baling cornstalks: 2020

On Friday, my dad mowed cornstalks to prepare for baling them. After a few years of baling cornstalks for our cows, we decided to mow them before baling them this year. Mowing the cornstalks would shred the corn residue. This would also make the cornstalks more useful for bedding and feeding.  

Saturday morning, I raked the cornstalks in the field dad had mowed. Shortly after I finished raking, they were custom baled for us.

Mowing the cornstalks before raking, created more volume to bale. 

Those cornstalks! A nice windrow was made after raking.

80 bales of cornstalks were rolled up on Saturday afternoon. The cornstalks will used as bedding for cows this winter and and for cows and calves this spring during the calving season. 

The cornstalks are also fed in a ration with hay, and corn silage to our cows over the winter. The cows love them.

corn silage 2020

On October 6, corn was chopped for silage. The silage will be fed to our cows over the winter months.

A sample of silage was collected and sent to Dairyland Laboratories for analysis. The test will provide nutritional value of the feed. It is important to know the quality of the corn silage we are feeding our cows in order to meet their nutritional requirements.  

Two 100' bags were filled with corn silage for 2020. That is 200 tons of feed. Along with the silage, hay and cornstalks will also be fed to our cows.

Our cows will enjoy the corn silage this winter!

2019 cornstalk bales

Cornstalks have been rolled up. It was just in time... they now look like frosted mini wheats for cows.

 

Every year, we rake and bale cornstalks to use during the winter and spring months. The cornstalks are used as bedding for cows during the winter and for the cows and calves during the calving season in the spring. We are anticipating another rough winter. So this year, we rolled up over 100 bales to be prepared.

 

Cornstalks are also fed to our cows. They are fed in a ration with hay and silage. It works well for us. And, our cow enjoy it.

inline wrapping hay

Three years ago, we wrapped round bales of hay for the first time. The weather would not allow us to bale hay before forecasted rain. So, we decided to set our baler in order to bale high moisture hay. The bales were then wrapped to ensile. Wrapping the bales allowed us to bale hay despite unfavorable weather conditions.

 

Over the past three years, we have continued to wrap hay. This has given us so much flexibility in baling. And, it stores our high quality hay outside for the winter. Wrapping bales shelters the hay from weather... rain, snow, and ice. So, it preserves the quality and nutritional value of our hay. 

2019 corn silage

 

Preparing for winter, corn was chopped and bagged this fall. The silage will be used to feed our cows throughout the winter. Along with the corn silage, the cows will also be fed hay and cornstalks.  

 

 

Two 150' bags were filled with corn silage. That is 300 tons of cow chow. Hay is in short supply this year due to a frigid winter, wet spring, and dry summer. And, we are anticipating another rough winter. We chopped and bagged double the amount of corn we normally do to ensure we have the quality and quantity of feed we need for our cows.

 

A sample of the corn silage was collected and sent off to Dairyland Laboratories for feed analysis. As cattlemen, we like to know the quality of the feed to meet the nutritional requirements of our cows.

fall forage for grazing: week 10

It is now week 10!

A herd of cows is now grazing a field of turnips, rye, and oats in the harvest corn field. I was really excited to cows open the pasture gate for the herd to graze. So the cows were ready to graze the lush field, we set out high magnesium blocks for the herds.

 

 

fall forage for grazing: week 8

It is week 8! And, I am checking in from the field...

The turnips, rye, and oats have quickly grown since the corn has been harvested.

The herd of cows on the farm where I live will be turned out to graze on the turnips, rye, and oats next week. I am excited to see them graze!

fall forage for grazing: week 6

It is week #6 in the field!

It has been six weeks since the fields were aerial seeded with turnips, rye, and oats. I have very much enjoyed watching the seeding grow by each week. It has been so amazing! Every time I drive by the seeded fields, I smile. The fall forage is beautiful!

10.19.16

We finished harvesting corn early Monday evening! When we finished harvesting corn on the acres seeded with turnips, rye, and oats, it let us fully see the seeding. Amazing!

10.14.16

It is unbelievable how quickly the seeding grew after the corn was harvested. We had sunny, warm weather that was perfect for the turnips, rye, and oats to rapidly grow. From a distance, you can now see the corn fields turning green.    

It will not be long before the corn residue will be covered by the fall forage. Our cow herds will soon be grazing the luscious fields of turnips, rye, and oats!

corn residue rests along the turnips, rye, and oats

 

fall forage for grazing: week 5

It is week 5! Here is the report from the field...

 

 
Dad and I scouted the fields of turnips, rye and oats this morning. We are both very pleased.
 

 
We are saving two corn fields to harvest last that were seeded to allow for further growth of the turnips, rye, and oats.
 

 

fall forage for grazing: week 4

It is week 4 since the fields were seeded with turnips, rye, and oats!

 

 

The turnips grew their second leaf and measure 5 inches in height. The rye and oats measure 8-10 inches in height.

