McGie family I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your ability to share the 'old ways' of farming my Grandparents used to do. Since I was so young back then I had forgotten why we used to make grass silage. More importantly, I had forgotten so many of the steps in making silage and raising/butchering pigs. You are my #1 watched channel because you are re-educating me on homesteading the old fashioned way. In my book, your content quality has surpassed all the other homesteading channels on TH-cam. You are actually feeding your family with low-cost farming instead of pretending to farm. Great work and please continue to share your old time farming with us!
That is a very encouraging comment! The reason I started this channel was because of the fake homestead channels I saw. It really thrills me to be able to help people get back to basics and become more self sufficient!
Your channel is the first one I go to every morning Tuesday through Thursday also love Sunday morning music & Saturday stories. ❤ almost the way I grew up
Good morning brother Micah. I followed your lead this year and made 9 barrels of ladino clover silage last Spring year and they turned out perfect. They set out in the pecan orchard all Summer. I opened one barrel and no spoilage on top. I used those barrels with the screw down lids. I took my time and packed it tight with my feet and then with my fist above the rim. Then screwed that lid down. It worked beautifully. That ladino clover packs extremely well. The silage started off spelling like dill pickles after two months and now it’s sweet smelling like chewing tobacco. Didn’t add any minerals to it though because I didn’t have any. I’ll be serving my minerals as a side dish. 😂😂😂. Wished I could send you pictures of the finished products. It’s beautiful AND it actually taste good. Yes I tasted it. Couldn’t resist ‘cause it just smelled SO good.😂😂😂.
My kinda feller! I’m glad it worked! I’ll try clover one of these days! I’m on my way right now to go meet a man with a big bag of Calf balls! So it’s going to be a good day!
We’ve packed barrel silage using a ratchet strap and a lid with a long handle. The lid kinda resembles a spinning top like we used to play with as kids. The lid has about 20 small blocks on the bottom that almost act like a sheep’s foot roller. Run the strap under the barrel and over the lid and it’s gets it like a rock. Plus you can leave tension on it for an extended period
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures my description might not be the best, but it’s simple lol. At the end of the day the best thing we’ve found is to top it with some thick plastic and keep pressure on it. Seems like we always had air coming in even through barrels with a gasket lid.
Redmond Salt makes a Garlic Salt that worked really well for our livestock. I noticed a cessation of ticks and a reduction in flies. As a bonus it is a nice chunky salt that is very tasty and great on steaks and other dishes. I usually grab a pinch as a snack, keeps the ticks off me as well! Many blessings to your family from Oklahoma
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures another good use is weed killer. Cut it down low along fence line and then start salting the earth. The salt is good for the cows and will eventually make the land under fence line barren. We have used a salt brine solution in a sprayer as well, such a good weedkiller Sustainable agriculture is the way to go, keep up the good work Micah!
In New Zealand most of our silage is made from grass, actually ive never heard of anyone using corn, only grass, which is mowed but not normally with a push mower i admit😂 still the principles the same, get it cut get it packed get it covered 👍 giving them extra minerals is a great idea esp in winter ❤👍nice job
Oh I forgot, packing by foot is going to give you the best results and it'll beat a compaction device hands down every time, you can apply much more force to the silage by foot compression than with a machine. Keep doing it that way😂
I rellay like this. Barrel silage is a great idea for several reasons. I would have to say the main reason eventually shows up in the smoke house. Lol. 👍👍
I was thinking last year when you did this, how a wood frame that lets the barrels slide in with a simple wood latch and platform surrounding the barrel with rails to grab above head to really gidder done!! How long to ferment for do you supplement other feed with the silage in winter too? Would help the boys stomp and not worry bout tipping. Besafe and blessed brother
Only thing I can think of mechanical I can think to try is a jumping jack compactor. You'd have to rig up some way to control it cause you couldn't hold it above you.
That would definitely be more work than stomping 😅 I might come up with something….. but this video seems to prove that simply eating more makes the biggest difference in packing more grass in!😂😂😂
You could have the silage stomper wearing a heavy backpack or yoke with weights to make the stomping harder. You could have the barrels stomped by a pole for the safety of the stomper.
