Silage Pit V round bale

from_atozinc

Which do yee think is better, the aul silage pit or the round bale.

Suppose lots of factors to consider : cost, feeding value, ease of working with, rotting/going off, etc etc

Sam Kade

If you have big numbers silage pit all the way.

from_atozinc

Sam Kade wrote: »

If you have big numbers silage pit all the way.

Thanks. Define big

Dampintheattic

from_atozinc wrote: »

Thanks. Define big

Here -;) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big

Marooned75

Dampintheattic wrote: »

Here -;) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big

Lol

from_atozinc

Dampintheattic wrote: »

Here -;) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big

Sneer acknowledged

I was obviously on about acres.

Sharpshooter82

If you have a few fields spread out or an out farm you can't beat carrying bales of fodder around. It's handier and less waste

boby1234

It's all about what suits,if you're a dairy farmer then pit all the way,

6480

you cant beat the speed of feeding out of a pit and the ease of no net and plastic to gather up , i ve my own balers and wrappers but only made 100 bales this year , the rest i put in the pit myself as we have our own harvester , its very hard to get a good contractor to get a wilt and to do the pit right

Sharpshooter82

6480 wrote: »

you cant beat the speed of feeding out of a pit and the ease of no net and plastic to gather up , i ve my own balers and wrappers but only made 100 bales this year , the rest i put in the pit myself as we have our own harvester , its very hard to get a good contractor to get a wilt and to do the pit right

We are lucky as we had to pull the contractor off the pit this year as he was rolling the pit for about an hours, father in law mad to cover the pit

yellow50HX

Do bales but would be half tempted to go back to pit. Would need to put down a new slab though. Old pit is not ready suited to big gear anymore so have changed it to calving pens, weanlings housing andnstraw storage. Have been looking to see how I can cut my silage bill. But bales are very handy. I don't like the idea of drying in the wrapped bales from the field so wrap and stack in the yard. If I upgrade the tractor and get something with a shuttle and big power loader i would look at the idea of going back to pit and getting someone with a silage wagon and pushing it up my self. Very few silage wagons around here so the cost of self propelled crew is not much different then the bale crew. Cost of plastic is the big difference.

Bizzum

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

We are lucky as we had to pull the contractor off

Lucky ya say??? What ever floats your boat. :-)

Sharpshooter82

Bizzum wrote: »

Lucky ya say??? What ever floats your boat. :-)

Look it was a dry spell, I was going through :D
And believe it or not we have two female contractors around here

delaval

I look at it from the silage making point of view.
For me pit is the business from a feeding out POV, bales pain my whole yet we have loads of then as we use the baler to collect surplus grass

bale quality usually better as the grass going in is generally younger.

Bales saved our bacon in July so can't complain too much about them.

We open bales 2 days a week and leave open in the yard to be put in passage as required.

Heifer shed contractor lines up bales every 5 days works a treat.

bob charles

delaval wrote: »

Heifer shed contractor lines up bales every 5 days works a treat.

When we had sucklers they used to be fed once every 10 days outside. I remember being a bit apprehensive when we moved from every 5 days as they were 8 miles away, so I asked another suckler farmer who was feeding every week-his reply was that he was moving to feed them every second week. Low cost suckler farming

Going forward...

It's only low cost if the silage isn't spoiling on you. Set of those O'Donavan moveable barriers on donedeal a while back.

Once a fortnight feeding and no more cubicle cleaning/bedding for this coming winter then. More time for the internet.

munkus

Two weeks after opening the pit. Scumbag who packed it made a sh*te job of it, only half fu*kin packed at the sides. Seriously thinking of round bales next years even though it will cost way more. Useless c*nt is at it 10 years and still can't do it right.

jersey101

munkus wrote: »

Two weeks after opening the pit. Scumbag who packed it made a sh*te job of it, only half fu*kin packed at the sides. Seriously thinking of round bales next years even though it will cost way more. Useless c*nt is at it 10 years and still can't do it right.

how far in is it rotted?

Mulumpy

You must have the same fellow as me, hopeless

munkus

jersey101 wrote: »

how far in is it rotted?

Loose for about 3 metres in on each side. Rots quickly when in contact with air.

moy83

munkus wrote: »

Loose for about 3 metres in on each side. Rots quickly when in contact with air.

Thats alot of silage , will you get the contractor to look at it ? Or will you use him next year .
Was he under pressure with loads coming fast when making the pit ?

munkus

moy83 wrote: »

Thats alot of silage , will you get the contractor to look at it ? Or will you use him next year .
Was he under pressure with loads coming fast when making the pit ?

The land is in one block alright, but same as every other year. No point in saying anything to him now. If using him again I'd have to stop them every 20 minutes to give him a chance. Problem is that he's poor at the job.

moy83

munkus wrote: »

The land is in one block alright, but same as every other year. No point in saying anything to him now. If using him again I'd have to stop them every 20 minutes to give him a chance. Problem is that he's poor at the job.

