Green Chop

[rdbigfarmboy]

After my first cutting of hay last spring I bought a green chopper. I made 30% of normal on the cutting and were in a drought. I bought a jd15a silage chopper made to cut fresh grass for silage. I already had a dump wagon.
I made less than a roll per acre on the fall cutting. After the rains came I am now green chopping and dumping to feed the cows. Presently I have chopped the equivalent of 70 rolls of hay. The grass is fresh high quality and high protein.
I will survive the winter with this grass and 88 rolls of hay.
I paid 600 for the chopper and burned 120 gallons of free vegetable oil to pick it up from Northern Ohio.

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

I started the winter with about 10 tons of low quality grass silage. Approximately 40 of the 45 gallon bags of lawn clippings silage, 100 bu corn and 88 rolls hay.
Presently 100 bu corn, 64 rolls hay and part of the silage left.
Cows are on 4 to 5 acres to the cow, and most eat only freshcut grass or silage.

I can cut down to 3 inches just like a lawn mower and remove the grass in one pass.

I have a few pictures at my site http://www.randydaniel.us and go to pictures

 

[RiverSide Cattle]

I have that exact same silage chopper sitting up in my bone yard. I keep kicking around the idea of using it. What kind of cutting speed were you able to go? Acres per hour? Have you ever tried packing the direct cut grass as silage in a pit? Or does it need to be wilted first?

-RSC

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

The chopper is not an efficient or fast cutter. Last summer I cut and pit dumped most of the grass was too dry and too hard to pack small amounts.
It was too short to cut for hay and drying up in the heat. Low quality but they eat it.
I would not try to wilt stemmy stuff like fescue, orchardgrasss clover mixes. Just chop in the afternoon.
Alfalfa does benefit from wilting a bit.
Buy a newer better wider chopper and /or chop corn at the same time to fill and pack.