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| Well, as to my wifes, um, injuries. There was an incident with a nervous steer, a steel pipe gate, and a trip to the emergency room. Let's just say she hasn't helped me sort cattle since.;0(
I think I'll delete those now.
Anyway.
We baled the wheat because it was freeze damaged and it's value for wheat is questionable at best. I think the return on it will be quite a bit better than if we'd left it. It will also give the nice crop of red clover under there some sunlight. There are several more acres I'd like to knock down, but not sure if it's gonna happen due to trying to get crops in. The key is to get it cut and baled at the right stage. I know the old timers say dough stage, but that's way to late. You need to get it as close to flag leaf and head exertion as you can. Protein falls off drastically once the head exerts.
As for the machine. I think the machine and the idea is sound. I think the bales will be really, really nice to mix in the TMR. The bales will take a lot more abuse than I thought they would, as far as hauling and loading. The spears worked O.K. I need to put a lock on the hinge on mine. It didn't work super good for stacking two bales in the field to load or haul, the top bale wants to kreel off the bottom bale and the bale's not tall enough to really get much leverage. Getting out of a double stack is no problem and I generally like it. A couple things. It would be nice to be able to stack and wrap 2 high, and it would be nice to have a 3x4 baler, instead of the 3x3. But, the wider balers get kind of spendy, so this will work for now. If I could wrap 6 foot bales, instead of 5, that would help, too. Oh, and some kind of automated picker-upper would sure be nice to match the capacity of the baler and wrapper.
If Badger was closer, I'd probably take him up on his offer of renting his ag-bagger. Stacking 3 high would be awesome for dry hay.
Wish you were closer, I could use a good consistent customer to take baleage. My main customer is going organic and I'll lose him this January. That's what really prompted the change to the squares. The need to widen my market some. Just read a report that said hay supplies are the lowest in 57 years!!!
O.K. I've written a book, hope it's not too incoherent.
Tell me about your silage brainstorm!!!!!
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Wheat baling pics.
