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Background
Always
progressive, in 1997 the crofters of Fair Isle changed from the traditional
hay-making for winter keep to a communal baled silage system.
 With the aid
of grants, a generous anonymous donation, and their own money,
the 18 crofters bought a mini-baler, mini-bale wrapper and
spares from importers Nutri-Mech UK for 15,000. Presently
Malpas Tractors (01978664400) are the agents for machinery and
wrap etc.
Advantages
Because of the island's maritime climate - summers, despite
some gloriously warm and sunny days, can be damp and cloudy with
fog a not infrequent occurrence. Making good hay under
such conditions was always a prolonged and very frustrating
process.
Even
during a fine, dry and sunny summer hay-making was still a long
drawn out affair. as hay could never be baled straight from the
windrow, but must be gathered into 'coles' - these then thrown
down again for further drying whenever the weather allowed.
Eventually, after several such 'airings', the hay could finally
be baled. While this lengthy and laborious process went on the
aftermath - valuable clean grazing - could not be used by other
than tethered stock.
Now, with the advent of baled silage, the fields are usually cleared
within 24-36 hours. However, modern methods have not meant the
end of tradition as silage making is 'just like the old days' -
still very much a communal affair!
 The mini-baler, designed for use in the hills of Italy, is not only
proving its worth in the small and confined fields of the
traditional croft, but is also quick and efficient on the
'larger' silage fields on Fair Isle.
Size
The bales, some 65 cm long and 60 cm in diameter and weighing between
40 kg and 60 kg (depending on moisture content), are small
enough to be rolled around and lifted by one person. However, to
avoid back strain, it is perhaps advisable for two people to
lift them. After wrapping with 5 layers of plastic, the bales
can readily stack up to 3 high.
Operation
The number of bales produced varies from around
50-60 per acre for a thinner crop to around 70-80 for a heavier
one. Experience on Fair Isle shows that it is possible to bale
and wrap (concurrently, with two tractors and sufficient
manpower) at the rate of about 50 per hour. While the
Wolvo R500 is a small baler it is still useful to have a
reasonably large tractor to power it (55-65hp).
A typical
example - with one man baling, two with a tractor and trailer
carting and two wrapping and stacking - a 1.5 acre field, was
baled in 2 hours.
The 114 bales obtained wrapped and
stacked in 2½ hours. Something less than one roll of net wrap
(£48.85 +VAT, 2002 prices) was used on the baler, with three
rolls plastic film (£18.52 + VAT each) used in the wrapping.
Cost
With six small bales - each costing around £1.60 to produce (including
baling, wrapping and materials, but excluding grass cutting and
turning) - equivalent to one big bale, there is no doubt that
the small bale is expensive to produce. However, for a croft or
small farm there are definite advantages in the system -
particularly under marginal weather conditions. Smaller
machinery takes up less storage space, causes less damage on the
wetter land as the small bales need less horsepower to produce
and move around.
Feeding
Transporting the
lighter bales from storage area to feeding site in winter should
result in little damage to the ground - after all, a wheelbarrow
only leaves a small 'footprint'! Bales may also be rolled by
hand - even by young children. In snowy conditions the
bales, in their smooth plastic wrap, slide exceedingly
easily. Too easy in fact - in a strong wind - especially
on a slight slope - turn your back on them and they're gone!
Experience has shown on our croft that 1 bale will feed 25
Shetland ewes for 2 days, or 1 cow (Simmental) for 2 days.
Having made silage with the mini-baler and wrapper for a
good number of years now it is apparent that the system does
meet Fair Isle's need for an efficient way of conserving winter
fodder.
While it has given a new lease of life to cattle keeping on the Isle
only time will tell if they can survive the next obstacle - paperwork.
But that's another story .......
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