Recently we caught up with Jono Doig, the manager of a large dairy support operation just out of Ashburton to see how they are benefitting from the best of both bales and stacks!
We went to catch up with Jono as they are utilising a unique silage storage system. Read on and watch the video to find out more.
With an operation that covers 1,000ha feeding up too 4,500 R1 and R2 calves in peak season along with providing the feed for 6 surrounding dairy farms, bulk quantities of feed are required.
Where large amounts of feed are handled and stored it presents an opportunity to make considerable savings with smarter storage systems. In this video Jono tells us how they have done exactly that with their innovative Silage Bale Stacks!
By utilising the 'bale stack' method for storing their silage, they are benefiting from the high feed utilisation bales have to offer along with the efficiency and cost benefits of a silage stack.
As Jono tells us, the main benefits of the Silage Bale Stack have been:
- Low Cost: At a cost of $22/bale the bale stack is $11 more cost effective than the tube wrap alternative which previously had cost them $33/bale.
- Greater Utilization: With comparatively less mess and wastage to a traditional silage pit/stack or tube wrap more feed is utilised in the bale system. Increasing the overall profitability as more feed is used and less is wasted.
See here for more information on feed handling and storage: Winter Feed Handling
Check out the range of Attachments that this Dairy Support Operation uses: Rata Tractor and Telehandler Attachment range