What Happened to Wisconsin’s Silos?

International Silo Association December 12, 2012

Greg Booher, Lakeshore Technical Collegegreg.booher@gotoltc.edu

920-960-0551

Thousands built like this 12’X36’ on my farm in the early part of the1900’s

Citation: Fish, N. S. "The history of the silo in Wisconsin" Wisconsin Magazine Of History. Volume: 08 /Issue: 2 (1924-1925)

Excerpts: • Silo Latin for silus meaning cellar• In 1923 Wisconsin had 20% of the

silos in the United States• Silos allow the entire use of the

corn plant for economic reasons• High priced feed and land was

requiring dairy farmers to be more efficient.

• Silos allowed dairymen to keep their cows rather than selling them at the end of the grazing season.

• Milk cows in the winter.

• First silo experimenting began in 1852 in France.

• First trench silo in Wisconsin was in the Fort Atkinson in 1877 followed by Dr. Weeks who built the first tower silo in 1880. Prof. F. H. King, Wisconsin

Agriculture Experiment Station

• Early silos were stone but leaked too much oxygen. 1885 silos were constructed from wood generally in the corner of the barn.

• Professor King, 1891, introduced the round silo as square silos had packing problems in the corners. Father of the modern silo.

• Early beliefs silage would cause cows to loose teeth and some creameries would not accept milk from cows fed fermented feed.

• 1915 Wisconsin had 56,000 silos and by 1923 the state had over 100,000 silos. Two thirds of Wisconsin farms had silos by 1923.

• Dr. Weeks, dairy farmed near Oconomowoc supplying butter to the 400 room old Plankinton Hotel.• Weeks writes he could not makeany money so he expanded his herdfrom 6 cows to 12 cows, bought feed to meet his larger herd’s needsand still lost money.• Weeks builds the first tower siloIn 1880 which he learned about from a French publication.• This was a last resort to his dairy farming venture. • His experiment worked as he increased his herd to 19 cows and the following year to 42 cows.• He also experimented that a cowwent off feed when allowed to consume 90# of ensilaged corn fodder.

Farm silos, used to store agricultural goods, were mostly wood up until about 1909. In 1907 Hiram Smith had patented a concrete silo, the first of its kind. This sort of silo would be much more expensive due to the material it was constructed from, but was also more durable, less likely to give in to the elements and fire. The very first one actually produced by his Smith Silo Company (of Paw Paw, later Oxford, Michigan) was constructed in 1909 in Paw Paw, which is southwest of Kalamazoo.

Why did producers buy into the belief that the bunker silo is a lower cost way to put up and feed forage?

The Advent of Flat Feed Storage: Why?

Upright silos didn’t fit with the group management and feeding of cows in free stalls.

Popularity of the mobile TMR mixer.

Poor memories of top unloader problems and climbing silos.

Perceived repair expenses with upright silos.

Perceived beliefs about ease of expanding flat feed storage.

Bunker Silo vs. Upright SiloPosted by Jeremy Karsten on May 4, 2010 at 11:14am in Sample TitleView DiscussionsThis has been a big debate at our farm. We have a small farm, and would like to keep it semi small by milking no more than 140. So far we have not been past 100 milking. So, we want to expand and we are trying to figure out a plan. We currently have for silage a 20x50 which is getting old, and a decent shape 20x60, both tower silos. I know that a bunk silos are very cheap to build, but they also take up a lot of equipment and labor to make them work but they are the most expedient come harvest time. I like using the tower silos, because they don’t require any additional equipment. What are your opinions on this decision?

Fast Forward to June 2011

• Strack Dairy, Random Lake, WI 200 cow expansion

• Bruce Johnson, Wisconsin Silo Company assisted cost analysis

• Used UW tools developed by Holmes and Frank to determine storage dimensions (“Silage Pile Sizing Calculator”) and the (“Investment and Annual Costs of Forage Storage Spreadsheet”)

• Actual bids for excavation and fill.• Bruce Johnson provided bids on

tower silos and both center drop and Patz top unloaders.

www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/storage.htm

Information Required for Analysis• Storage tons required• Excavation cost• Structure and equipment cost• Proportion of time each piece of

equipment is used in storing each forage.

• Cost to operate machinery, repairs, percent of engine capacity

• Cost of fuel and electricity• Tractors-skid loaders purchase cost

and operational cost for filling and feeding

• DM density for each storage method

• Face removal rates required (sizing)• Walls or no walls, unloader type

uprights, bag size (diameter)• Macadam or concrete floor bunkers• Bag site base, prep, maintenance

Information Required for Analysis

• Annual cost of ownership of bagger or rental expense• Plastic costs for bags and bunker covers• Cost of bunker cover tires or throw bags (mess bags, gravel/filling labor)• Speed of filling and unloading each storage system• DM density and size of loader bucket• Average distance to travel and speed required when loading mixer • Time and expense to uncover and remove plastic from bags and dispose

of plastic waste. Environmental concerns with plastic disposal.• Depreciation, repairs, useful life of investments, salvage value

Investment and Annual Costs of Forage Storages Spreadsheet documentation

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/for-stor.pdf

Dry Matter Loss – the telling variable!!Figures used in this study.