I think you would have a good point by showing him the way it is now . When he is flat out next year and the pit is empty , he wont be interested in hearing about the "bit " of waste at the sides and will just want to get on with filling the pit as quick as he can !
Would you be able to pack it with your own tractor as he is buckraking ?

stanflt

munkus wrote: »

Two weeks after opening the pit. Scumbag who packed it made a sh*te job of it, only half fu*kin packed at the sides. Seriously thinking of round bales next years even though it will cost way more. Useless c*nt is at it 10 years and still can't do it right.

How many sheets of plastic and do you take tyres off and tighten plastic after pit sinks

yellow50HX

moy83 wrote: »

I think you would have a good point by showing him the way it is now . When he is flat out next year and the pit is empty , he wont be interested in hearing about the "bit " of waste at the sides and will just want to get on with filling the pit as quick as he can !
Would you be able to pack it with your own tractor as he is buckraking ?

Having a good man in the pit is essential. There is a lot to be said for the smaller outfit or a silage wagon that gives the lad in the pit time to fill and pack. Those massive harvesters can clear a field in no time but can the loader keep up? Especially in a tight pit.

caseman

stanflt wrote: »

How many sheets of plastic and do you take tyres off and tighten plastic after pit sinks

I'd say this could be your problem and not the man an the pit.

Muckit

caseman wrote: »

I'd say this could be your problem an not the man an the pit.

You could put on twenty sheets and it's not worth a damn if the pit hasn't been packed from start to finish. Driving up and down for an hour afterwards is equally useless.

Throwing a twenty to a good lad in the loader will save multiples of this in waste silage, hassle and time come winter. You shouldn't have to do it, but it wouldn't buy you a bale of silage.

Anything bigger than an L70 is too big for small narrow pits. Driver needs to be able to drive across it and also tap the sides with the prongs.

caseman

Muckit wrote: »

You could put on twenty sheets and it's not worth a damn if the pit hasn't been packed from start to finish. Driving up and down for an hour afterwards is equally useless.

Throwing a twenty to a good lad in the loader will save multiples of this in waste silage, hassle and time come winter. You shouldn't have to do it, but it wouldn't buy you a bale of silage.

Anything bigger than an L70 is too big for small narrow pits. Driver needs to be able to drive across it and also tap the sides with the prongs.

I've seen pits dumped together and if their covered wright you'll have no waste.
I've also seen pits that alot of care had been taken to put together ,and the cover left loose and alot of waste an the sides and top.

bob charles

its all in the covering, I have stacked a pit here before and packed with the bucket and no waste. but then again I would be crossing the pit face very quick and secondary fermentation wouldnt be a problem

caseman

Pit is put together with 360 track machine here now.

bob charles

caseman wrote: »

Pit is put together with 360 track machine here now.

have often done that in the past and works a treat

keep going

I agree about the covering -throw a few old sheets over it myself, could have 3 or 4 layers

munkus

stanflt wrote: »

How many sheets of plastic and do you take tyres off and tighten plastic after pit sinks

3 sheets and tightened after a week, no different to any other year. The edges don't cut clean and you even feel your foot sinking as you walk on top.

munkus

caseman wrote: »

I'd say this could be your problem and not the man an the pit.

No, not the problem.

bob charles

I never put anymore than one sheet on properly, I cant understand this novelty of putting on old sheets and the pricking around. 15 minutes with the contractors lads here and we have it fully covered . cant beat a couple of guys that understand the job when covering a pit

nhg

Just wondering if those Easyfix silage mats would be any good on the sides instead of tyres.

Mulumpy

Have the same problem as munkus. Use two new sheets and one old plus two rows of lorry tyres. Pit kept tight for two weeks then covered completely with car tyres. Have to use first two metres of open sides first or gone of in few hours. Guy on pit does not keep sides tidy ends no matter how much I give out. Have had same contractor coming here for forty years when it suits me so dont want falling out with him.

mahoney_j

Mulumpy wrote: »

Have the same problem as munkus. Use two new sheets and one old plus two rows of lorry tyres. Pit kept tight for two weeks then covered completely with car tyres. Have to use first two metres of open sides first or gone of in few hours. Guy on pit does not keep sides tidy ends no matter how much I give out. Have had same contractor coming here for forty years when it suits me so dont want falling out with him.

Hey I'll have to have a word with mike!!!!.presume it's the yank that dose yours.anyway happy Christmas to you and yours.in off to the ma and das for round 1 of Christmas dinner and then down to inlaws this evening for round 2!!

