Big baler replaces the forager for quality silage

摘要

For many years clamp-made silage has been the only way to achieve quality forage for high-yielding dairy cows. But one Yorkshire farmer has shown how the advent of a specialist, purpose-built chopper baler now offers a viable alternative. When the threat of pollution stopped Yorkshire dairy farmer Byron Webster using his earth-banked silage clamps, he was faced with a prohibitive bill to build new clamps to NRA specifications. But a switch to chopped big bale silage has eliminated the problem, maintained his herd's performance, and brought greater flexibility to the farm's forage production. Big bale silage was the obvious option for Mr Webster, who already had staff on the farm and wanted to avoid being tied to the high costs of contractors and Ag-Bag silage. But fears of high wrap costs, low quality and difficult feeding put him off conventional round bales.