Value of unharvested maize cobs.

[Wheatland]

A contractor has harvested some maize on a farm that I contract farm. It seems that a large proportion of the cobs have been lost through the bottom of the feed rolls and fallen on the floor. It was pointed out to the contractor that there appeared to be high losses but he said he could do nothing about it. I have since found out there is a plate which can be fitted to catch these cobs that bolts under the feed rollers to which would have resolved this problem. We think that around 15% of the cobs were lost.

Do you think the contractor should make some contribution for the loss? They have done the harvesting for a number of years.

 

[RastaBoy]

Is it a fresh machine ?
Is this the first time it's happened like this ?

 

[Hoss]

A contractor has harvested some maize on a farm that I contract farm. It seems that a large proportion of the cobs have been lost through the bottom of the feed rolls and fallen on the floor. It was pointed out to the contractor that there appeared to be high losses but he said he could do nothing about it. I have since found out there is a plate which can be fitted to catch these cobs that bolts under the feed rollers to which would have resolved this problem. We think that around 15% of the cobs were lost.

Do you think the contractor should make some contribution for the loss? They have done the harvesting for a number of years.

I don't know about any compensation but firstly he wants a kick up the arse! [emoji107]

 

[Ducati899]

Seen it happen before,driver needs a kick up the arse if he's left that plate off

 

[Hoss]

Seen it happen before,driver needs a kick up the arse if he's left that plate off

This time of year when you are chopping grass and maize it needs taking in and out because metal detections in grass can be awkward to clear with the plate in but only takes a minute on most choppers. Inexcusable if they couldn't be bothered!

 

[It was already broken.]

Seems to me you are in a very good position.

Photo of all the cobs left behind maybe email them the photo if the main man was not the driver. Tell them you are not happy that you lost some of the crop. Prepared to discuss it again once the bill arrives if thats what they prefer. No need to be confrontational. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone is flat out busy. As long as their invoice reflects the loss of crop to you no harm done.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

The proportion of cob in the crop can vary by more than 15% between varieties and between years. However, a significant element of the feed value of the crop is in the cobs. It would be worth discussing with them as the silage will be of lower value due to the cobs left behind.

 

[Wheatland]

Thanks for the replies, I'm not trying to be awkward, we get on well with contractor. The driver is not the business owner but I would say that a significant proportion of the crop in terms of feed value is still on the field. If I'm honest I don't think they even own the plate that's missing. They only have a few maize jobs. Maybe 200ac per year?

 

[Gulli]

Are you sure they are dropping out the feed rollers not bouncing off the header?
It's a struggle in very ripe maize as the cobs drop off the plant as soon as the plant falls

 

[kill]

Thanks for the replies, I'm not trying to be awkward, we get on well with contractor. The driver is not the business owner but I would say that a significant proportion of the crop in terms of feed value is still on the field. If I'm honest I don't think they even own the plate that's missing. They only have a few maize jobs. Maybe 200ac per year?

View attachment 412876

If it's all like your photo I'd want the harvesting and clamping for free as maize is not a cheap crop to grow and that's fairly major loses!

 

[d williams]

Farmers are one of a kind wait till job done then find fault
Why wasn't this picked up on and mentioned On the first time around
Quick enough to not want to pay for poor service run a mile when there's a blow up with a foreign body in the field causing major blow up
Had one this week drill grass seed yes no problem is it dry enough ? Yep no problem get there fill up fert seed get in field tyres cutting into ground 5 f**king hrs wasted
Went drilling cereals then chance off rain thurs night on phone Thursday could we drop cereals to drill his grass which I would doubt that field has dried out can be pretty selfish sometimes some not all farmers

 

[Wheatland]

Are you sure they are dropping out the feed rollers not bouncing off the header?
It's a struggle in very ripe maize as the cobs drop off the plant as soon as the plant falls

I think some were bouncing off the header but these few can be found with the leaves still attached (not pictured). The cobs I'm worried about are all stripped of leaves and obviously gone through part of the machine.

In reply to @d williams , it was pointed out to the driver that there were high losses by a staff member of the estate. Financially it makes no difference to me if the contractor makes a good job or not but as I arranged for the job to be done for the estate on behalf of the landowner, I feel obliged to try and mediate. I do some contracting and know that things go wrong. In the past I have done work for free or supplied extra seed/fertiliser if the job is substandard.

 

[Barleycorn]

Perhaps get some livestock out on the field, perhaps they would clean some of them up?

