Rakers and Mergers* Ronald T. Schuler, Extension Agricultural Engineer Hay and forage producers have a wide variety of equipment options for raking and merging swaths or windrows. Selecting the proper equipment and operating it correctly will ensure high quality hay and forage with a cost effective harvesting system. Numerous studies have provided results on equipment performance […]
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Adjusting the Conditioning System on a Mower-Conditioner Ronald T. Schuler, Professor Extension Agricultural Engineer Biological Systems Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison To be effective, the conditioning system on a mower-conditioner must be properly adjusted to ensure rapid drying of forage in the field. Rapid drying maintains the quality of the forage and reduces the risk of […]
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Feedout Losses from Forage Storage Systems by Jerry Clark, Brian Holmes, and Richard Muck Introduction Much expense and time go into harvesting and storing good quality forage. You wouldn’t think of throwing away one third of this forage. However, this is what can happen without proper storage and feedout management. This fact sheet discusses storage feedout […]
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Recycling Silo Bags and Other Agricultural Plastic Films by Brian J. Holmes and Roger Springman Plastic films are used extensively for silo bags, bunker covers, bale wraps, and horticultural mulch. Managing large, dirty plastic sheets is a major headache and cost for Wisconsin farmers. Until recently, the only legal disposal option for most farmers […]
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Forging a Partnership with a Custom Operator by Matthew Digman Introduction In the interest of full-disclosure, I must confess that my family dairy chooses not to utilize the services of a custom harvester; however, my in-laws have been working with a custom harvester for the last eight years. Which one is right? I’d argue both, given […]
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Minimizing Wheel Traffic Damage to Alfalfa by Dan Undersander What damage is caused by wheel traffic? Wheel traffic is known to increase soil compaction which, on some soils, reduces macropore air permeability, soil water infiltration and root development of alfalfa. All of which reduce yield. However, our research has indicated that the largest effect of wheel […]
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Effects of Rain Damage on Wilting Forages by Wayne K. Coblentz1 and Richard E. Muck2 1US Dairy Forage Research Center, Marshfield, WI 2US Dairy Forage Research Center, Madison, WI Introduction One of the most common problems faced by hay or silage producers is how to manage production schedules around unfavorable weather. Inevitably, some wilting forage crops […]
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Field Drying Forage for Hay and Haylage Dr. Dan Undersander and Craig Saxe University of Wisconsin How does forage dry? If we understand and use the biology and physics of forage drying properly, not only does the hay dry faster and have less chance of being rained on, but the total digestible nutrients (TDN) […]
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Shrink is a Deceptive Term Brian Holmes, Professor Emeritus, UW-Madison The term shrink is used widely in the feed industry. It frequently is used to refer to the loss of feed during harvest, handling, and storage. Since it refers to the weight before and after a process, the moisture content and moisture content change can […]
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Estimating the Weight of Forage in a Forage Wagon by Daniel W. Wiersma and Brian J Holmes Introduction Most dairy farmers do not have a drive-over scale available on their farms. Frequently it would be useful to know the weight of forage harvested from a field. Measuring alfalfa or corn silage yield is necessary to adjust […]
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