Buffered Proprionic Acid
Allows us to Bale Large Square Bales at Higher Moisture
Over the past two seasons, we have become aware that large square
bales must be baled at even lower moisture levels than round
bales in order to have no heating or mold problems. At these
extremely low moisture levels there is more baling loss (leaf
shatter), and a greater chance of weather loss (rain). Buffered
Proprionic Acid is a proven product that will allow us to bale
hay up to 25% moisture with little or no leaf loss and no
heating. The applicator system, which is installed on our Case IH
8575 large square baler, is able to sense moisture within the
bale chamber and adjust the rates accordingly.
UNIVERSITY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN
THAT BUFFERED PROPRIONIC ACID TREATED HAY :
* Reduced field losses, compared to field curing, by nearly half.
* Has very little heating once baled (highest temperature 96.8oF)
compared to field cured hay (as high as 125.6oF).
* Has lower mold counts—as much as 75% fewer molds.
* Has higher crude protein.
* Is non-corrosive to equipment.
Buffered Proprionic Acid is a fairly expensive product, but we feel it may have a place in making high quality dry hay. You will be charged accordingly on a per litre basis, depending on the amount of product used. For more details on pricing, or the acid itself, please talk to Wayne.
This year, we are operating with 3 New Holland Model 654 variable chamber round balers. For cutting the crop, a Hesston 1340 12' discbine, is available .If you so desire, we can wrap your bales with a Kverneland Model 7515 Automatic individual round bale wrapper. As well, we will SOON have the capability of tube-line (continous) wrapping your large round and square bales. All the round balers AND our Case IH 8575 large square baler are equipped with Beline applicators for the application of silage or dry hay inoculants & additives. The addition of the Proprionic Acid applicator on the Case large square baler gives another preservation option to our large square bale customers. We also have 4 round bale transport wagons that can be used by our customers free-of-charge (when available) for moving bales off of the field. No matter what the job is, we will provide the same high quality service that our customers have come to expect. Both our round and square balers are capable of producing tight, dense bales without the need for additional choppers in the baler. These choppers, while they allow material to be packed tighter, lead to additional field losses, especially in alfalfa-based forages. As many producers have noted, long stemmed balage does improve ruminent livestock performance as compared to shorter haylage from the silo. The main disadvantage of the long stemmed material is that it does not work easily in a TMR system. When alfalfa is cut and baled at the right stage and moisture, without raking and chopping, almost all the leaves will be retained in the bale. For those of you that we have served in the past, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuing business and look forward to serving your haying and straw baling needs this year. We also would like to welcome new customers and hope that Circle G Farms can be of service to you when you call!
Circle G Farms
and the world of "High-Tech Haying"
Technology is an ever
increasing component in today’s farming world and custom
haying is no exception. In order to best serve our customers,
each baler operator carries a digital PCS phone which allows them
to remain in contact with the office and each other as necessary.
Cellular phone technology also allows us to optimise our baling
schedule so that we can adequately service all our customers with
a minimal amount of wasted transportation time. Circle G Farms
Ltd. also uses the "Information Highway" to keep in
touch with our customers. Customers with access to the Internet
can browse our website at their leisure at
http://www.oxford.net/~cgfarms. The site is filled with links to
up to date weather information, cash crop prices and custom
haying data. As well, the site provides links to PIONEER seeds,
ALPINE plant foods and DION machineries. We also encourage
customers to contact us via email at cirgfarm@oxford.net. Let us
know what you think of the website and suggest improvements. We
hope that by keeping abreast of changing technologies we can
utilise them in ways that help us to provide you with the best
possible service.
The Science of
Haylage Making: How Do Silage Inoculants Help?
In the past few years, the weather has made it a
troublesome task to make high quality dry hay. An option that
many of our customers have begun to explore is round bale
haylage. Ideally, a field of hay can be cut one day and baled and
wrapped the next, thus eliminating leaf loss and weather damage.
We at Circle G Farms strongly recommend the use of Pioneer 1174
silage inoculant on all round bale haylage. Many of our baling
clients are skeptical about using silage inoculant on round bale
haylage, so hopefully this article will better explain the
benefits of using this product. When round hay bales are baled at
45%-60% moisture and then wrapped with plastic, they undergo a
fermentation process. Once the hay is in an anaerobic
environment, many non-beneficial protein degrading enzymes cause
a breakdown of essential protein nutrients within the forage.
This loss of protein causes a loss in nutritional value. In order
to stop this degradation of protein, lactic acid bacteria ferment
carbohydrates found in the forage producing lactic acid. This
acid production causes a decrease in pH, which stops the
destruction of protein in the forage. It is critical for the
producer to make as much acid as possible as readily
as possible. There are many naturally occuring lactic acid
bacteria within most forages, but many of these bacteria produce
lactic acid very innefficiently, thus degradation of the haylage
occurs. This is where Pioneer 1174 silage inoculant comes into
the picture. This type of silage inoculant provides lactic acid
bacteria that are extremely efficient at producing lactic acid.
