Silage Moisture Tester - Knowing When to Bale

[OscarK]

Hi all,

We're aiming to bale silage at 40%DM, and looking at a silage moisture tester to help determine this point. Has anyone had any experience with these tools?

Looking at one from Malpas, link below, for £200 which we think is justified if it can save us a pass with the tedder and help to maximise ME. We've found the DM of high clover silages hardest to guess especially in the second and third cut.

https://www.malpasonline.co.uk/Item...&Desc=Silage-Moisture-Tester-Portable&nlurl=1

Cheers!

 

[Al R]

I don’t know anything about testers apart from I’ve seen a bale probe used on straw that could work on haylage as 40% is borderline haylage.

 

[sjt01]

Hi all,

We're aiming to bale silage at 40%DM, and looking at a silage moisture tester to help determine this point. Has anyone had any experience with these tools?

Looking at one from Malpas, link below, for £200 which we think is justified if it can save us a pass with the tedder and help to maximise ME. We've found the DM of high clover silages hardest to guess especially in the second and third cut.

https://www.malpasonline.co.uk/Item...&Desc=Silage-Moisture-Tester-Portable&nlurl=1

Cheers!

Has anyone actually tried one of these? The only method I have seen that gives a half sensible result is the NIR analysers that start at about £5k, and they are not too reliable. I am tempted to give one a try but would be encouraged by other users' experiences

 

[dannewhouse]

I don’t know anything about testers apart from I’ve seen a bale probe used on straw that could work on haylage as 40% is borderline haylage.

you've to bale 1 though which means taking all the tackle to the field?

 

[d williams]

I don’t know anything about testers apart from I’ve seen a bale probe used on straw that could work on haylage as 40% is borderline haylage.

Haylage at 40%dm? Surely not would that be dry enough for top horse food

 

[Agrivator]

Take an armful of freshly cut grass. Try to remember how heavy it feels.
Take another armful when you think it's ready to bale. If it weighs about half of what you remember the first armful felt, it might be about 40%DM.
Or it might not, depending on how good your memory is.

But if you really want to be accurate, buy a wood moisture metre for up to £20 or which you get free with a wood-burning stove. Test it on your skin, a lump of wood, a sample of grain, one of last year's straw bales etc until you have an accurate calibration.

 

[M-J-G]

Haylage at 40%dm? Surely not would that be dry enough for top horse food

It's no use for horses at that moisture, 30% moisture at most, 20-25 is ideal.

 

[M-J-G]

you've to bale 1 though which means taking all the tackle to the field?

Wrap a big handful up in a tight knot, it saves a lot of faffing about

 

[A1an]

take a kilo of grass, dry until tinder dry then work out how much weight (water) it has lost. (spread out on heating boiler, bottom of an oven on low, I went to one producer who microwaved the woodchips, never tried the microwave method myself.)

imo its the most accurate way of measuring moisture content.

I have two moisture meters for the wood chips, weighing is still the best way.

 

[Chae1]

@Clever Dic

Will know.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Not having a pop but do we really need a machine to tell us when to bale ?

 

[A1an]

When we started the wood chips, the machine let you know what was happening when everything was new to you but after a while just a quick feel of the product will tell you all you need to know.

I bet there will be plenty of moisture meters all over the country that no longer get used.

 

[beefandsleep]

Not having a pop but do we really need a machine to tell us when to bale ?

You would be surprised, the number of times I turn up to bale and the worried farmer asks is it fit? I have a feel and say “yes” but they still aren’t happy till I get the moisture meter out and show them.

 

[Turra farmer]

Not having a pop but do we really need a machine to tell us when to bale ?

Before the rain comes on here

 

[Clever Dic]

@Clever Dic

Will know.

40% DM is too wet for my gadget testers but microwave is not difficult and takes 10 mins.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

you've to bale 1 though which means taking all the tackle to the field?

just put the grass in a hand made press and stick the probe in .but it's still not 100% and a probe can't detect internal moisture that well .waste of time to be honest

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

However did our forefathers manage ?

 

[M-J-G]

Not having a pop but do we really need a machine to tell us when to bale ?

Not once you're experienced, but nobody was born knowing it.

 

[Clever Dic]

http://gazeeka.com.au/products/mo

Now this really does work for hay moisture testing on a baler. I bought one 2 years ago and is always within 1% of a subsequent oven DM test.
Different league to a electrical conductivity type tester.

 

[A1an]

http://gazeeka.com.au/products/mo

Now this really does work for hay moisture testing on a baler. I bought one 2 years ago and is always within 1% of a subsequent oven DM test.
Different league to a electrical conductivity type tester.

Linky no worky. 404