Time to revisit Graf ...

[furrowtickler]

Years ago there was a system tried where basically the combine collected all the grain and chaff then that was transported back to yard and separated. The straw was chopped and spread as normal.
Grain goes to the bins , the chaff / weed seeds could be sold to livestock producers or pallet if plants
Kinda like chaff collection but all in one then separated back at yard .
Either or , livestock producers are going to need feed and most of us will need to get as much per ac as possible
Chaff and weed seeds are not needed
Chaff collectors are another probably more efficient set up for the idea.
Just some random thoughts .

[furrowtickler]

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/98872f18-5c40-4acb-8ba0-066722eb9931/resource/01f4824d-ddfd-4bc5-a7c7-15609c46bef5/download/739-afmrc.pdf

[furrowtickler]

Or just simply open the sieves and set up an ole rotary cleaner or Kwik clean at bin yard . Save as much of the crop as possible and sell the excess screenings
Although not a new idea by any means , with decent crop prices and the need for any type of revenue per ac and feed this year maybe something to consider again.
This is where financial assistance could help both the livestock and grain producers in one shot .

[burnt]

Did the McLeod System ever get much traction?

Looks like an amazing idea for a mixed operation.

[furrowtickler]

Did the McLeod System ever get much traction?

Looks like an amazing idea for a mixed operation.

That’s the one I was thinking about
We looked at that when it first came out
But not a big cattle area so kinda just let the idea go

[furrowtickler]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XLLeh9RXGIc

[furrowtickler]

A tremendous amount of feed could be generated by doing this amd not spreading chaff out in fields this year .
Keeping all the chaff and straw would be uneconomical for field transport and loss of nutrients and ground cover
But the chaff has little field nutrient value but would be a big feed source for livestock producers.
A lot of feed is generated from even 2-5% dockage (tookage) from elevators
So 20-30% dockage cleans at yard so provide a lot of needed feed

[blackpowder]

Antiquated before it was built but I'm sure it got rid of some weeds too.
Ac per day would've been awful.

[bucket]

There is a piece of machinery at SCE that goes infront of a baler and behind the combine.


Blows everything into it to feed the baler. It's a SPRB system.

[GDR]

The odd farm I’ve seen in this area gather chaff and dump it in piles as it fills up. They just let the cows mill through it in the winter. It’d be a bigger job to collect and move it as it’s so light and bulky. Better off to bale it all together with straw and tub grind it, that is if there’s enough to bale.

Straight chaff is heavier/denser than you would think. My dad had a chaff saver and wagon, we used to pick them up with an old farmhand hay sweep and make a big pile with feeder panels around for the winter. Saved a lot of feed but not a fast process. I've wondered about pulling a hydump wagon behind the combine and hauling it off with a silage truck but never got set up for that.

[WiltonRanch]

The odd farm I’ve seen in this area gather chaff and dump it in piles as it fills up. They just let the cows mill through it in the winter. It’d be a bigger job to collect and move it as it’s so light and bulky. Better off to bale it all together with straw and tub grind it, that is if there’s enough to bale.

The poverty box. Redekop used to build the blower and wagon. Had a blower on last combine. Put the chaff on top of the straw. Made reasonable feed with supplemented grain and hay. Blower was a pain in the arse. At least ours was wore out and constantly plugging. Some guys were pulling high dumps and dumping into a truck with sileage racks. Dumped in piles at the feed yard, watered, ammoniated, and covered. Bumped up protein and made a decent feed.

[Old Cowzilla]

Did the McLeod System ever get much traction?

Looks like an amazing idea for a mixed operation.

Neighbor tried that machine one season it was built to light lots of breakdowns and downtime. Idea was good but product not so much. Went back to regular combine next season. If he couldn't make that machine work I don't anybody in the area that could.

[WiltonRanch]

From what I understood of the McLeod harvester was that the cleaner which separated the graf didn’t do much more than a combine shoe. A wasted opportunity to clean down to export standards and keep all the nasty weeds off the fields. Now I see redekop is building the weed seed smasher but cost is nuts.