 

[jemski]

I had similar with my fodder beet last year. The machine had been altered and left a lot on the ground. I pointed it out but didn't make a fuss because I said I could graze it - The contractor was great gave a discount for the job. He's the only one round here with fodder beer kit, so could have done nothing, but it was a gesture of goodwill and gratefully appreciated.

 

[Gulli]

I think some were bouncing off the header but these few can be found with the leaves still attached (not pictured). The cobs I'm worried about are all stripped of leaves and obviously gone through part of the machine.

In reply to @d williams , it was pointed out to the driver that there were high losses by a staff member of the estate. Financially it makes no difference to me if the contractor makes a good job or not but as I arranged for the job to be done for the estate on behalf of the landowner, I feel obliged to try and mediate. I do some contracting and know that things go wrong. In the past I have done work for free or supplied extra seed/fertiliser if the job is substandard.

Sometimes it's a job to get them though the cracker whatever you do with it. But I think worth discussing with them as most of the feed value is in the cobs.

 

[Hampton]

I think some were bouncing off the header but these few can be found with the leaves still attached (not pictured). The cobs I'm worried about are all stripped of leaves and obviously gone through part of the machine.

In reply to @d williams , it was pointed out to the driver that there were high losses by a staff member of the estate. Financially it makes no difference to me if the contractor makes a good job or not but as I arranged for the job to be done for the estate on behalf of the landowner, I feel obliged to try and mediate. I do some contracting and know that things go wrong. In the past I have done work for free or supplied extra seed/fertiliser if the job is substandard.

Is it worth popping to a field where someone else is harvesting and seeing what the losses are there?
Might help to decide if is a seasonal problem or a harvesting issue?

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Perhaps get some livestock out on the field, perhaps they would clean some of them up?

There would be no point. Unless the corn is cracked it would go straight through them. That's why a corn cracker is so important on a maize harvester unless the cobs are under ripe and soft.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Farmers are one of a kind wait till job done then find fault
Why wasn't this picked up on and mentioned On the first time around
Quick enough to not want to pay for poor service run a mile when there's a blow up with a foreign body in the field causing major blow up
Had one this week drill grass seed yes no problem is it dry enough ? Yep no problem get there fill up fert seed get in field tyres cutting into ground 5 fudgeing hrs wasted
Went drilling cereals then chance off rain thurs night on phone Thursday could we drop cereals to drill his grass which I would doubt that field has dried out can be pretty selfish sometimes some not all farmers

I suggest discussing it with them, not piling in with a claim for reduced payment. I agree some farmers are all take and no give but leaving significant numbers of cobs behind is a serious issue.

When our maize is harvested I am clamping. I don't have time to keep checking up on the harvesting. I rely on our contractor to do it right, which they do. If it won't go right they call me or pull out.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Quite straightforward to work out. You would need yield of your crop, an analysis of your clamp and a composite of clamps locally.

Ive no idea on what would be normal harvesting losses so the following is speculation out of interest.

Assuming 5% is normal losses which leaves 10% extra losses. As said most of the feed value is in the cobs, so that may mean a 30% loss in the clamp.
If the clamps locally are at 35% starch your clamp may well be at 25%.
Now assuming a 14t/ac crop at 35% that gives you 4900kg starch, at 25% you get 3500kg starch.

So a loss of 1.4T starch/ac.
Maize grain to replace the loss is 87%DM and 99% starch. Which means you would need to buy 1.6T of Rolled maize per acre harvested to replace the in field loss.

Rolled maize on farm will be around the £185/T mark. So you have a potential opportunity loss of £296/ac. In this hypothetical example.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Farmers are one of a kind wait till job done then find fault
Why wasn't this picked up on and mentioned On the first time around
Quick enough to not want to pay for poor service run a mile when there's a blow up with a foreign body in the field causing major blow up
Had one this week drill grass seed yes no problem is it dry enough ? Yep no problem get there fill up fert seed get in field tyres cutting into ground 5 fudgeing hrs wasted
Went drilling cereals then chance off rain thurs night on phone Thursday could we drop cereals to drill his grass which I would doubt that field has dried out can be pretty selfish sometimes some not all farmers

Surely a professional contractor would check themselves that the job is being done right.

As for foreign objects in the swath, don't most/all now have metal detectors/rock stoppers? That said, I do know one that decided to ignore the metal detector resulting in a chipped blade, reckon he got away with that lightly.