Grain maize

[Mixedupfarmer]

Anyone in cambs/Norfolk/lincs who combines grain maize? (Contractor)

 

[Kingcj]

Tim Russon (P Russon and sons) does at Lincoln, don't know how far south he would go. We have a header and combine maize but we are in north lincs.

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Tim Russon (P Russon and sons) does at Lincoln, don't know how far south he would go. We have a header and combine maize but we are in north lincs.

Thanks for that, I will contact them. Have you been growing grain maize long, and do you mainly do it for crimping being so far north?

 

[sjt01]

Anyone in cambs/Norfolk/lincs who combines grain maize? (Contractor)

Try Algy Garrod at Bintree, he did some for us a few years ago.

 

[sjt01]

Anyone in cambs/Norfolk/lincs who combines grain maize? (Contractor)

Also Mark Gill at Coston, or Goffs at Elmham

 

[sjt01]

Also Mark Gill at Coston, or Goffs at Elmham

Mark trades as Avocet Farming

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Mark trades as Avocet Farming

Thanks, I will give them a try

 

[Kingcj]

Thanks for that, I will contact them. Have you been growing grain maize long, and do you mainly do it for crimping being so far north?

This is our 4th year, and no we dry it and sell it like any other grain.

 

[MRA]

Where are you? I’ve just got a header for this coming season

 

[Brisel]

Just combine it with a normal header! We cut all ours with a X header (JD's moving knife table)

See Olly Harrison do it from 4 minutes here

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

Just combine it with a normal header! We cut all ours with a X header (JD's moving knife table)

See Olly Harrison do it from 4 minutes here
[/QUOTE)
Might be worth a go, straw walker combine although we do have a Nichols concave in which are supposed to be good on maize. Just a bit concerned whether it would deal with the extra material through it compared to a maize header. Maybe if we drilled it on narrower rows it might put less pressure on the knife cutting, as not so dense down the row.

 

[Brisel]

Just don't expect the kind of output you'd get in August wheat. Our concave is standard. JD T670i combine & 30ft X header. 75 cm maize rows.

I would add that we cut from Feb onwards as our maize is a game cover first and the corn is a by-product of the entertainment business! By the time the deer and beaters have been through a few times, it's not as thick as you're hoping to grow yours!

Out of curiosity, what is your intended end market? Cefetra are offering contracts for grain maize.

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

I think drying it would be our problem cost and speed wise. Was thinking more for crimping for beef or dairy diet. (Have some of own beef, and a big dairy nearby, but I am waiting for them to come back to me on potential price). Ultimately, crimping it and feeding it to more dairy beef would probably be the best. May just try a field or 2 now and cut ourselves to see how well we get on.

 

[Brisel]

Drying costs can be very steep at 5-10% moisture extraction in October/November. We have a mobile batch dryer and we struggle to get 2 loads/day done. Crimp it if you can!

 

[Brisel]

@Pilatus has some experience of grain maize harvesting, I think

 

[Pilatus]

@Pilatus has some experience of grain maize harvesting, I think

No direct experience but I do know some one that does.

 

[deleted user 837354]

It's great feed if crimped. I had a customer who cut a fair bit with a lexion but he had the real-deal header for it.

What sort of money are the grain trade offering for it if you dry it on down?

 

[Brisel]

It's great feed if crimped. I had a customer who cut a fair bit with a lexion but he had the real-deal header for it.

What sort of money are the grain trade offering for it if you dry it on down?

I was offered £200/t in late March for good quality clean bright maize at 15% mc

Edited to add: £168/t ex farm, offered 14th March 2024. About £5/t under feed wheat at the time.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I was offered £200/t in late March for good quality clean bright maize at 15% mc

That seems pretty positive if you can grow it cheaply as we do down here? Modest nitrogen inputs, not much in the way of blackgrass chemistry or fungicides? I mean you could go through it with x2 of something to keep the eyespot out of it. Can you still get the flufenacet product for maize?

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

I was offered £200/t in late March for good quality clean bright maize at 15% mc

Sounds pretty good, can you remember what feed wheat was at the time for comparison?