I used to grow barley which was harvested ripe and stored in a wooden-floored loft before rolling as needed during the winter with a tractor-driven roller. Protein and mineral balancers were added for a home-mixed ration. There were a lot of augers, shovels, buckets and bags on backs involved. Different times.

Crimping

I have been using crimping for a few years now to store grain. I buy locally grown wheat which is harvested at around 30% moisture and delivered to the yard. This year’s crop had delayed harvesting with the weather so it came in at 25.5%. I heap the loads up and leave it for at least a day before treatment. This allows any green grains to soften the hard ones and so even up the moisture.

The crimping machine is hired in and I fill it with my own loader. The difference between it and rolling is that the softer grains are only bruised. A roller mill crushes the grain between two smooth rollers but the crimper has one serrated roller. A powder is added by the machine to help preservation. I added water this year too because of the drier grain. This involved attaching an inch pipe direct from my supply and hoping the cows wouldn’t be too thirsty at this time of year.

The treated grain is dropped by the crimper directly in front of the pit so it is easy to push it in with the loader between topping up the hopper on the machine. The pit is rolled just like silage to exclude air but doesn’t need as much weight. I have heard of wetter crops being rolled with a quad bike to get a smooth surface. Two sheets of new plastic and plenty of tyres complete the job.

Cheap grain

Last year I wrote about buying cheap grain off the combine. The price hasn’t moved much this year so as a dairy farmer I should be happy. Trouble is that grain is now expensive compared to the milk price. Reading Aidan Brennan in the print Irish Farmers Journal it doesn’t justify feeding concentrates to late-lactation cows. Early and mid-lactation autumn calvers will still need more than just silage if they are to produce milk, maintain condition and go back in calf.

Constant pushing down of grain prices won’t be the answer to keeping dairy farmers in business long-term. There’s no pleasure or profit for any farmer in producing cheap food.