"Lacerator" Used In One-Man Silage System From New Zealand

"Lacerator" Used In One-Man Silage System From New Zealand CROP STORAGE Bunk Silos 23-3-35 A few years ago, I began using the one-man silage system from New Zealand that was described in FARM SHOW (Vol. 21, No. 3). This vacuum system delivers the lowest cost, highest quality forage I've ever seen. I liked it so much I began selling the system. The idea is to pile silage on the ground, cover it with plastic and then suck out air and moisture with a vacuum pump. I first place a piece of perforated 4-in. dia. PVC pipe on the ground, then pile up stacks of silage, haylage, sorghum, rye, etc., on top. Next, I cover the pile with a big sheet of plastic (preferably 6 ml. thick). I secure the edges with sand for weight. We run the vacuum pump until the plastic pulls tight around the stack, typically in 10 to 15 minutes, then another 30 minutes to get all the air out. We've built stacks up to 80 by 20-ft. and have used various sizes of pipes and pumps to vacuum. I generally use 4-in. dia. tile pipe and a small milking vacuum pump. One of the real keys to success of this system lies in the "Lacerator" we use to harvest forage crops. It's available as a 3-pt. or pull-type harvester that acts something like a conventional flail chopper. It has spoon-shaped 6-in. knives attached with chains to a rotating drum. Knife tip speed is significantly faster than a flail chopper, and it cuts forages into relatively long pieces (over 2 in.) with length varying according to setting and conditions. It lacerates the crop as it cuts, taking the stiffness out of the stems so air is easily removed using the vacuum and without requiring packing. This dramatically improves stored forage quality because it retains more nutrients than any other harvest method. Plus, no nutrients are lost through effluent seepage, a major environmental benefit. Lacerators come in 5, 6 and 7-ft. models and require 60, 72 and 84 hp, respectively. Prices range from $5,000 to $8,000. Two other important pieces of equipment are the Buckton Multipurpose Wagon that allows you to feed directly into a bunk or along a fenceline and the Irish-built Tanco silage grab that you use to cut a chunk right off the stack and carry it anywhere to feed a group of animals. All three pieces of equipment are available from Alpha Ag, P.O. Box 559, Ben Franklin, Texas 75415 (ph 800 681-9473 or 903 325-4210; E-mail: embarnes@neto.com). I'll be happy to answer any questions your readers might have about this innovative forage harvesting/storage system. (Dave McCartney, Great Lakes Pasture Management, 3728 County Line Rd., Coleman, Mich. 48618; ph 517 465-6231)

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