Silage bales or pit silage

[Tharries-92]

Just wondering what people’s views are on clamp or bales for silage been looking at either buying a baler and wrapper or going down the forage box rout we rear calves and are looking at building up a suckler herd feeding roughly 300 head atm but will be increasing. Thanks.

 

[Fergieman]

If you have the pit use it rather than buying lots of plastic.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Pros and cons to both
Depends on your circumstances and set up

 

[milkloss]

I think labour requirement for the method is a very important consideration. I’d consider bales until you build numbers. I know there will be a lot of plastic to dispose of but with a clamp there’s sheeting down, weighing down and then uncovering in winter etc and still a fair pile of plastic to deal with. It’s all hand work and mostly in big chunks of work whereas with your own baling unit it’s a little more stop and go as you wish.

if you’ve got the hands then pit is most likely the most cost efficient for sure.

 

[Tharries-92]

If you have the pit use it rather than buying lots of plastic.

Yeh we have the silage pits. I’m heading towards the pit silage because of the amount of plastic but dad likes the bales because he hasn’t got to worry about unsheeting the pit if I’m not about and he can cart them on his own

 

[Bald Rick]

Yeh we have the silage pits. I’m heading towards the pit silage because of the amount of plastic but dad likes the bales because he hasn’t got to worry about unsheeting the pit if I’m not about and he can cart them on his own

Got the pits, use them. Can always roll the sheet back for your old man.
Could consider an old TMR wagon and make for a mechanised system?

 

[milkloss]

Yeh we have the silage pits. I’m heading towards the pit silage because of the amount of plastic but dad likes the bales because he hasn’t got to worry about unsheeting the pit if I’m not about and he can cart them on his own

He knows your system, numbers, feeders etc, I’d roll with old old mans idea.

 

[Bald Rick]

He knows your system, numbers, feeders etc, I’d roll with old old mans idea.

Yesterday’s farmer .... got to give youth their head

(At least that’s what I’m told ...)

 

[startinghandle]

6 of one and half a dozen of the other
But with 300 cattle to feed and more to come you will need a huge amount of bales. Do you have adequate manure storage facilities??
An advantage of bales is if weather is good you can make haylage which is better for young cattle and if some grass comes up for sale closeby you can take your baler there
But this may sound silly but I would say that bales and pit silage would be best!!!!

 

[milkloss]

Yesterday’s farmer .... got to give youth their head

(At least that’s what I’m told ...)

Yes, agree, but ignore the ‘old boys‘ at your peril! They’re not always as backwards as some might imagine.

Don’t forget the OP is ‘building up to 300 head’. Don’t run before you can walk and all that

 

[Hfd Cattle]

I wish I had a pit . We are all bales .
Seeing as you have a pit I would do mainly pit but do 50 Or so bales for handiness. Always handy to have a few bales around .

 

[Nithsdale]

Yes, agree, but ignore the ‘old boys‘ at your peril! They’re not always as backwards as some might imagine.

+1
They were young and keen once, too...

 

[Jdunn55]

We have moved from clamp over to bales due to us buying a baler and wrapper. Wouldn't consider going back unless we got to the point where we couldn't cover the acres by ourselves quickly enough. Worked out due to me not having to pay someone with a forager, 3 trailers plus 2 tractors and drivers and a buck rake man that bales will be cheaper including paying for the baler and plastic. Dont miss having to unroll the silage clamp when its tipping down with rain. Also got the advantage of you can bale a field as and when it's ready rather than having to cut everything in one go to get the clamp done. Also found its quicker to put bales in in the winter rather than grabs of silage. That's my opinion and it's really more of a question as to what suits your system best tbh.

 

[Bald Rick]

Yes, agree, but ignore the ‘old boys‘ at your peril! They’re not always as backwards as some might imagine.

Don’t forget the OP is ‘building up to 300 head’. Don’t run before you can walk and all that

This old boy was happy with 100 cows...
Chuffing sprinting now

 

[Fendt516profi]

Feeding 300 head of calves youngstock will the clamp not go off on the face faster than it is used

 

[Jdunn55]

Feeding 300 head of calves youngstock will the clamp not go off on the face faster than it is used

Another of the reasons we moved away from it, couldn't clear the face fast enough and ended with 2 dung spreader worth of crap from the stuff the cows wouldn't eat in front of them and the stuff pulled off the face in the clamp towards the end of the week as it had gone off.

 

[Fendt516profi]

Some fields will be really nice Young stirk feed some will be better older animal feed in bales you feed what suits what as long as you stack it right in clamp you feed what you come to first

 

[Treecreeper]

Went back to pit three yrs ago after a long time with bales, if you rely on contractors acreage rate needs to be considered as a heavy grass crop can be cheaper to clamp than than bale. Clamp is also a more consistant feed compared to bale variation from field to field. Packing up bale plastic is high on my hate list, always smells of cat wee, a few wrapped bales are always handy tho'. Good hay is great feed but that's another story.

 

[Dog Bowl]

A lot depends on set up and work load. On one of my holdings I have a large pit which in the past we have filled to feed out to over 250 cattle. I have now made the move back to bales with the idea of reducing daily workload. Crucially I needed to use the right sort of bale to make it work - This year I used a guy with a high density krone 120x90 baler. 750kg bales. We now feed every other day, bed up every other day. Before we were feeding every day with a shear grab which took twice as long! The right decision for this away farm. On my other holdings clamp silage is still king!

 

[Dextersg]

Just wondering what people’s views are on clamp or bales for silage been looking at either buying a baler and wrapper or going down the forage box rout we rear calves and are looking at building up a suckler herd feeding roughly 300 head atm but will be increasing. Thanks.

Effluent could be a problem with pit silage.