The bacon from the pigs that eat this silage will sure taste good to the boys after all of their effort that went into making it. 😀 At least you made it into a fun little competition at the end although you did set it up so you would be the winner having all the advantages in age and experience 🤐
Well…… it was a learning curve for us……. I was just glad David didn’t beat Joel…… he did a very good job with his feet and I was thinking he’d have more grass in his. Evidently there’s a lot of importance on the actual weight of the person 😂🤣😂
This is very interesting. 20 years ago the family farm burned down and my parents didn't want to bring back the farm. I now have the farm and I'm bringing it back. I run a lawn care business and also run the farm with chickens and pigs. I'm very interested in this but I got stumped on the minerals you use. With me mowing yards already it wouldn't be hard for me to get the grass 😂 just don't know what kind of minerals I need for the pigs. Great video thank you
Thats supper clever! Perhaps an arch like a pull up bar to pack under so when you're tippy top u don't fall off and u could even push down a little and break the 300# per barrel.
I like it! You know how to make it sound tempting! I’d have to get the hight just right because we go up 4’ during each barrel. But I think it’s doable!
I really enjoy watching you guys do this ! I take it you can make this anytime you have to mow . It would be nice to buy a few barrels every year until you got enough to last you a year of feeding silage. Have you ever spread winter rye on your pasture for winter grazing ? Thanks for sharing and have a great day !
Hydraulics are your friend; take ya a hydraulic cylinder and motor offin' an old wood splitter and make a portable ram with a barrel and a cut to fit lid that swings out of the way at the top. No more danger of someone falling off the top of one of those barrels.
Going on the reasoning and logic of a Country Mile being longer than a City Mile , I'm wondering if your scale was weighing country pounds or city pounds ??
Just wondering if you've ever considered adding water to the barrels. My thinking is, with the salt in the minerals, it'd basically be a lactofermentation process...like making kraut...only with grass.
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures I don't know about the pickle juice. The water would keep oxygen out and spread the minerals out. The salt in the minerals would deter bad bacteria whilst allowing good bacteria to feed on the sugars in the grass. The lactofermentation process also makes the "kraut" healthier since the bacteria form a host of B vitamins.
im willing to bet the spoilage on the top few inches is cause by air leaking the seal. i wonder if you put a wax around the seal if it will help. i know you like experimenting, lets try it!
I bag mow grass and annual cover crops for mow and throw to my goats and hogs and was gonna do a few drums of silage again this year but the price of open top food grades has gone way too high. I got some plastic and need to just dig a pit. I splash mine with water and molasses. That salt you put on? I planted a lot of forage sorghum this season not really thinking itd go 10ft high and i havent got a good way to chop it!
Ive got a PTO chipper but its just too much effort for me alone. Drive there with tractor on trailer. scythe it all, carry to the chipper, feed it thru, rake it up. Go fetch enclosed trailer, pile it in, bring home, unload, pack etc. Im working on a mower deck feeding into a chipper vac dump trailer for next season to make it feasible time wise.
Fascinating how you convert the grass into food for the pigs; they convert it into pork meat, and that feeds you with deliciously prepared and seasoned food. HOT GEE, it's a miracle.
I had to disagree in that one, because you are raising a strong respectful individual. Some people with a lot of power are the ones creating a surmise generation totally dependent easy to manipulate (total control)@@McGieHomesteadAdventures
can you build something beside the barrel so the boys can hold on to so them can study them self and not fall. I can just see them failing and getting hurt they are very good help. you do what you do to pack it all I'm saying is something for for the boys to hold on to.( please )
Grass and cabbage has vastly different texture and although it might eventually work, we proved in this video that the weight of the item or person used, has a direct impact on how much oxygen is removed and how much grass goes in😂😂😂😂
McGie family I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate your ability to share the 'old ways' of farming my Grandparents used to do. Since I was so young back then I had forgotten why we used to make grass silage. More importantly, I had forgotten so many of the steps in making silage and raising/butchering pigs. You are my #1 watched channel because you are re-educating me on homesteading the old fashioned way. In my book, your content quality has surpassed all the other homesteading channels on TH-cam. You are actually feeding your family with low-cost farming instead of pretending to farm. Great work and please continue to share your old time farming with us!
That is a very encouraging comment! The reason I started this channel was because of the fake homestead channels I saw. It really thrills me to be able to help people get back to basics and become more self sufficient!
Your channel is the first one I go to every morning Tuesday through Thursday also love Sunday morning music & Saturday stories. ❤ almost the way I grew up
Wow, thank you!