With the addition of 1174 silage inoculant at baling time, the pH
of the haylage can be lowered quickly, thus stopping the
breakdown of valuable protein nutrients.
RECOGNIZED PERFORMANCE CLAIMS
OF PIONEER 1174 SILAGE INOCULANT:
* improves animal performance
* improves silage protein quality
* improves fibre digestibilty
* improves average daily gain
* improves feed efficiency
For more information on using Pioneer 1174 Silage Inoculant on your round bale silage this year, please feel free to talk to Wayne or Wade about any further questions or concerns.
Is large square baling
advantageous to your operation?
We offer both round and large
square baling to our customers because each has its own
advantages. Let us know if largesquare baling would be beneficial
to your operation!
Square Bale Advantages:
· ease of transport and lower space requirements for
storage.
· bales can be moved into your barn and once the strings are
cut, individual flakes can be fed.
· more opportunities for use with conventional feeding systems.
· ease of movement for resale of hay or straw bales.
· excellent, consistant bale shape.
Square Bale Disadvantages:
· bales must be moved off the field soon after baling or
they will take on moisture quite readily.
· hay must be extremely dry since the bales cannot be left in
the field to "breathe" as round bales can.
SQUARE OR ROUND .. The choice is yours!!
There are several options
available when it comes to wrapping your high moisture hay.
For the past 8 years, we have
used an individual bale wrapper (round bales only). Since we
aquired the square baler , we have tried various makes and models
of bale wrappers that would allow us to wrap both round and
square individual bales. So far, we have not found one that has
performed to our expectations. For the 2000 haying season, we
will be introducing a continous, inline wrapper and would
appreciated your feedback regarding what method of bale wrapping
you would accept.
The advantages of an individually
wrapped bale are:
· ability to feed at slower rates, especially in warm
weather, without being concerned about spoilage further into the
bale.
· marketability of individual silage bales.
· less spoilage since a tear in the plastic only affects 1 bale.
· storage in smaller areas.
Several disadvantages of
individually wrapped bales include:
· higher cost to operate because of time spent wrapping
the ends of each bale.
· slower through-put capacity at the wrapper.
· more corners (especially square bales) where the plastic is
stretched extra thin.
**NOTE** Over the past 8 years, we have found that the application of silage inoculants do tend to increase the chances of more consistant, sweet, well-fermented balage.
Converting your Hay Harvest
into Higher Profits
Considering the
potential value of hay in the field, it makes sense to do
everything possible to maintain its quality. Yet as anyone
who’s ever grown hay knows, producing high quality hay
usually means overcoming less than optimum haying conditions.
Achieving green, leafy, nutrient-rich hay requires an organized
haying procedure and attention to detail. Here are some ways to
make better hay:
For optimum feeding value
and stand life, cut in the bud to early flower stage, when stems
and leaves are high in protein, low in fiber, and yields are
high. Cutting too early reduces yields and weakens stands.
Cutting too late lowers the nutritional quality and
palatability..
Mow with a conditioner set so that the swath is wide and
even for uniform drying. A wide swath gives maximum
surface exposure.
Avoid running the tractor over the heavy part of the
swath. The heaviest part of the swath is generally the
outside, so set the wheels of your tractor wide enough to
straddle the windrow.
If hay is not in an even, wide swath, ted the hay soon after
cutting. Ted after sundown. This way the moist hay on the
bottom is damaged much less by dew, and the dry hay on top does
not pick up us much moisture.
Minimize mechanical (leaf shatter losses by raking at 40%
to 50% moisture. Raking below 40% moisture results in
yield and nutrient reduction. Raking above 50% moisture causes
the moisture to be sealed within the hay, and it will not dry.
If hay is to be baled at 22% to 26% moisture, use a
mold-inhibiting hay perseravtive. Studies have shown that
a buffered proprionic acid is an excellent preservative.
Store hay in a well-ventilated building. Avoid
stacking the hay on the ground because it will draw up moisture,
ruining bottom bales.
For optimum feeding value and stand life, cut in the bud
to early flower stage, when stems and leaves are high in protein,
low in fiber, and yields are high. Cutting
too early reduces yields and weakens stands. Cutting too late
lowers the nutritional quality and palatability.
Optimum haying conditions are rare, so adjust your
management for local conditions. If you have
rained-on hay or uneven field conditions that result in wet
pockets of hay, allow more drying time for these pockets, or use
a higher level of hay preservative.
