satisfactory. The operator would 

 start with a full cart at one end of 

 the barn, feeding 20 cows in one line 

 of stanchions. He would fill the cart 

 at that end and feed the cows in the 

 other line on the return since hay 

 would be taken out of both ends of 

 the barn. 



About seven bales will be needed 

 for one feeding of 40 cows. Opera- 

 tors usually carry or lug one bale at a 

 time on the feed alley floor leaving a 

 bale for each group of five or six 

 cows. They then break open the 

 bales and quickly distribute slices of 

 hay to the individual cows. On one 

 farm where the hay was delivered 

 from the mow to one end of the feed 

 alley, the operator can-ied one bale 

 at a time traveling nearly 500 feet. 

 He now plans to use a low platform 

 hand truck with a capacity for one 

 feeding of hay. 



Feeding Silage 



On a few of the farms, the opera- 

 tors were handicapped in feeding sil- 

 age by poor silo location and narrow 

 doors and passage ways. A major 

 and expensive remodelling job would 

 have to be completed before the task 

 of handling silage could be done 

 quickly. In one case, for instance, 

 the bottom of the silo was 10 feet be- 

 low floor level and the last 40 tons 

 had to be pitched upwards. In an- 

 other case where conditions were 

 favorable, the operator forked ap- 

 proximately 600 pounds of silage 

 from the silo directly into a large 

 cart and distributed it to 40 cows in 

 10.8 man minutes. Preparation took 

 5.6 man minutes and distribution 5.2 

 man minutes. The same task by an- 

 other worker in the afternoon of 

 the same day took a total of 15.3 

 man minutes. A longer period in the 

 silo was partly due to taking silage 

 from the most distant area. 



Preparation 



Throwing silage directly into the 



cart was the usual practice. The few 

 exceptions were whei'e the present 

 layout was not favorable for the use 

 of a cart. Most farmers planned to 

 throw out suflScient silage for one feed 

 at some convenient slack period. But 

 sometimes the routine of chores was 

 such, especially if the cart was used 

 for other purposes, that the operator 

 had to fork out silage at a very busy 

 chore period. Since 600 pounds of 

 silage is all that can be conveniently 

 handled on one cartload, the feeding 

 of 1800 pounds of silage daily would 

 involve three trips to the silo. 



It is suggested that sufficient cart 

 volume be available for at least one 

 feed. Where 1800 pounds are fed to 

 40 cows, the procedure might be to 

 feed 1200 pounds in the morning and 

 600 pounds at night. Twin carts so 

 constructed that both could be placed 

 side by side under the silo chute would 

 enable the operator to obtain the 1200 

 pounds in one trip to the silo* 



Transporting Silage 



Carrying silage in baskets is, of 

 course, obsolete. Attention should 

 now be given to the design of carts 

 that can be handled easily and the sil- 

 age distributed quickly. Where the 

 silage is forked out of the cart, the 

 rear end and sides should be so de- 

 signed that the operator, as far as 

 possible, moves the silage sidewise 

 and downward and avoids raising 

 each individual forkful a foot or 

 more. Since a large load may weigh 

 over 600 pounds, well designed wheels 

 and bearings will be an advantage. 

 One of the difficulties noted was the 

 extra time and heavy physical work 

 required to turn a large cartload of 

 silage around a 90-degree corner. If 

 the front wheels are placed well back 



* Silo unloaders are available on the market 

 but these are somewhat complicated and ex- 

 pensive. None was in use in this state for 

 observation. Also, a special silo has been de- 

 veloped which enables the operator to take 

 silage out from the bottom of the silo mechani- 

 cally. This is in the experimental stage and 

 expensive. 



34 



