Press For Silage In Barrel

[Waterbuffalofarm]

Dear Member of Thailand Forum"Farming"

may you could help me again?

We started on our Farm with Corn silage.We got a excellente feed stuff as well.But I need a lot of Thai Locals for press the cutted corn into the plastic drums.

Now I found on the web side:www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/silage/Chin1/Silage-1.htm a power point presentation which show some guys with a kind of hydraulic press.

If some of you know , where I could buy or order this kind of mechanic stuff,please be so kindly to give me this Info forward!?

Best regards

Waterbuffalofarm

[Maizefarmer]

Hi Waterbuffalofarm

Yes - quite happy to help, but a quick question first - just what sort of volume/size are these plastic drums you storing and packing the silage in?

As an alternative (and better in my personal opinion) is not to pack the corn plant material with a press, but to set up a vacum arrangement and suck the air out. In practise this will mean putting the silage into plastic bags first, vacuming the plastic bags, then sealing the plastic bags and putting them into drums (for added protection).

The plastic bags will need to be big - at the very very least I would have thought 100litres plus and idealy 250litres to 300litres - which means the drums are going to have to be around 44gallon size drums or bigger if you want to store more than one bag in each drum. - are they?

Silage needs a "critical mass" to mature, and although in theory you could do it with as little as 50litres in volume, in practise that is going to introduce all sorts of problems as the mas/volume will be subject to very quick temperature swings - which is not good for silage.

Why have you decided to store in plastic drums?

... and a quick comment: You have made silage before? - you are aware the moisture content and size of the individual pieces that the plant has been cut into when you store silage is VERY important(?) To little or to much moisture, or too big partical size in the corn plant organic material can ruin your silage.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Maizefarmer

[IsaanAussie]

Dear Member of Thailand Forum"Farming"

may you could help me again?

We started on our Farm with Corn silage.We got a excellente feed stuff as well.But I need a lot of Thai Locals for press the cutted corn into the plastic drums.

Now I found on the web side:www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/silage/Chin1/Silage-1.htm a power point presentation which show some guys with a kind of hydraulic press.

If some of you know , where I could buy or order this kind of mechanic stuff,please be so kindly to give me this Info forward!?

Best regards

Waterbuffalofarm

Dear WBF,

I offer two suggestions: 1. Talk to the local Agricultural college. 2. Make or have one made, the local junk yard will have the motor, hydraulic cylinder, pump and tank and a vacuum pump would not be hard to find. Framework is easy to fabricate. You may get lucky and find an old bale press which could be adapted to suit your drums.

The trick would be to gradually compact the material, layer by layer. This means you would need to partly fill the drum and then press, then fill again etc.. Designing the system of fill, press, fill etc would become important as far as labour in concerned.

Perhaps some sort of screw conveyor/press would be worth a look.

By the way thanks for the link it is an interesting presentation. Slide 11 shows the way I am leaning, baling and wrapping. The gear used there is available in Thailand.

I am very interested in your project and ask that you continue to post on your progress. Photos would be great. Good luck.

Isaanaussie

[wagner54]

Dear Member of Thailand Forum"Farming"

may you could help me again?

We started on our Farm with Corn silage.We got a excellente feed stuff as well.But I need a lot of Thai Locals for press the cutted corn into the plastic drums.

Now I found on the web side:www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/silage/Chin1/Silage-1.htm a power point presentation which show some guys with a kind of hydraulic press.

If some of you know , where I could buy or order this kind of mechanic stuff,please be so kindly to give me this Info forward!?

Best regards

Waterbuffalofarm

Hi

Good link WBF. Does anyone know if there is a dealer for silager-1 in Thailand? And if so the approximate price?

Thank you