I so enjoy seeing your young men working together with you to not only learn but to encourage each other. Great job guys!
Thank you! We love it too!!
I love how you do that.
It is fun with all the boys helping!😍
Good morning brother Micah. I followed your lead this year and made 9 barrels of ladino clover silage last Spring year and they turned out perfect. They set out in the pecan orchard all Summer. I opened one barrel and no spoilage on top. I used those barrels with the screw down lids. I took my time and packed it tight with my feet and then with my fist above the rim. Then screwed that lid down. It worked beautifully. That ladino clover packs extremely well.
The silage started off spelling like dill pickles after two months and now it’s sweet smelling like chewing tobacco. Didn’t add any minerals to it though because I didn’t have any. I’ll be serving my minerals as a side dish. 😂😂😂. Wished I could send you pictures of the finished products. It’s beautiful AND it actually taste good. Yes I tasted it. Couldn’t resist ‘cause it just smelled SO good.😂😂😂.
My kinda feller! I’m glad it worked! I’ll try clover one of these days! I’m on my way right now to go meet a man with a big bag of Calf balls! So it’s going to be a good day!
I’d have to agree with that conclusion. They are mighty tasty. Step above hog balls in my opinion. Enjoy my friend.
Glad to see I’m not the only one that still uses a boom pole!
They are very handy on a 3 point hitch!!!
Ok be honest did you put Camp Dog on the silage? 😂
🤣🤣🤣
I’d never deny that!😂😂😂
😅😅 I like it
Would taste better with it I’m sure.😂
Made me chuckle.😂
Good job everyone! Great to see family working together, need more of that in this world. Have a blessed day and God bless you all ❤️
Thank you! You too!
We’ve packed barrel silage using a ratchet strap and a lid with a long handle. The lid kinda resembles a spinning top like we used to play with as kids. The lid has about 20 small blocks on the bottom that almost act like a sheep’s foot roller. Run the strap under the barrel and over the lid and it’s gets it like a rock. Plus you can leave tension on it for an extended period
That’s genius!!
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures my description might not be the best, but it’s simple lol. At the end of the day the best thing we’ve found is to top it with some thick plastic and keep pressure on it. Seems like we always had air coming in even through barrels with a gasket lid.
Lots of work good job the 🐽 pigs will get fatter😅😅thanks for sharing keep the cameras rolling from Florida
You bet! Fat pigs are good luck!😂😂😂
Redmond Salt makes a Garlic Salt that worked really well for our livestock. I noticed a cessation of ticks and a reduction in flies. As a bonus it is a nice chunky salt that is very tasty and great on steaks and other dishes. I usually grab a pinch as a snack, keeps the ticks off me as well! Many blessings to your family from Oklahoma
Interesting! i’d love to try that😃
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures another good use is weed killer. Cut it down low along fence line and then start salting the earth. The salt is good for the cows and will eventually make the land under fence line barren. We have used a salt brine solution in a sprayer as well, such a good weedkiller
Sustainable agriculture is the way to go, keep up the good work Micah!
That's some pretty good weighted barrels my Friend. Im sure it will make some good pig feed. Best wishes to you folks!
I guess I need to eat more so I can get 300 pounds in a barrel!😂😂😂
In New Zealand most of our silage is made from grass, actually ive never heard of anyone using corn, only grass, which is mowed but not normally with a push mower i admit😂 still the principles the same, get it cut get it packed get it covered 👍 giving them extra minerals is a great idea esp in winter ❤👍nice job
Oh I forgot, packing by foot is going to give you the best results and it'll beat a compaction device hands down every time, you can apply much more force to the silage by foot compression than with a machine. Keep doing it that way😂
Very interesting! Thanks for the encouragement! You’re about to get your eyes full of corn silage very soon!😂😂😂
Good crew? You're not kidding. Look at the muscles on them. Those boys are built like fully grown cowboys.
😂😂😂 it’s been great working with these guys!
I rellay like this. Barrel silage is a great idea for several reasons. I would have to say the main reason eventually shows up in the smoke house. Lol. 👍👍
That’s a very good point! If we can keep Frank out of it!😂😂😂
Another fantastic family effort! Well done men! 👊🏻🔥I reckon if Caleb was there he would have broken 300lbs. Hope the little man was okay. 🙏🏻
He’s a legend of silage for sure!😂😂😂
I was thinking last year when you did this, how a wood frame that lets the barrels slide in with a simple wood latch and platform surrounding the barrel with rails to grab above head to really gidder done!! How long to ferment for do you supplement other feed with the silage in winter too?
