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Farmington IL | First we seal the bags with what we call a "zipper". Its a two piece deal and is reusable thing that cost 25 bucks, simple to use and no dirt to fool with. Then we put tape on the bag in a X and then cut a slit in the tape. After they vent I tape them back up.
This is the pic of the drill rig john asked about. This belongs to Jack Kremer of Mt Pleasant IA. I noticed it had no plates or inspection sticker so I asked. He told me it weighed somewhere north of 70K so he had permits to move it. The truck had a 23Klbs front axle. It looked very heavy.
Here is a close pic of the bunks. Nothing special really. They are from Iowa Concrete Products. We just set them on a slab, we will put 12 ft or so of rock behind them and set post at both ends for the cables. Its the KISS method. There are lots of good ideas out there but I just keep it real simple and it has worked well for us.
Yes we have a 5127 knight vertical mixer. Its the smallest one they make. We have had it for a year and are very happy with the results. We used a bale processor to feed the cows in the winter before last year. It was amazing how much more efficent our feeding was once we quit using the bale rings. Now we use the processor and run the hay and stalk bales into piles to go into the vertical mixer.
They started chopping around 9:30 finally and we were done at 3. They have 4 wagons. One was broke down when we started so that slowed things up a bit. When they got things opened up and had all the wagons running we chopped the 3rd bag in a hour flat. It was decent corn in half mile rows about 1000ft from the bags. Its a 7200 deere with a 6 row head. He brings the chopper, bagger and 4 wagons we provide 5 tractors and operators, lunch and labor to help out with switching bags and helping them move. He brings whatever length bags I tell him I want. He doesnt break down the cost of the bag itself in the bill so I dont know what they cost. They are 9'x135' ag bags.
Now about hills. Yes, I know what hills are, or at least what I call hills, thats where we keep the cows in the summer.
See, cows like hills.
But corn, it seems to prefer flat and square. In 1100 acres of row crops we have 6 acres of HEL ground on the corner of one farm and it is a pain to deal with. The only draw back in being surrounded by all this beautiful farmground is that from my back door, the average distance to any pasture is about 7 miles to go check on cows.
Thanks for all the input on well pumps, water hydrants and silage inoculants. Always alot to learn on here.
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answering a few questions.
