Straw Prices

KTM Farmer said:
Does anyone know if a tractor operated straw chopper can be hired anywhere in Cork as i am thinking of chopping the spring barley straw? (dont have one on the combine)
At the stage now of supplying the bare minimum to long term customers and chop the rest if i could hire one of these rather than giving it away cheap or feeling under compliment to guys for taking it.
Click to expand...

Would a trailed silage harvestor work
 
KTM Farmer said:
Thats fair enough, i was thinking if there was a dealer who might hire one to help against its depreciation. Out of interest what make is yours?

I haven't seen any in Atkins earlier this year when i had a good look around there.

No storage space on my own farm, barely able to fit the machinery in the sheds i have. (too much machinery my wife says!!!)

I have a good straw customer and friend 17 miles from me who has agreed to store some if i wish, but it becomes a pain in the butt then trying to sell to guys wanting a few at the time, travelling 17 miles each way with the tractor and loader. I do not like inconveniencing my friend borrowing their tractor and loader.
Trailed double chops are very scarce now also, but not a bad idea, I know a spud man who used to have one for removing tops so might try him.
Click to expand...

Ours is a Kidd

Does a lovely job in dry conditions where the swarth isn’t too big but the blades and hammers need to be sharpened or replaced. Damp straw will burn the belts off it.
 
CORK said:
Ours is a Kidd

Does a lovely job in dry conditions where the swarth isn’t too big but the blades and hammers need to be sharpened or replaced. Damp straw will burn the belts off it.
Click to expand...
Yea I have seen the Kidd ones in the past but never saw one working. The trouble will be to get dry straw.
 
I was going to say double chop as well on a windy day but they are scarce enough on Donedeal now, a lot going for vintage / classic working days.
 
Claas Grass said:
How many acres will you need to do
Click to expand...
I currently have 15 acres of Spring barley straw with no client for it. The rest is sold. None of it cut yet. I bale it myself and deliver it normally. The way the weather is behaving one run of a chopper would make life much easier and I could see what it does for the soil too.
 
KTM Farmer said:
I currently have 15 acres of Spring barley straw with no client for it. The rest is sold. None of it cut yet. I bale it myself and deliver it normally. The way the weather is behaving one run of a chopper would make life much easier and I could see what it does for the soil too.
Click to expand...
I was thinking if it wasn’t big acres would just getting a contractor in to cut it with a combine that has a chopper be out of the question, I know with weather windows that might be hard, otherwise I’d get a contractor in with an 8x4x3 baler and get it baled up, they are an easy sell and don’t take up much space.
 
rustymcsocks said:
Not ideal but it worked in autumn 2017 when there was straw everywhere still to be baled. We had a few headlands that still had straw on them and no sign of weather to bale it and I wanted to get ploughing for winter barley. I put all the knives in the baler, removed the bar to stop the bale rolling back into the door and opened the door and chopped away. Most of the straw was as it fell out of the combine so no stones. Scattered the rows of chopped straw with the lely lotus after. Not ideal but needs must.
Click to expand...
I’ve only the basic round Baler without knives, good idea though if I had one.
 
Claas Grass said:
I was thinking if it wasn’t big acres would just getting a contractor in to cut it with a combine that has a chopper be out of the question, I know with weather windows that might be hard, otherwise I’d get a contractor in with an 8x4x3 baler and get it baled up, they are an easy sell and don’t take up much space.
Click to expand...
Food for thought there alright. Everyone is under pressure though with lots ahead of them due to the weather. I would not be high on a contractors priority list as they all would know I cut my own and may not use them again for years or ever.
 
Used a Wilder chopper for a couple of seasons, wasn't a great success. They might be alright in a small dry swath but they don't spread a big row very successfully, as a result there were yellow streaks in the following year's crop where the decomposing straw residue was soaking up the nitrogen. It also went through blades like they were going out of fashion, stones are a big no-no. Spreading the straw with a tedder and giving it a run of a disc before ploughing worked out a far better job here anyway. I'd reckon baling it if it was dry enough would still be the best option, it could be a long winter yet.
 
Claas Grass said:
I was thinking if it wasn’t big acres would just getting a contractor in to cut it with a combine that has a chopper be out of the question, I know with weather windows that might be hard, otherwise I’d get a contractor in with an 8x4x3 baler and get it baled up, they are an easy sell and don’t take up much space.
Click to expand...
agreed not much trouble in selling them,
 
KTM Farmer said:
I thought there would be a very small market for the really big squares in farming due to the size for the typical stockmans tractor. When you say not much trouble in selling them is it to mushroom guys?
Click to expand...
8x4x3 are the easiest load onto an artic, they will weigh between 300-400kgs, anyone feeding straw will prefer them also very handy for bedding, if ever I had extra straw to bale I 8x4x3 it, never carried any bales of it into the next harvest.
 
KTM Farmer said:
I thought there would be a very small market for the really big squares in farming due to the size for the typical stockmans tractor. When you say not much trouble in selling them is it to mushroom guys?
Click to expand...

Gosh no, 8x4x3 are a very popular size for farmers and lorrymen. Less handling and more efficient way of moving straw on lorries.
They can’t be left out in rain though (I don’t like leaving rounds out either though!)
 
CORK said:
Gosh no, 8x4x3 are a very popular size for farmers and lorrymen. Less handling and more efficient way of moving straw on lorries.
They can’t be left out in rain though (I don’t like leaving rounds out either though!)
Click to expand...
We make both rounds and 8x4x3 bales, the big problem I see with the 8x4x3 is the straw must be in perfect condition, at least an extra day in the swart. In weather like we have had for the last few weeks that extra day can be a problem.
 
Danielk said:
Yea they did. We borrowed it in 2010 or 11 I think it was. A waste of a day really. Took so long to set it all up on the harvester and to get it cutting it right. Believe they feed was good though but we never done it again for anyone

View attachment 68871
Click to expand...

Thats popular in parts of America some do it and leave d stalks to stop soil blowing away. Others mow and bale d stalks to use as bedding and a filler in feed mixes
 
Mid cork said:
We make both rounds and 8x4x3 bales, the big problem I see with the 8x4x3 is the straw must be in perfect condition, at least an extra day in the swart. In weather like we have had for the last few weeks that extra day can be a problem.
Click to expand...
That is the problem with them, if you think it’s 99% fit you’d want to go away and leave it a day, with the moisture meter on the baler you’d be amazed at how a field you thought was fit would vary from 15% to 22% I normally wouldn’t bale unless it was all below 16%. Another option would be to cut the stubble high and just run it with the topper would it :unsure:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top