Bizzum

Anyone ever see pit silage made with no cover on it?
I knew a lad who used to do it!

bob charles

Bizzum wrote: »

Anyone ever see pit silage made with no cover on it?
I knew a lad who used to do it!

heard many is the tale about silage with no sheets

have2flushtwice

caseman wrote: »

Pit is put together with 360 track machine here now.

Saw a 360 on a pit for the first time two years ago. My jaw dropped, it must take some skill i remember thinking.

Bizzum

bob charles wrote: »

heard many is the tale about silage with no sheets

I saw it done. Yer man was shocking set in his ideas and refused to cover silage. He spent hour upon hour rolling it with the tractor, he maintained he'd the same waste without plastic as the lads with it.

feartuath

21 acres of 1st cut pit silage here , never too much waste, there is a big loading shovel on the pit always this helps alot i think but loads come on top of him fast .i always try to stay near the pit with the driver and tell him what I want.
I am using a Mc hale shear grab but silage is mulched so small there is a lot of forking to be done to keep pit face clean , this is more labour for me
I have 104 bales that I have not opened yet as I am using pit silage in both houses.
Biggest drawback is collecting rain water from pit and yard.this classed as soiled water so it fills slatted tanks quickly
I would be temped to try all bales sometime to see if I could reduce labour .There is never much help throwing tyres on the pit or filling sand bags

Nekarsulm

perhaps one adult cow and her progeny for every six inches of pit width, to ensure it is used quick enough to prevent secondry heating?

Timmaay

feartuath wrote: »

Biggest drawback is collecting rain water from pit and yard.this classed as soiled water so it fills slatted tanks quickly
I would be temped to try all bales sometime to see if I could reduce labour .There is never much help throwing tyres on the pit or filling sand bags

Surely you only need to collect this while the pit is open, for drier farmers this is usually only 2months or so.

yellow50HX

feartuath wrote: »

21 acres of 1st cut pit silage here , never too much waste, there is a big loading shovel on the pit always this helps alot i think but loads come on top of him fast .i always try to stay near the pit with the driver and tell him what I want.
I am using a Mc hale shear grab but silage is mulched so small there is a lot of forking to be done to keep pit face clean , this is more labour for me
I have 104 bales that I have not opened yet as I am using pit silage in both houses.
Biggest drawback is collecting rain water from pit and yard.this classed as soiled water so it fills slatted tanks quickly
I would be temped to try all bales sometime to see if I could reduce labour .There is never much help throwing tyres on the pit or filling sand bags

It all depends on the way your pit/slab is laid out. Most fellas that I know that have slabs have constructed them so that the pit is filled from the back but fed from the front. This means that the main slope is to the rear so that the rain water from the plastic stays clean and flows away from the open side and can be sent straight to drain. Then area on which the silage sits drains to the front so a trench will catch and divert the effluent to the tanks. As the plastic is outside this the rain will not enter the tanks. Once opened only that area from the front of the open pit goes to the tank. The amount of soiled water that goes to the tank during this time will actually help dilute the slurry and will mean you don't have to draw water to be able to agitate the tanks.

feartuath

Unfortunately I am dealing with an old 3 walled slab that can only be filled and emptied from one side,there is no room at the back even if the wall was removed.
Rain water from the plastic in some people's opinion is clean but when it mixes with silage that may be on the ground it can be classed as soiled water .
This will not be a problem this year as cows went in on 6th of December so the tank is still very low.

Farmer Pudsey

feartuath wrote: »

Unfortunately I am dealing with an old 3 walled slab that can only be filled and emptied from one side,there is no room at the back even if the wall was removed.
Rain water from the plastic in some people's opinion is clean but when it mixes with silage that may be on the ground it can be classed as soiled water .
This will not be a problem this year as cows went in on 6th of December so the tank is still very low.

You would be away better off making baled silage. This would end issue also if you ever get inspected they will look at your total storage it will not matter if cattle are no inside before the 1st of January they will calculate the storage required for the closed period in your area.

A lot of farmers go to huge trouble spreading and breaking up bales. I just plant 1-2 bales in front of pen depending on what is inside. They will eat back at least half way and I just push in bales with tractor or along central passage you can pike it in 10 minutes and that is for three pens.

Also with bales you can make lower quality for cows 63-65 DMD while making good quality 70+DMD for weanlings, store or finishing cattle or cows that have calved.

delaval

have2flushtwice wrote: »

Saw a 360 on a pit for the first time two years ago. My jaw dropped, it must take some skill i remember thinking.

Like this?

onyerbikepat

Anyone make a pit with no walls, but all 4 sides sloped. No walls but you need greater floor space. A bit like pic below. That way, you can roll up and down from all directions, no soft spots at walls then. The waste at the walls used to drive me mad, when we made a pit.

have2flushtwice

delaval wrote: »

Like this?

Yes same as that, it was in tipp. I suppose an experienced operator would be confident.
Is there another tractor on the left pushing up?