Are you ready for your maize harvest?

The maize harvest time has come around quickly again this year and I’m already hearing of the first crops of maize having been harvested. If you haven’t yet harvested your maize, are you ready? Do you have everything you need for when the contractor arrives to harvest?

When you harvest your maize this autumn, just like your wholecrop, harvest when the grain/cob is right, not the plant.  Ideally this is around 25-32% however, if the cob is right, but the plant still a bit green, harvest it! If you wait for the plant to dry, then your grain will become too dry and less digestible by the cow.

As it is being harvested ensure that it is cracked well, and when back at the farm, consolidated well. 

I know they will not like it, but if you need to slow your contractor down, do it!  You are the one paying the bill! This can be the cause of unstable pits and mycotoxins. The reason is because the trailers come in too close together, then a big gap, so the pit operator pushes it all up in one big rush without compacting the pit properly.

The crop should be added in layers of 3-4 inches at a time and rolled, rolled, and then rolled some more!  Ideally have a second tractor on the pit just to roll.  Leaving the compacting until the end will only roll the top layer/s and not affect further beneath the surface.

Why not buy (DBL can supply) or hire a silage compactor as this can really help with silage compaction.  The tighter the material is, with the minimum of oxygen, the better.

Once the pit is full try, get it covered as quickly as possible and ensure it is sealed and free of oxygen so that the fermentation process can begin.

Remember that you really should leave your maize crop six weeks before you start feeding it, and if in the meantime you need a little extra alternative feed, i.e. a moist blend then DBL are happy to find these alternatives for you.

So . . .

• Do you have the inoculant you want to use?
• Is the pit ready with side sheets on the wall?
• Have you got a compactor?
• Do have the top sheet ready to cover the pit as quickly as possible?
• Followed by nets?
• Then gravel bags to get the pit sealed ready for fermentation?

All of these can be supplied by DBL, with recommendations for inoculants, sheets and nets but with alternatives available form a variety of suppliers if you want something different.

If you’d like to discuss your maize harvest requirements, then give us a call - David on 07395 498175 or
e-mail david@dblbuyinggroup.co.uk orLouise on 07943 684215 or e-mail louise@dblbuyinggroup.co.uk