Salvage feeder from old hay wagon

[sgreear]

Down the road, I'm warning to feed/finish cattle out of a silage feeder. I I don't really have a lot of resources because I'm just beginning. Has anybody ever built anything on an old Hay wagon frame or you could put silage in to feed your cattle maybe something with the top I'd love some plans or maybe you have a better thought on getting silage and feeding it. I'm having to buy it from somebody local, not growing it myself. I'm not sure what solid weighs or how much weight I wagon would hold. All thoughts are appreciated even negative ones.

 

[mwj]

You need to remember that silage has a ''shelf life'' once it is removed from the silo or bag. You can not feed it so that it will last for longer periods.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Find a feed wagon and use wooden feed bunks. If you aren't in a hurry you can find a Schuler type wagon that doesn't mix fairly cheap. My first one was a Grain-O-Vator I gave $200 for it.

Silage is great feed. We feed a lot of it. But it's probably one of the more costly ways to feed cattle as far as initial investment goes.
If you are just feeding a few to put in the freezer feed them like @Jeanne - Simme Valley does. Shell corn and hay. Not a lot of investment in equipment. Cattle still finish.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

LOL actually my feed tubs are the cut off bottoms of ag chemical bins/tubs used for delivery to fertilizer plant hubby used to manage. They were cutting them up to dispose of, and Ken realized how sturdy the bottoms were, so he cut them about 14" high for sides. They were double layered plastic with the legs for fork lift. Must be 25-30 years old now. Round, so I can pick up on sides and roll to different locations. I like CHEAP/FREE.

 

[sgreear]

LOL actually my feed tubs are the cut off bottoms of ag chemical bins/tubs used for delivery to fertilizer plant hubby used to manage. They were cutting them up to dispose of, and Ken realized how sturdy the bottoms were, so he cut them about 14" high for sides. They were double layered plastic with the legs for fork lift. Must be 25-30 years old now. Round, so I can pick up on sides and roll to different locations. I like CHEAP/FREE.

pics please

 

[sgreear]

Find a feed wagon and use wooden feed bunks. If you aren't in a hurry you can find a Schuler type wagon that doesn't mix fairly cheap. My first one was a Grain-O-Vator I gave $200 for it.

Silage is great feed. We feed a lot of it. But it's probably one of the more costly ways to feed cattle as far as initial investment goes.
If you are just feeding a few to put in the freezer feed them like @Jeanne - Simme Valley does. Shell corn and hay. Not a lot of investment in equipment. Cattle still finish.

Thank u

 

[Bunny]

You need to remember that silage has a ''shelf life'' once it is removed from the silo or bag. You can not feed it so that it will last for longer periods.

THERE is no such thing as a stupid question--WE R ALL LEARNING AS LIFE GOES ON. Your reply was VERY RUDE. KNOW IT ALL. and i just started this group.!!!! Always looking for kind replys to any question.!!!!!!

 

[mwj]

THERE is no such thing as a stupid question--WE R ALL LEARNING AS LIFE GOES ON. Your reply was VERY RUDE. KNOW IT ALL. and i just started this group.!!!! Always looking for kind replys to any question.!!!!!!

Calm down and read what is posted. Do some reading on feeding silage. You will learn that you need to feed enough daily to keep your silage that you feed fresh.

You have not supplied


enough information to let anyone supply more than a general answer.


PS
Are you the original poster using a different name?

 

[simme]

THERE is no such thing as a stupid question--WE R ALL LEARNING AS LIFE GOES ON. Your reply was VERY RUDE. KNOW IT ALL. and i just started this group.!!!! Always looking for kind replys to any question.!!!!!!

That was a kind reply. The kind that will help someone to avoid a mistake. Silage is made in an anaerobic process (without oxygen, sealed up). So it does not spoil/rot due to the absence of oxygen. Once the bag or pit or pile is unsealed, the silage starts rotting/spoiling at the point it is exposed to air. That principle sets the required feeding rate (in inches off the exposed surface) so the spoilage rate and feeding rate line up to make it work. Nothing at all in that answer was rude. Just informative facts. Now was anyone rude?

 

[Dave]

That was a kind reply. The kind that will help someone to avoid a mistake. Silage is made in an anaerobic process (without oxygen, sealed up). So it does not spoil/rot due to the absence of oxygen. Once the bag or pit or pile is unsealed, the silage starts rotting/spoiling at the point it is exposed to air. That principle sets the required feeding rate (in inches off the exposed surface) so the spoilage rate and feeding rate line up to make it work. Nothing at all in that answer was rude. Just informative facts. Now was anyone rude?

