Boxy, clean windrows help make better hay bales and a basket rake excels in those areas, says Bart Elder of Vermeer.
Forage and crops
Basket rakes make top-quality windrows
There are more rotary rakes in the marketplace, but basket rakes still have their fans
Improving forage quality
Increasing forage feed efficacy and harvesting efficiency through better management and quality assessment improves nutrition and minimizes waste.
VIDEO: Separating silage for more milk and a cheaper ration
A dairy farm feeds the stover portion to dry cows and the rest to the milking herd
The Fodd silage separator, shown at World Dairy Expo 2024, was invented to separate rougher silage fractions from higher starch portion to feed to dry cows and milking cows.
VIDEO: New tool helps prevent spoilage in silage
Just 'Face-it'. It's a good idea to maintain your silage pile
It’s always fun to see new products at the Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show site, especially when their inventor is on-hand to talk about them. In this case, it was Eli Wideman who spoke with us about how this simple, but effective silage tool called ‘Face-it’ helps maintain a silage pile to avoid spoilage.
Europe’s manure mathematics frustrate farmers
Strict rules limit nitrogen application depending on the form it takes when applied
Trucking manure is part of the strange nitrogen mathematics used in Europe as it attempts to balance nutrient use and penalizes manure based only on its nitrogen effect, without considering other nutrients, soil organic matter and biological benefits.
Effects of wet corn growing season harm feed quantity, quality
Low starch and silage heating have both been observed
As dairy farmers in Ontario and Quebec work through winter stocks of corn silage, a number of weather-related factors from the summer and fall of 2023 have turned up as potential causes for concern. Wet and overcast weather – in some locations of the record-breaking variety – was persistent from late June through November across […] Read more
Milk data project brings field and barn numbers together
John Deere and DeLaval are the first partners in the Milk Sustainability Centre
Two large industry players have come together to create a way for dairy farmers to consolidate data across their entire operations. John Deere and DeLaval have created the Milk Sustainability Centre, which will bring data from dairy farmers for evaluation and decision-making around sustainability impact and efficiency. Why it matters: The Milk Sustainability Centre system […] Read more
Charting the return of silage hybrids
Many producers want a broader range of attributes for corn
When assessing value in a corn crop, producers’ needs vary according to end uses. For cash croppers, it is measured in yield and bushels, but livestock producers want greater digestibility and more efficient feed use. It’s been 25 years since genetically modified hybrids became the norm and some in the seed trade say dual hybrids […] Read more
Getting hay equipment ready for the season
Don’t ignore smaller, comparatively inexpensive parts – or safety equipment
Ontario’s first hay cut is looming so it’s a good time to inspect the harvest equipment to ensure safety and avoid in-season problems. The good news is that parts, should they be needed, are more accessible than in recent years, according to Jim Franceshetti, parts and service product marketing manager for harvesting, hay and forage […] Read more
Getting specific on soil health
Growers discussing their soil fertility needs are finding more layers to the subject
There’s a need for standardization of approaches to improving soil health, as farmers are hit with many different opinions and recommendations. It could be everything from acidity to nutrient solubility to microbial activity as the complexity of dealing with improving soil health is significant. Wayne Black has been making the case that producers are being […] Read more
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