MENSCHEN ON-FARM 1 ped
MENSCHEN ON-FARM 1 ped grass per year, or an average 800 to 900 ha per cut. “As a tendency, we’re getting more forage maize to chop on the Alb, despite the despite its relatively short growth period and yields between 30 and 70 t/ha fresh material. This means that in 2017 we’ll cover around 700 ha with both machines. Percentage of chopped grass silage also increases slightly this year at the expense of round bale silage,” calculates Johannes Vöhringer. He sees one reason for this in the substantial expansion of some full-time dairy farming enterprises. In his experience, these units use a higher share of maize silage in their rations. On the other hand, based on numbers, their customer circle comprises relatively many horse keeping enterprises as well as livestock farms run as part-time units. “This means hay – of which we bale around 700 ha annually – continues to be important for us”, he reports further. “Not to be forgotten, either, are the regular customers that we service with our forage wagons. In 2017 this work represented about 400 journeys in total,” reckons Christian Vöhringer. The family business contracts for a good 250 customers within a 30-km radius, from a shepherd with five sheep right up to dairy farmers with 300 cows. of 37 mm. Where grass is chopped in the silage harvester, cut lengths vary between 3 and 25 mm, while in maize this is generally between 4 and 10 mm, according to the contractor. On the other hand, biogas making customers nearly all want 4 to 6 mm chops. “Long chop is less commonly requested here. The high dry matter content in 2016 meant this was out of the question anyway, and in 2017 there’s only limited interest. This is logical. After all the farmer continues to depend on straw and grass in the feed ration,” explains Johannes Vöhringer. QUALITY IS IMPORTANT The experience of both brothers indicates that much more important than chop length is degree of cob processing with maize. “Five or six years back, the most important thing was that all the grains were cracked. Farmers put a lot of value on as many grains as possible being at least quartered. But now every grain should, as far as possible, be quasi milled in order to achieve best possible digestion in the rumen. In short: the grain treatment is decisive. And this represents a challenge for us as contractors,” he stresses. Naturally dependent on size of client farms and livestock type is the favoured silage chop length, continues Johannes Vöhringer. Where the silage wagons are used, the full number of 46 knives is in action, giving a chop length Without a doubt, this aim is technically possible through narrow setting of the cracker rollers, he explains. Up until now, both harvesters work with roller crackers. Certainly, already considered are plans for disc crackers, although 28
2 3 still to be realized. “This would require a harvesting price increase of something along the lines of 15 euros/ha because our progress through the crop would have to be slower for the desired intensity of corn processing, which in itself drops area performance by around 10%. The price increase related would be acceptable as well as being compensated for many times over by increased feeding performance, but currently farmers are not willing,” reckons Christian Vöhringer. Readily accepted, on the other hand, has been a small price increase related to plastic sheet wrapping of bales. This wrapping was offered for the first time in 2017 by the brothers, made possible by the purchase of two new Comprima bale-wrap combinations. These allow easy conversion to plastic sheet wrapping. Especially dramatic hereby: the farmers were at once convinced by the advantages so that almost 90% of all silage bales have been wrapped in this way. The experience of this first season with the new method has been very positive, say the contractor brothers. ”As far as the resultant feed quality is concerned, we’ll have to wait and see because so far hardly any of this year’s bales have been fed. However, the quality of wrapping was good,” continued Christian Vöhringer. His bother adds: “With plastic sheet 4 1 The proverbial reins of the enterprise are in the capable hands of Johannes Vöhringer’s wife Cornelia in the office. 2 Forage harvester out, big balers in: large scale manoeuvring in the barn after the cereal harvest and before the forage maize one. 3 Relaxed expressions at the beginning of the maize harvest 2017 with Ernst, Johannes and Christian Vöhringer (l. to r.). 4 On the Vöhringer family farm, feeding bulls have taken the place of dairy cattle. wrapping, bale form and density is better than net binding plus sheet wrapping. And later on, less wrapping, and only one type of wrapping material, must be got rid of. In other words, enough good reasons for the price per bale to be increased because, on the bottom line, the result is more cost effective.” 29