Would help the boys stomp and not worry bout tipping. Besafe and blessed brother
I like that idea! We already made a batch this spring ( video on the way!)
Only thing I can think of mechanical I can think to try is a jumping jack compactor. You'd have to rig up some way to control it cause you couldn't hold it above you.
That would definitely be more work than stomping 😅 I might come up with something….. but this video seems to prove that simply eating more makes the biggest difference in packing more grass in!😂😂😂
You could have the silage stomper wearing a heavy backpack or yoke with weights to make the stomping harder. You could have the barrels stomped by a pole for the safety of the stomper.
The bacon from the pigs that eat this silage will sure taste good to the boys after all of their effort that went into making it. 😀 At least you made it into a fun little competition at the end although you did set it up so you would be the winner having all the advantages in age and experience 🤐
Well…… it was a learning curve for us……. I was just glad David didn’t beat Joel…… he did a very good job with his feet and I was thinking he’d have more grass in his. Evidently there’s a lot of importance on the actual weight of the person 😂🤣😂
Morning Micah, hope I spelled that right because I was calling you Michael so it should be an improvement. Have a blessed day!
I answer to just about anything!😂😂😂
Yes you spelled it right! The only thing I don’t like being called is late for dinner!!!😂😂😂
Another great video thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good morning everyone!
Have a great day brother!
Good morning.
This is very interesting. 20 years ago the family farm burned down and my parents didn't want to bring back the farm. I now have the farm and I'm bringing it back. I run a lawn care business and also run the farm with chickens and pigs. I'm very interested in this but I got stumped on the minerals you use. With me mowing yards already it wouldn't be hard for me to get the grass 😂 just don't know what kind of minerals I need for the pigs. Great video thank you
Try asking the local feed dealer…. They probably know.
Thats supper clever! Perhaps an arch like a pull up bar to pack under so when you're tippy top u don't fall off and u could even push down a little and break the 300# per barrel.
I like it! You know how to make it sound tempting! I’d have to get the hight just right because we go up 4’ during each barrel. But I think it’s doable!
Ham hocks and silage you're making me hungry 😁🐝
That’s exactly what I’m talking about!😂😂😂
I really enjoy watching you guys do this ! I take it you can make this anytime you have to mow . It would be nice to buy a few barrels every year until you got enough to last you a year of feeding silage. Have you ever spread winter rye on your pasture for winter grazing ? Thanks for sharing and have a great day !
I haven’t! It would be nice to do that though!
Hydraulics are your friend; take ya a hydraulic cylinder and motor offin' an old wood splitter and make a portable ram with a barrel and a cut to fit lid that swings out of the way at the top. No more danger of someone falling off the top of one of those barrels.
I’m no nearly mechanically inclined enough to do something like that! Someone would get killed with the dad burn thing!
Micah your Barrel was probably 30 pounds heavier lol great way to provide extra feed at not to much cost just some gas and time
😅 I’m guessing it’s because I’m fat😂😂😂
Going on the reasoning and logic of a Country Mile being longer than a City Mile , I'm wondering if your scale was weighing country pounds or city pounds ??
I’m not sure, but I believe I weigh a full 220 country pounds!
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures 😄 ,, yesh , we'uns call that "Husky"
Interesting ideas . Would it work for chickens?
Yes, absolutely!
I see that ol crazy bull is still alive and kicking hahahaha. I am going to have to try this pig silage next year
His life keeps getting prolonged 😂😂😂😂😂
i am going to do that... I have grass and a walker mower.... just need some barrels
It’s amazingly not all that difficult! And the feed value is amazing!
I think the wetter the grass the heavier it is I am sure the bigger the guy the better but just think wet grass versus dry grass
Yes I know that is correct
I love it, pig pickles 😂
😂😂😂😂
Just wondering if you've ever considered adding water to the barrels. My thinking is, with the salt in the minerals, it'd basically be a lactofermentation process...like making kraut...only with grass.
It would be worth a try! I’ve considered pickle juice too!
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures I don't know about the pickle juice. The water would keep oxygen out and spread the minerals out. The salt in the minerals would deter bad bacteria whilst allowing good bacteria to feed on the sugars in the grass. The lactofermentation process also makes the "kraut" healthier since the bacteria form a host of B vitamins.