 

 

Weather conditions have been excellent for the seeding. Pretty blessed for nice fields for our cows to graze.

fall forage for grazing: week 3

It is week 3! I walked into one of the seeded fields this morning. The turnips, rye, and oats are continuing to grow quickly. 

 

The turnips have been really fun watching grow. They change so much so quickly!  

I am looking forward to checking the seed at week 4!

corn silage

We chopped corn and bagged it as silage for feed this winter. The silage is additional feed to hay baled this season.

 

 

I caught silage in the field and hauled it into the site to be bagged. On my cabless tractor, I got a little silage in my hair. Ha! It is an interesting process to me. I love seeing how quickly the bag fills.

 

 

 

Really nice looking silage to feed! And, it smells wonderful! Our cattle will very much enjoy chowing on it.

 

 

 

We bagged 150' of corn silage. When we feed the silage, we will use the loader tractor to scoop and fill the SI Feeder wagon. 

fall forage for grazing: week 2

It is week two for the seeding! The turnips, rye, and oats are growing very well. I love seeing the change each week. It is pretty exciting!

 

 

It is still amazing to me how quickly the fall forage is growing. Rain fell today, so it will keep growing rapidly. I look forward to checking in next week!

 

 

fall forage for grazing: week 1

We had two fields of turnips, rye, and oats aerial seeded in standing corn on September 7. It rained in the evening. So, it was perfect for seed germination.

 

turnips, rye, and oats

These fields will be future cow chow! Eek! Our cows will be grazing these fields during the fall and winter.

 

 

 

 

After cattle chores this morning, I decided to check fields since it has been one week since they were seeded. I was absolutely amazed by what I found when walking into a field! I was so excited to have my dad look.

 

 

 

 

It was very impressive to see the growth of the turnips, rye, and oats seeding in one week! It was incredible! The turnips measured 2-3" in height. And, the rye and oats measured 3-5". So surprising.

 

 

 

 

I very much look forward to checking the fields next week! It will be interesting to see the growth of the turnips, rye, and oats.

 

 

fall forage for grazing

aerial application

 

In August, I decided to have two fields aerial applied with seeding...one field at each farm. This seeding will produce forage for our cows to graze through this fall and winter. After much thought, I decided to seed the fields with turnips, rye, and oats. Speaking with the agronomist at River Valley Cooperative, I arranged to have the fields seeded when the corn was at the perfect stage for the seeds to make contact with the soil. Driving home after cattle chores this morning, I pleasantly surprised to find a plane flying over our farms. I turned around and drove to a field to watch the seeding applied. It was so neat hearing the seeds fall onto the corn field!   

 

turnip, rye, and oat seeds rest on top of the soil

 

This afternoon, my dad and I went to the field to check out the seeding. The turnip, rye, and oat seeds were resting on top of the soil. It was amazing seeing the new crop among the standing corn to be harvested. Perfect timing...it rained this afternoon and is raining this evening! The rain will be extremely beneficial for the seeds to germinate well.

 

I have been wanting to seed fields as fall forage for a few years, so I am pretty excited to actually get this done. This is our future cow chow! I am looking forward to seeing the turnips, rye, and oats grow through this coming fall! And, I am hoping our cows enjoy their fall forage!

Friday on the Farm

snowy cow

Snow fell this week. Flakes of snow lightly covered cows as they ate hay on Valentine's Day.

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

happy valentine's day!

Happy Valentine's Day from our snowy red, white, and roans!

 

Snow fell on this Valentine's Day. And, I couldn't resist taking a few photos of our cows in the falling snow.

Friday on the Farm

frost on a straw bale

In the morning, I stepped outside to start chores for the day. Frost covered a straw bale setting beside a barn as I went inside to feed heifers. The frost was so beautiful and delicate. It glistened in the morning sun.

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]

Friday on the Farm

freshly fallen snow

It was a beautiful, sunny winter morning. Overnight, snow had fallen. Fluffy snow covered cornstalk bales in the barnyard. The snow glistened in the sunshine. It was quite peaceful while feeding calves in the morning.

[ agriculture photos @ monicastevens.photoshelter.com ]  

Bedding...wood chips

loads of wood chips delivered to the farm

 

A couple years ago, we accepted a few loads of wood chips after a tree service trimmed trees nearby for our power company. We found the wood chips made great bedding for the feeder calves. It kept them very dry and comfortable through the fall and winter. Since then, we have loads of wood chips delivered each year to use as bedding for the calves. 

The wood chips are piled and stored outside. And, we use from that pile as needed. When we need to bed down the barn with woodchips, the loader tractor with the bucket attachment scoops them up and dumps them in the barn to be spread out on the floor. It works out pretty well. For calving season this spring, dad had me load the manure spreader with wood chips. I backed into the calving barn and spread the woodchips onto the floor of the barn. That was pretty amazing!

Yesterday, eight loads were hauled to the farm for the feed lot. We are very happy to be able to use the wood chips!