chaff collection

**per** · Jan 28, 2011, 09:03

Pretty hard to put a number on it unless you used the Macleod system. We bunch all our straw and chaff behind the combine and then add protein. Can't quantify the value of the chaff but can say it is the cheapest way we have found to winter a cow.

**chaffman** · Jan 28, 2011, 10:40

My issue is that I know that some of these machines are available,brand new and work so what would be a purchase price to make it work financially?
The harvesters use all jd and new holland parts so that is not a concern. They were worth 200 grand new but they can be bought for considerably less.Even if you valued the chaff at 15 dollars per acre the payback would be betwween 2-4 years I am guessing and that is without taking into consideration you need a combine anyway.

**smcgrath76** · Jan 28, 2011, 10:48

The Jones Buncher deal seems pretty slick
to me. Just some tines and a
counterweight. I have been sort of
looking for a neighbour who might want to
use one, with the idea that I would buy
it, they would put it on, and we could pay
a "per day" type of grazing fee.

**chaffman** · Jan 28, 2011, 11:43

It works well but the owners of the crop land may not be as happy as it. We have bale grazed on crop land and that area was hard packed and had concentrated weed pressue. The harvester revoes them from the field and makes them no longer viable.The harvester in Manitoba was done by a grain farmer that sold the chaff to the cattle producer to pay for the combine.

**per** · Jan 28, 2011, 11:54

No doubt that removing all the weed seeds should eventually clean the place up. Having said that it doesn't work perfectly in the garden. I now use a Jones butcher and done properly you can heavy harrow and one pass afterward. We like to have our bunches done by Mid March to avoid pugging in wet ground. Our place has pulled a buncher since the thrashing pile days.

I like the theory of the Macleod.

**blackjack** · Jan 28, 2011, 13:25

we use the redekopp system on the back of our old massey...then bale up the straw.I also like the theory of the mcleod but there looks like some added investment and labor.

**chaffman** · Jan 28, 2011, 15:44

actually far less labour as you simply feed with an electric wire all winter.Armitages had one of the originals and it cut their work load down.

**per** · Jan 28, 2011, 15:50

How fast is it at harvest compared to combine with some sort of buncher? My work load with the buncher depending on protein source can be near zero. Is there a weed spreading issue with wind etc at the graff and chaff piles?

**chaffman** · Jan 28, 2011, 17:29

the chaff is blown down and appears to be quite weatherproof and the combine is the same thrashing capabilities as a 9600 and the seives are the same as a tr99.

chaff collection