You got some good boys 🤙🏻🙏🏼❤️
I’m very blessed!
im willing to bet the spoilage on the top few inches is cause by air leaking the seal. i wonder if you put a wax around the seal if it will help. i know you like experimenting, lets try it!
I definitely should!
Great video brother. I'm 6' 4" and 285lbs. I bet I could get 350lbs. In a barrel. 😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I bag mow grass and annual cover crops for mow and throw to my goats and hogs and was gonna do a few drums of silage again this year but the price of open top food grades has gone way too high. I got some plastic and need to just dig a pit. I splash mine with water and molasses. That salt you put on?
I planted a lot of forage sorghum this season not really thinking itd go 10ft high and i havent got a good way to chop it!
You can rent a wood chipper. Just pack it with anything, even your feet.
Ive got a PTO chipper but its just too much effort for me alone. Drive there with tractor on trailer. scythe it all, carry to the chipper, feed it thru, rake it up. Go fetch enclosed trailer, pile it in, bring home, unload, pack etc. Im working on a mower deck feeding into a chipper vac dump trailer for next season to make it feasible time wise.
Fascinating how you convert the grass into food for the pigs; they convert it into pork meat, and that feeds you with deliciously prepared and seasoned food. HOT GEE, it's a miracle.
It’s absolutely a beautiful conversion! I don’t like eating grass so much!!!
@@McGieHomesteadAdventures Ever considered having a pond for raising catfish?
Does that stuff ferment Mr Mcgie, turning into alcohol or fine grass wine them pigs can enjoy getting high before they meet their creator???❤😮😊
It’s non alcoholic😂😂😂
But they do become addicted 😂😂😂
Don't you mean, more fun than a barrel of silage?
That’s it!!!😂😂😂
Good morning, Sir, I wonder how long a city creature would last if the electronics and costumers service disappeared?🤔
Not long at all. I’m afraid we’ve built ourselves a very fragile society!
I had to disagree in that one, because you are raising a strong respectful individual. Some people with a lot of power are the ones creating a surmise generation totally dependent easy to manipulate (total control)@@McGieHomesteadAdventures
What is in that Purina bag you pour into the barrel occasionally?
Pig minerals.
can you build something beside the barrel so the boys can hold on to so them can study them self and not fall. I can just see them failing and getting hurt they are very good help.
you do what you do to pack it all I'm saying is something for for the boys to hold on to.( please )
I’m sure as I get older my safety side will blossom into something that will make you proud 😂😂😂
Another awesome video mcgie, sorry about spelling you surname wrong take care bro
No worries! I’ve gotten to where I don’t notice anymore it happens all the time!😂😂😂
1000 lbs of free piggy food!!
If we had more barrels, we could do twice that much in a day!
I have 2 feeder pigs and a small yard. After watching you last year I started doing the same thing with 5 gallon buckets! Works great!! Thank you!!
I wonder is you could pull a vacuum on that barrel, or put a cap of oil on top, to keep the air out.
It’s a definite possibility! We stomped it very tight, I’m doubtful there’s room for air in it.
Who would’ve thought we could make a silage video and it be fun?😂
😂😂😂 I’m hoping I can!😂😂😂
😁
Boom badda BOOM!😂
I'm 285 just holler next fall ill be the packer!!! 🤗🤪
😂😂😂 might just put a bulge in the barrel!😂😂😂
You should already know the average weight of those barbells you do it every year
I’m not a barbell fan
If you pounded like sourkraut it would pack lol
Grass and cabbage has vastly different texture and although it might eventually work, we proved in this video that the weight of the item or person used, has a direct impact on how much oxygen is removed and how much grass goes in😂😂😂😂
8th!
Boom!!😜💥
Looks like you are making whine out of grass it is your deal do it as you please
If that worked for making wine I imagine more people would be doing it!😂😂😂
If you made yourself some "mini-stilts" you could get pretty good compaction by foot.
Im thinking the equivalent of a sheeps foot packer.
That’s a great idea!
Nice to see the lads talk more
Yes indeed!!😂😂
How many square feet did you have to mow to get a barrel full?
Approximately..
That was approximately 7000 sq feet for all these barrels
@McGieHomesteadAdventures oh wow. That's quite a lot from such a small area.
Have a good one!
Cowboy Cut Down!
😅😅😂😂