great Vid
Hope your weather holds out. Love to watch the harvesting process. Thanks.
I am always amazed at how fast your custom harvest team can chop your forage crops. Sure sorry that you have to deal with a feed shortage right now. I know it is always a concern when you have to shake up the milk cow feed ration with wet forage. One year I chopped dry hay bales and blended them in to help offset the wet corn silage. The cows really liked it, and production did not suffer too badly. Of course I was only feeding about 60 milk cows back then.
I hope you have an abundant corn silage crop. And that your milk output stays stable, and the girls stay happy. I really enjoyed the video footage your took from the top of the Harvestore silo. Thanks & have a blessed weekend with your family.😊
Great video Eric, have you had a vacation yet this summer?
How much do you figure you save by having your silage work contracted out ?
I used to love the smell of corn silage.
Maybe when they do Hay or corn silage you could do an interview with the custom chopping company. Explain their equipment and what models and make the run and why they run those.
(For example I think most of their carts are and blowers are field line, that's a small company why do they choose field line. And etc with each PCs equipment they have.)
That ant good😢 prayers thanks 😊
I google 'milk line and found a good image comparing different cobs with different progressions. It's an interesting concept.
Stay faithful friend
Will you have enough silage for next year?
We love milk in our family. Thank you.
Kinda concurred ... it’s been getting dryer the last few years ... crop yield is slowly decreasing ... is irrigation starting to be considered ?
No fun running out of feed with that many cows. We ran out of dry hay a couple years when we were milking but with only 40 cows it wasn’t to expensive to buy hay
Cow chow! It's good that you were able to get a 4th cutting. Hope the weather holds out for the rest of the harvest. 👍
I always enjoy watching the corn silage harvesting, that crew sure does an awesome job for you. Sure is a lot different from when I did it back in the early 70's, of course it was a lot more mature and not as advanced method. When the neighbor hog farmer did his, he would use a wagon that I would help pull the silage from the back of a push wagon and we used hook forks. I enjoyed watching, Thanks for sharing, I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend!
Very interesting! Adapting to different conditions by harvesting some corn early. I also follow Jan's channel. On a regular basis, he gets milk from each of his cows to check production and for possible mastitis. This also allows for optimal breeding.
They, too had some crops not grow as well as they would have liked due to drought. I think it was worse where he is* compared to your operation.
Awesome Video and Much Love as Always 🐄 Man!!!
That Ag Bag machine is pretty cool. Looks like a sausage when the bag is filled.
How many bushels of core did you produce from a acre? I remember the John Deere combine on my grandfather's farm in McConnellsburg back in 60's. These new machines have come a long way.
Corn knives are different shaped from grass knives
How you going to make feed work next year with no alfalfa
Lots of spring forage
Oh my...hope the situation works out alright.
Still the driest year on record here eastern Montgomery County, MD, and we've been seeing some of those not-filled-out ears in the sweet corn. Hope the main harvest goes well.
Frederick county is terrible dry