Mixing silage and straw

[JMTHORNLEY]

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on best ways to mix silage and straw with no mixer wagon?
I need to find a way of slowing the fodder through them as it’s powerful stuff just a bit on the wetter side.

I’ve a straw chopper and so far have been chopping a small amount of straw then a full bale then another sprinkling of straw on top and mixing in with the times. A bit time intensive and a ballache to do but it is working. Wondered if anyone had a better idea?

Mixer wagon is on the cards for next year but only a handful of cattle

 

[davidroberts30]

Straw In a ring feeder?

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

Straw In a ring feeder?

Would be ideal but square bales and shed layout doesn’t lend itself to that

 

[kill]

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on best ways to mix silage and straw with no mixer wagon?
I need to find a way of slowing the fodder through them as it’s powerful stuff just a bit on the wetter side.

I’ve a straw chopper and so far have been chopping a small amount of straw then a full bale then another sprinkling of straw on top and mixing in with the times. A bit time intensive and a ballache to do but it is working. Wondered if anyone had a better idea?

Mixer wagon is on the cards for next year but only a handful of cattle

Silage one day and straw the next maybes?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Used to chop straw with a chopper and blow it in the silage clamp then load mixer with it for a bit of a pre-chop. Not sure it was that much better TBH. Loading the mixer with straw and leaving it probably more effective.

 

[michael N123]

Used to try mixing it in the pit but you end up with straw and silage everywhere feeding it Out and the cows still pick the straw out in the end I used to just stick a bale at the end of the passageway for them to pick at

 

[milkloss]

We just made a bay using big squares under cover and blew a bale or two into that. When loading the wagon (lucasg bedder) we used the shear grab to get some straw and then loaded the pit silo on the top.

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

We just made a bay using big squares under cover and blew a bale or two into that. When loading the wagon (lucasg bedder) we used the shear grab to get some straw and then loaded the pit silo on the top.

This is what I’m leaning towards now. Might just make a little clamp and chop the straw, silage and fodder beets then re load into the chopper?
I have seen a tidy feeder wagon with scales at handy money then I could really monitor what they were eating

 

[hally]

With our sucklers we just put a line of silage down the barrier with the straw blower then another line of straw on top with the blower, they fast mix it themselves but on a windy day can be a pain here and they will nudge the straw off but will eat it if it’s good straw and they have nothing else. Doesn’t work here with wheat straw though as they just won’t eat it.If we don’t feed a fair bit of straw with second cut silage the slurry will be running out the doors so always include straw in the ration ( especially before calving to stop the calves getting too big)

 

[Dkb]

Id just use the straw chopper to layer it at the feed face. I wouldn’t bother with the feed tine mixing.

 

[Paul E]

Don't give 'em much silage - they'll soon eat as much straw as you want to give them.

 

[Sheep92]

I just roll a bale of straw out along the barrier and put silage on top, cows do the rest

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

Day before straw pushed up, bale on top, scattering of fresh straw seems to be doing the trick.
Thanks all

 

[deleted user 837354]

Day before straw pushed up, bale on top, scattering of fresh straw seems to be doing the trick.
Thanks all

You seem to have a fantastic setup and those cattle look magnificent.

 

[JMTHORNLEY]

You seem to have a fantastic setup and those cattle look magnificent.

Well thank you very much! I’m pretty well set up now with only being a one man band so everything has to be as straight forward as it possibly can be, spent many a years struggling
Cattle have nothing but the best I can afford to give them. They don’t make me millions by any streak but they are happy so so am I

Thank you again