mwaswast
JF-Expert Member
- May 12, 2014
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Introducing... silage baling
Rumbles of a tractor rented the air on the vast Chemusian Farm in Nakuru as the machine made several trips scooping silage before feeding it into a baling machine.
The baler compressed the fermented fodder before packaging it into huge cylindrical rolls of 400kg each.
Erick Dejon, the operator of the baler, looked on closely at the machine to ensure all was well. At one point, he stopped it to instruct workers to move the packed fodder away from the machine.
“We make and pack silage in bales for large-scale farmers. We also grow our own maize for silage-making. But right now we are here to offer baling services,” said Dejon, who works at Fodder Innovation Team.
Situated some 15km from Nakuru Town, Chemusian is an expansive dairy farm hosting some 2,000 dairy cows of Friesian and Jersey breeds on over 150 acres.
The farm has mechanised its daily operations such as milking, distribution of silage and now baling and packaging of silage.
The farm has set aside several acres of land for growing maize for silage-making to supplement natural pasture. The silage, which also comes handy during droughts, is further sold to other dairy farmers.
Currently, it is preparing the fodder that would be used after the current rainy season.
“We work with farmers who own at least 50 acres,” says Dejon, adding that they charge Sh1,000 per bale when hired to do the work.
The silage is prepared the usual way, where a pit is dug out and then a polythene sheet placed on the floor and walls.
The walls are covered by the polythene to a metre-high so that the forage does not come into contact with soil.
The sliced fodder is then put in the pit as it is compressed and molasses added to aid fermentation.
The molasses is, however, first diluted with water at a ratio of about 1:2 and sprinkled evenly over the forage layer using a garden water sprayer.
Rumbles of a tractor rented the air on the vast Chemusian Farm in Nakuru as the machine made several trips scooping silage before feeding it into a baling machine.
The baler compressed the fermented fodder before packaging it into huge cylindrical rolls of 400kg each.
Erick Dejon, the operator of the baler, looked on closely at the machine to ensure all was well. At one point, he stopped it to instruct workers to move the packed fodder away from the machine.
“We make and pack silage in bales for large-scale farmers. We also grow our own maize for silage-making. But right now we are here to offer baling services,” said Dejon, who works at Fodder Innovation Team.
Situated some 15km from Nakuru Town, Chemusian is an expansive dairy farm hosting some 2,000 dairy cows of Friesian and Jersey breeds on over 150 acres.
The farm has mechanised its daily operations such as milking, distribution of silage and now baling and packaging of silage.
The farm has set aside several acres of land for growing maize for silage-making to supplement natural pasture. The silage, which also comes handy during droughts, is further sold to other dairy farmers.
Currently, it is preparing the fodder that would be used after the current rainy season.
“We work with farmers who own at least 50 acres,” says Dejon, adding that they charge Sh1,000 per bale when hired to do the work.
The silage is prepared the usual way, where a pit is dug out and then a polythene sheet placed on the floor and walls.
The walls are covered by the polythene to a metre-high so that the forage does not come into contact with soil.
The sliced fodder is then put in the pit as it is compressed and molasses added to aid fermentation.
The molasses is, however, first diluted with water at a ratio of about 1:2 and sprinkled evenly over the forage layer using a garden water sprayer.