European machine holds promise for dairy
NEWARK, Del. - Few
Americans have ever seen a
“Ladewagen,” but this European
farm implement could be a key to
prevention of a growing problem
on American dairy farms
displaced stomach.
According to Dr. George
Haenlein, Delaware’s extension
dairy specialist, “Ladewagen”
means “loading wagon.” Those
who have the opportunity to ac
company Haenlein on the Ex
tension Dairy Tour of Europe this
August will see what it can do.
Basically, the Ladewagen scoops
up cut grass or grass hay from a
field, compacts it without chop
ping, and drops it out the back into
a blower which directs it into a
bam or silo for storage. It’s a
simple, one-person green chop,
haylage or grass hay making
operation. But as of now, the
machine apparently is not
available in this country.
What does grass hay have to do
with displaced stomach in dairy
cows? Plenty, according to the
specialist. Fertilized grass can
provide plenty of hay with the
nutrients cows need to avoid this
problem.
in recent years many dairy
farmers have been moving away
from hay and towards com silage
for reasons of economics. 'The good
news is that herd production
averages have climbed from 13,000
or 14,000 pounds to 17,000 or 18,000
pounds m less than 20 years. Now
for the bad news: It’s not un
common for high silage feeding
operations to suffer several cows
per month with displaced stomach.
We’ve been supporting today’s
high production averages with
high energy, high protein diets,
Haenlein explains. Com silage and
commercial supplements give
cows the necessary protein and
energy but often m sufficient
dietary fiber. Without enough
fiber, the fat level in the milk drops
below acceptable levels.
This is more than a cosmetic
problem; it’s a symptom that can
indicate that displaced stomach
problems will be next, which can
be fatal if not corrected surgically.
Without adequate fiber in the
diet, a cow’s stomach walls can
become black and foul which also
can lend to death.
Fiber in the diet comes from
farm-grown feeds, either hay or
haylage, for example. Some far
mers are buying hay, which is fine
although it is often expensive.
Others are making alfalfa hay,
which has certain drawbacks
besides the obvious advantages.
Alfalfa leaves can shatter a
great deal when made into hay
resulting valuable in valuable
protein losses. Also, during the
first cutting the risk of rain is
great. Delaware may experience
rain damage during hay making
two out of three years. Because of
these two factors, farmers may
lose half the value of the hay crop
in terms of, nutrient yields per
acre.
As any old-tuner can tell you,
hay-making is labor- intensive.
(Even today the system is not too
well automated, according to
Haenlein.) Big round bales are a
new development but are often
wasteful unless the bales are
stored indoors. One-third of the
nutrients can be lost when the big
bales are left to sit outside in sun,
ram and snow.
Haenlein believes there are two
solutions. For fanners who like to
feed alfalfa, haylage is a good
alternative.
Those who prefer hay should
perhaps rediscover grass hay.
Grass hay has some real ad
vantages-or it will when the
Ladewagen becomes available
here.
To make alfalfa haylage, the
farmer should put wilted alfalfa
into a sealed structure or
horizontal bag. A permanent
sealed structure can be expensive,
but a bag can be filled with a
rented machine at a moderate
cost.
No protein is wasted because
there is no leaf shattering. Rain at
cutting time causes no damage
since the crop does not have to dry.
And haylage can be made by one
person using silage-cutting
equipment which is usually
available.
A problem with alfalfa haylage
is decidmg length of cut. When it’s
long cut. alfalfa has a higher fiber
Delaware
elects Soybean
directors
DOVER, Del. Delaware
Soybean producers have selected
three new representatives for the
Delaware Soybean Board.
Secretary of Agriculture, Donald
J. Lynch, announced that Nicholas
J. Umatowskx, Townsend; Clifton
A. Murray, Selbyville and Richard
E. West, Frankford were elected to
three-year terms on the Board.
Secretary Lynch noted this year’s
balloting showed increasing
producers’ participation with
nearly 200 soybean producers
voting from the two counties.
This year the Delaware Soybean
Board funded eleven soybean
research projects being done by
the University of Delaware and
one overseas marketing project
through the American Soybean
Association. The Delaware
Cooperative Extension Service,
the Delaware Department of
Agriculture and the University’s
Experimental Station are
cooperating in the research
projects.
Uncaster Fanning, Saturday, July 11,1981—C21
value, but it’s harder to blow into
the storage structure. Should you
sacrifice nutritional value or ease
of handling?
You needn’t sacrifice either one
if you turn back to that old stan
dby, grass hay. Long, thin blades
of grass don’t shatter the way
alfalfa leaves do. University of
Delaware studies by Haenlein
have shown that grass can have a
high protein content if it’s fer
tilized. Grass is a good crop for
using animal wastes, particularly
for farmers with liquid manure
handling systems.
Cutting time is less critical than
with alfalfa. Grass could be cut
Stewartstown
Stewartstown, Rt. 74, York County, will hold its annual show
of steam engines, tractors and gas engines Thursday through
Sunday. There will be rides for children, homemade apple
butter and plenty of good food. Nightly entertainment is also
planned.
farmers
several times a year, in fact,
whenever it is needed. If it rains,
the farmer can simply wait a few
days without much loss of quality.
The only drawback to grass hay
making, as Haenlein sees it, is the
labor requirement. But the
Europeans have taken care of that
nicely with the Ladewagen.
As soon as some resourceful
person brings that concept to the
United States, this country may
see some return to green bay
which can result in an im
provement in dairy herd health
and economics of dairy cattle
feeding.
steam show
MEMO-
HAY,
STRAW &
EAR CORN
SALE
EVERY
MONDAY
At 11A.M.
X NEW HOLLAND SALES
9 STABLES, INC.
X Phone 717-354-4341
iX Uoyd H. Kreider,
O Auctioneer