Silage pit covers

[dod1e]

Very tempted to make proper pit silage this year rather than filling it with bales like we have every year since taking on the farm 5 years ago. One thing that is putting me off is the thought of having piles of tyres lying around the place when not on the pit, and the potential costs of future disposal (not to mention changing feed out system and losing the handiness of bales).

Benefits of the pit are that it is there, and should hold all the silage instead of only half the bales. Probably will still make some bales to cater for those cattle in rented winter housing.

Tyres are readily available as we have a tyre fitter a mile along the road, but looking for recommendations on economical alternatives?

TIA

 

[Bald Rick]

Better off with lorry tyre sidewalls ... which is what we use on all our clamps.
Heavy enough to stop wind lifting sheets, don't hold water and easy to freesbie 10ft or more if you're feeling butch plus you can load a stack onto pallet forks and lift them up.

Downside is taking care to bin off the ones that start to show wires pdq

 

[Ffermer Bach]

had tyres, but I apart from being cheap, I found them a pain to move, and getting wet moving them, and then when I got rid of them it was expensive too. I bought a lot of silage mats (I was unsure which was best mats, gravel bags of tyre side walls), really pleased with them, but they are quite expensive, but you buy them once and every time I move them, I congratulate myself on how much better they are than tyres.

 

[dod1e]

had tyres, but I apart from being cheap, I found them a pain to move, and getting wet moving them, and then when I got rid of them it was expensive too. I bought a lot of silage mats (I was unsure which was best mats, gravel bags of tyre side walls), really pleased with them, but they are quite expensive, but you buy them once and every time I move them, I congratulate myself on how much better they are than tyres.

Ok, saw some at £60 each for 1.2 x 1.8m mats.

Unfortunately cant justify that at the moment, think I'll have to try the tyres / sidewalls initially to see if we can get on with the pit system, then look to change out to mats in future years.

 

[Bury the Trash]

had tyres, but I apart from being cheap, I found them a pain to move, and getting wet moving them, and then when I got rid of them it was expensive too. I bought a lot of silage mats (I was unsure which was best mats, gravel bags of tyre side walls), really pleased with them, but they are quite expensive, but you buy them once and every time I move them, I congratulate myself on how much better they are than tyres.

@Ffermer Bach do the mats really need to be placed very close to each other or can they be spaced out to save on the amount needed. ??
and could stable mats be used i wonder ,they seem to be a bit cheaper

 

[Ffermer Bach]

@Ffermer Bach do the mats really need to be placed very close to each other or can they be spaced out to save on the amount needed. ??
and could stable mats be used i wonder ,they seem to be a bit cheaper

I put them touching round the edges, then space them out over the pit, pit is 60' x 27' and I have (just been out to count them!) 49 mats

 

[Martyn]

We purchased green covers last year and put sand bags on, waste of time wind got under, this year lorry sidewalls touching all over, no sheet movement.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

We purchased green covers last year and put sand bags on, waste of time wind got under, this year lorry sidewalls touching all over, no sheet movement.

I have a roof over the pit, so no issues with the wind, however I don't think mats would blow anyway, but I wouldn't really know

 

[dod1e]

@Bald Rick I like the look of the lorry tyre sidewalls, any idea of rough costs these days?

 

[Bald Rick]

@Bald Rick I like the look of the lorry tyre sidewalls, any idea of rough costs these days?

Got ours from Richard Webster Nutrition (RWN Ltd). Speak to him but IIRC they were £1.50 each.
Downside is that they are cheapest by the lorry load so may be consider sharing with a neighbour if possible

 

[tepapa]

Lorry tyre sidewalls

500 lorry tyre sidewalls 3 years old bought new in September 2020 Good condition Collection from IP6 Suffolk £950

www.classifieds.farm

 

[davidroberts30]

I have a roof over the pit, so no issues with the wind, however I don't think mats would blow anyway, but I wouldn't really know

On the coast down here mats are a waste of time...

 

[DaveGrohl]

Lorry tyre sidewalls

500 lorry tyre sidewalls 3 years old bought new in September 2020 Good condition Collection from IP6 Suffolk £950

www.classifieds.farm

Bloody Hell, inflation has even gripped the sidewall market. Ours were £1 each back when they were a new expensive thing. £1.90 second hand?