Yes, in fact I was about to reply the same thing yesterday morning and then saw that MWJ had already covered it. His reply was educational not rude.

 

[sgreear]

Calm down and read what is posted. Do some reading on feeding silage. You will learn that you need to feed enough daily to keep your silage that you feed fresh.

You have not supplied


enough information to let anyone supply more than a general answer.


PS
Are you the original poster using a different name?

We are not the same people. I'm from Va

That was a kind reply. The kind that will help someone to avoid a mistake. Silage is made in an anaerobic process (without oxygen, sealed up). So it does not spoil/rot due to the absence of oxygen. Once the bag or pit or pile is unsealed, the silage starts rotting/spoiling at the point it is exposed to air. That principle sets the required feeding rate (in inches off the exposed surface) so the spoilage rate and feeding rate line up to make it work. Nothing at all in that answer was rude. Just informative facts. Now was anyone rude?

Growing up on farm we used a mix wagon and everything was eaten every day. Yes I know it spoils when it gets water and 02. I know it starts to ferment pretty quick. How long will it stay good with air on it? That's why the top and I figured a V on the wagon so it wouldn't have much air on it just the top and the bottom where they would eat. 4 or 5 animals and a ton or 2 on a wagon. Don't think it would spoil before they ate it? Some thing like Grain-O-Vator only on a wagon with places cut out of the bottom with a top on it but prob in wood or something like that.

 

[SBMF 2015]

We are not the same people. I'm from Va

Growing up on farm we used a mix wagon and everything was eaten every day. Yes I know it spoils when it gets water and 02. I know it starts to ferment pretty quick. How long will it stay good with air on it? That's why the top and I figured a V on the wagon so it wouldn't have much air on it just the top and the bottom where they would eat. 4 or 5 animals and a ton or 2 on a wagon. Don't think it would spoil before they ate it? Some thing like Grain-O-Vator only on a wagon with places cut out of the bottom with a top on it but prob in wood or something like that.

Depending on what size they are, how good the corn was that got chopped, and what other feed sources are available to them. I usually figure 25-30lbs of silage/hd/day. So four head would eat 100-120lbs a day. So they would eat a ton every 16-20 days.
You may be able to get away with that if it’s under fifty degrees, but with that small of volume it will freeze pretty easy too.

 

[mwj]

We still have no clue what the ''silage'' is that we are discussing. Could be corn, clover, grass, sorghum or other ingredients in a silo, bag or wrapped bale.

 

[sgreear]

Corn silage Peob out of field when cutting or silo

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

This is my FREE feeder.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Corn silage Peob out of field when cutting or silo

If you fed corn silage growing up you know there’s a big difference between green chop and silage out of a silo.
I don’t know what corn will make in your area but our 200+bu corn makes pretty hot silage. Great stuff but it can back them off feed if you feed too much.

 

[mwj]

Corn silage Peob out of field when cutting or silo

Green chopped out of the field is not silage as it has not been fermented. Is there a chance you could bag it on your place so that you would have more control over the feeding. A small diameter bag would let you control the amount removed from the face of the bag.

Any wet feed is tricky to store and a person needs to be very detail oriented when using it.

The first thing to look at is what the financial advantage would be. The risk of loosing the feed due to spoilage is very real.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Green chopped out of the field is not silage as it has not been fermented. Is there a chance you could bag it on your place so that you would have more control over the feeding. A small diameter bag would let you control the amount removed from the face of the bag.

Any wet feed is tricky to store and a person needs to be very detail oriented when using it.

The first thing to look at is what the financial advantage would be. The risk of loosing the feed due to spoilage is very real.

I’m feeding 2023 bagged corn silage to my beef cows this winter. It’s amazing how after the first two feet in the end of the bag the rest of the silage looks and smells just as good as when I quit feeding out of that bag in the spring of 2024. It seems like if it’s sealed it will last forever.

 

[mwj]

When it is in your bag ''you'' are in control. Depending on someone else you could be getting that first 2 feet when they pull silage.

 

[sgreear]

I am feeding only 5 atm. Hay is 95+% of what they are eating now. Other than hay I have to buy what they eat. I have been away from the farm 30+ years. I was 20 when I left. My forgetter works much better than my rememberer does. I don't have any eq to bag silage. If I had to go to that I would rather by grain by the bag at farm store as I need it. And all the hay they can devour.