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 21/2
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 1.60p
to produce (including baling, wrapping and materials, but
excluding grass cutting and turning) - equivalent to one big bale, there
is no do ubt 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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