chaff collection

[chaffman]

Just wondering how many beef producers are interested in feeding chaff and what kind of value is put on it.Pror experience seems to be 10 acres of chaff to winter a cow.The macleod harvester system I would have thought to be a good fit for the mixed farmers? Thoughts?

[per]

Pretty hard to put a number on it unless you used the Macleod system. We bunch all our straw and chaff behind the combine and then add protein. Can't quantify the value of the chaff but can say it is the cheapest way we have found to winter a cow.

[chaffman]

My issue is that I know that some of these machines are available,brand new and work so what would be a purchase price to make it work financially?
The harvesters use all jd and new holland parts so that is not a concern. They were worth 200 grand new but they can be bought for considerably less.Even if you valued the chaff at 15 dollars per acre the payback would be betwween 2-4 years I am guessing and that is without taking into consideration you need a combine anyway.

[smcgrath76]

The Jones Buncher deal seems pretty slick
to me. Just some tines and a
counterweight. I have been sort of
looking for a neighbour who might want to
use one, with the idea that I would buy
it, they would put it on, and we could pay
a "per day" type of grazing fee.

[chaffman]

It works well but the owners of the crop land may not be as happy as it. We have bale grazed on crop land and that area was hard packed and had concentrated weed pressue. The harvester revoes them from the field and makes them no longer viable.The harvester in Manitoba was done by a grain farmer that sold the chaff to the cattle producer to pay for the combine.

[per]

No doubt that removing all the weed seeds should eventually clean the place up. Having said that it doesn't work perfectly in the garden. I now use a Jones butcher and done properly you can heavy harrow and one pass afterward. We like to have our bunches done by Mid March to avoid pugging in wet ground. Our place has pulled a buncher since the thrashing pile days.

I like the theory of the Macleod.

[blackjack]

we use the redekopp system on the back of our old massey...then bale up the straw.I also like the theory of the mcleod but there looks like some added investment and labor.

[chaffman]

actually far less labour as you simply feed with an electric wire all winter.Armitages had one of the originals and it cut their work load down.

[per]

How fast is it at harvest compared to combine with some sort of buncher? My work load with the buncher depending on protein source can be near zero. Is there a weed spreading issue with wind etc at the graff and chaff piles?

[chaffman]

the chaff is blown down and appears to be quite weatherproof and the combine is the same thrashing capabilities as a 9600 and the seives are the same as a tr99.

[blackjack]

Can a guy combine other types of crops...canola wheat

[grassfarmer]

I can see machine price being the biggest issue for cattle producers - not too many cattle outfits running grain in my area that would spend that much on a combine.
I wouldn't want to feed direct from a static pile all winter though - poor manure distribution would be costly.

I'm feeding some beautiful oat straw just now. It was a huge crop so a thick row coming out of the combine which held all the chaff and fines. It tested 5.36% protein, 54.76TDN which will be as good as a lot of hay made in the Province this year. At $20 a bale delivered in it's a pretty cheap ration ingredient.
Speaking of feed analysis I see some 2nd cut alfalfa/brome hay advertised over on the AB Ag website with 15% protein and TDN 81%. I have never seen hay testing as high on TDN. The seller is a good guy to deal with if anyone needs some hay. It's at Donalda.

[chaffman]

The harvester can combine all types of grain same as a normal combine, their biggest additions to the expense side is silage endgates and a hopper bottom surge bin. As for price of machine, not much more than a new baler.

[Braveheart]

There are 3 Macloed Harvesters for sale at Cartwright MB. Two are new and I'm sure can be had for a very attractive price. Call Murray Mullin 204-529-2443.