Economics of Forage Harvest and Storage Systems Forage Harvesters Silos

Is it Time to Replace my Forage Harvester? Is labor availability an issue? Is timeliness a problem with your current equipment? Are your repair costs high? How many acres of forages do you harvest?

Solutions to Labor Scarcity and Poor Harvest Timeliness Purchase higher capacity forage harvester Change crop rotation Custom hire

Are your repair costs high? Current forage harvesters are designed to be more reliable and have fewer repairs over their lifetimes than older models Newer models of pull-type forage harvesters have an expected life of 2,500 hours compared to 2,000 for older models Newer models of SP forage harvesters have an expected life of 4,000 hours compared to 2,500 for older models

Forage Harvester Comparisons: 2-row towed ($25,900) 2-row self-propelled ($159,900) 3-row self-propelled ($165,600) 6-row self-propelled ($236,600) Prices from Univ. of MN, “Minnesota Farm Machinery Economic Cost Estimates for 2001”

Managing Machinery Costs Variable costs are those which occur from operating the machinery –repairs –labor –fuel –lubrication Fixed costs are those which result from owning the machinery –depreciation –interest –insurance –housing

Field Capacity (acres/hour)

Silage Storage Alternatives Tower silos Bunker silos Silage bags

Tower Silo Silage can be 50 to 65% moisture Packing of silage due to weight from top Various sizes available ( tons) Minimal exposure to weather

Bunker Silo Sizing is very flexible Silage can be of higher moisture than tower Requires more labor to pack down Requires plastic and tires to cover Increased exposure to weather

Silage Bags Normal size: ft. long by 9 ft. diameter Minimal amount of labor required May wear out tractor more quickly Spoilage due to weather or rodents Easy to regulate silage removal Takes up space

Summary of Silo Cost Factors Structure Equipment (tractor and special equipment) Labor (How much time and when does action occur) Fuel and lubricants Plastic Dry Matter Loss (direct loss of silage value)

Annual cost of storage of 384 tons DM Source: “Choosing Forage Storage Facilities”, B.J. Holmes, Univ. of Wisconsin

Annual cost of storage of 3,072 tons DM Source: “Choosing Forage Storage Facilities”, B.J. Holmes, Univ. of Wisconsin

Silage Cost Management Resources –Includes a spreadsheet and documentation to analyze costs of different storage choices –Spreadsheet tool that allows for comparison of costs of tower, bunker, and bags