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| Would like some opinions from some folks who have went to defacers from using the bucket on the loader for getting the feed out of bunk silos. The few things I am wondering are 1. Did defacing add time to feeding or was it quicker. 2. Has the feed kept that much better then using the bucket. 3. What brand/style of defacer are popular. TIA |
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| We have been using silage defacers for quite a number of years now and would not go without. To answer your first question in our operation it defiantly adds time to feeding. Second we believe that The feed quality is better particularly bunk life in the summer months. We have run 3 different hydraulic facers over the years. Our first being one we built in our shop, the second a Gehl, and the last one without a doubt the best a Fritch. About three years ago we switched to a Easy Rake and love it we cut facing time to about a third of what it was before. Some things to watch with the hydraulic units are to be sure that you have the ability to cool the oil. Our first two hydraulic units gave us a fair amount of trouble due to heat. The other thing that we liked about the fritch was no drive chains to break just two direct drive wheel motors. One other thing that does not always get considered with these units is that I think they bring a lot of added safety to pile management in that if they are properly sized to your pile you will not have to undermine the pile for any reason. Just a note if interested we have still have the fritch and it is for sale!! |
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Pine City, MN | It will keep the face clean and expose less feed. Feeding time won't speed up much. It's better on skid loader versus digging out with bucket. We have a berlon its not a good one. They are better models out there. If using a skid steer you want high flow Hyd.
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NNW Nebraska | Do you have a grab fork on your loader and use that to get silage out of pile. If you just use loader, it lossens up the face of pile. If you use grab fork, very little loose silage left.
I start at top of pile, tip bucket forward and grab with grab fork, tip bucket back. Best if loader is tall enough for fork to reach to top of pile. We never undermine the pile. Some loose silage ends up at bottom of pile that can be put in wagon to finish the load. Very quick, very little loose stuff left when done loading. |
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Sunnyside, WA | Contrary to what Garvo says, feeding is not about speed, its about consistency. We use a homemade EZ Rake for our piles. Adds some time, but all silage is raked down then pushed in one late pile. Helps with silage consistency on both DM and quality. Also easier on the loader. Less surface area, cooler face temperature, safer. It is one of the few changes that my feeders like.
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Slocomb Al | I used a shear grab attachment on my skidsteer for many years. Showing in the pictures is a grassilage block cutter on the bobcat and a big cornsilage blockcutter for on a tractor loader or wheelloader.
Farmers use these a lot in my native country "The Netherlands".
I don`t use them anymore since I went with balage.
For those interested I would sell them both for $2600 FOB Slocomb ,Alabama.
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Watonwan County MN | Actually in the process of making one in my spare time. It's a poor mans defacer, actually built around a manure spreader beater. Ill post a pic when I get a chance. |
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| Paul I'd rather see you build a tine defacer like a ez rake then a beater model they are high maintenance with the same benefits IMO
Edited by Dodgefarmboy 1/14/2015 16:11
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Northwest Iowa | +1 Had the dealer drop off an EZ Rake just to demo. He was not allowed to take it back after using it for a week. Consistancy for a dairy cow is great. Not near as much secondary heating in the bunk because of the freshness that is in an undisturbed pile. I always drove along the face with the loader and shaved off what I needed. I still disrupted enough of the left over face that air would penetrate a few inches. Not any more with a facer. I first thought it added time to feeding but that was on the loading time. Clean up time was reduced. When feeding for a 2-3% refusal rate, I need the bunk life as long as possible.
Edited by cowfeeder 1/14/2015 16:45
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Woodham, Ontario | +1
We use a rake too, speeds up feeding a lot compared to using a bucket, with the hyd quick attach you don't even need to get out of the cab to switch attachments. The face is much nicer now. |
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Watonwan County MN | But this is a low budget experimental unit... Beater was a leftover from a New Idea spreader we sold at the shop, the orbital motor was a new take-off from a Gleaner flex head, and the channel iron was out back in the "future machinery" pile.
Only thing I have to spend only on is hydraulic hose and couplers and a skid loader mount plate. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd probably make the adapter plate too. :) |
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Northwest Iowa | Some pics.
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| Silage facer has been a good investment. A nice tight clean face limits the oxygen penetration which limits feed heating and dry matter loss. Been very happy with the Fritsch facer which has been quite durable. In large hard packed piles it does not take much more time than breaking it loose with a loader.
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German Valley, IL | we also use an ez rake . we used to use a hydraulic rotary facer and went to an EZ Rake pl6 that we extended to 14ft ... would never go back to a rotary. there is not any difference in the quality of the feed even though the face is not quite as smooth but it is way faster and no maintenance. also you do not have to get out of the loader to hook up hydraulic lines |
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Silage Defacing
