Handy Hint: February 25, 2011
They use silo to store wheat straw
The Krahn Family of Brillion, Wis., uses wheat straw for bedding. "As our herd grew, getting enough straw blown into the old tie stall barn was a challenge," said son Mitch. "So, a few years ago, Dad and I decided to try to store straw in a 30- by 90-foot Harvestore silo," said Mitch, noting they put straw in a bag a few years earlier but were not pleased with the losses. "We had to make a few minor adjustments to make it work," he noted. "It is really important to put a high-horsepower tractor on the blower to get the straw up the silo."
The Krahns use the silo's bottom feeding unloader and a conveyer to move straw into their TMR mixer. "Once in the mixer, we unload it into a small bedding barn. We use a bedding shooter to place it on the free stall mattresses," said Mitch.