Results Measured in Terms of Annual Cost/Ton of Feed Fed ($/TDM Feed after dry matter loss)

1. Compare poured concrete silo four 24’X108’ uprights • Patz hybrid top unloader• Jamesway Big Jim center drop unloader (Valmetal Model

2000 center drop)2. Compare flat storage systems

• Pile on concrete no walls• 2-bunker silos on concrete with three walls

3. Compare bag systems• Compare twelve – 12’X250’ bags to 36 – 8’X200’ bags• Compare 12’X250’ system rented machine to owned machine

4. Compare each system to each other on a $/TDM feed fed

Project Type:Corn Silage2175 TDM

Compare four 24’X108’ poured concrete upright Silos• Valmetal Model 2000 center drop unloader

• Patz hybrid top unloader

A. Center drop unloader type –bid for four silos (2175 TDM capacity) four 24’X108’ poured concrete $98,500 each $394,000 four center drop unloaders $27,000 each 108,000 Total cost four silos/unloaders $502,000

B. Poured silos with Patz unloaders four 24’X108’poured concrete $98,500 each $394,000 four Patz hybrid unloaders $13,230 each 52,920 Total cost four silos/unloaders $446,920

Spindler Dairy – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsins

Compare flat storage systems • Pile on concrete no walls• 2-piles on concrete with three walls

No walls - 10’ of apron on each side of the pad - 40’ of apron approach on each end of the pile - Dimensions - (102’+ 20’)X (365’+80’)=54,290 ft² (adjusted for removal rate)

Construction Cost for the No walls – one pile

Strip top soil, Excavation, road access (445’X125’) $ 27,813 Flat concrete (102’+ 20’) X (365’+80’) = 54,290 ft² 152,012 ( $2.80/ft²)

Total estimate $ 179,825

Construction Cost for 3 walls – 2 bunkers of silage Strip top soil, Excavation, road access (280’X135’) $ 18,900 Flat concrete 200’+ (40’X2)+(2X66.2’)=37,072 ft² 103,802 ( $2.80/ft²) 600’ wall @ $145/ft 87,000 ($145/ft²) Total estimate $ 209,702

Two Pile – 3 wall

200’ 66.2’ 66.2’

Bag Portion of the Study• Macadam system 180’X300’

for $23,000• Capacity for ten 12’X250’ bags

or 5000 tons as fed forage• 400 cows and part of the

heifers are fed from the feed storage pad.

• Maintenance of the pad over the last 5 years has averaged about $ 200.00 per year.

• Density used in the study for 12’ diameter bags was 15# per ft³. (Recent work at UW, Dr. Randy Shaver indicated new machines up to 17#/ft³)• 10’ non-usable plastic on each end for tying off ends.• 12’X250’ bag rental and plastic cost of $2500 each.• Silage bag fill rate of 13.3 TDM/hr. (per Versa Corporation)

Investment Cost Components

Study is based on the needs of a 400 cow dairy

Calculations made for corn silage at approximately 35% DM

2175 TDM (6200 tons corn silage at 35%DM)

Removal Rates are greater than minimum requirement

Value used for corn silage is $86/TDM or $30.10/ton @ 35% moisture.

Corn silage value is the cost of silage production, chopping/processing, hauling to the storage structure.

Annual Cost per Ton of Delivered Feed ($/TDM Feed) & Annual storage cost and cost above lowest cost system

2175 tons dry matter

Storage SystemStorage Cost

including DM Loss $/TDM

System Total Annual Cost ($/Yr.)

Increased cost of system over the lowest cost system

($/Yr.)

Patz hybrid top unloader 39.03 77,241 $16,548

Valmetal center drop unloader

42.67 84,457 $23,764

Pile on concrete no walls 44.77 79,841 $19,1482-bunkers w/ 3 walls 38.00 71,898 $11,205

Rented bagger Twelve – 12’X250’ bags

30.77 60,693 Lowest cost system

Own baggerTwelve-12’X250’ bags

43.01 85,128 $24,435

Own bagger 36 – 8’X200’ bags

52.56 104,032 $43,339

Compare 12’X250’ system rented machine to owned machine

In study, 4365 TDM (approximately 600 acres of corn silage) of silage would need to be ensiled to justify owning a 12’ bagger went a rented machine is $2,500 per 12’X250’ bag. 4365 TDM/yr. would be required to match the $30.77/TDM storage cost after dry matter loss and shrink with the 13 TDM/minute., $365,000 machine price is used. Note:study had 2175 TDM.

• X1114 Professional packs 25% more than a 12’ bagger • 580 hp CAT C15 Tier III engine for high performance • Longer tunnel with low rotor position for uniform packing • All new cab comfort and control upgrades • Plus improvements in maneuverability, braking systems and much more

Can you get a bagger when you are ready to fill silo?Can you afford to own a $400,00-550,000 bagger?

Speed in feeding cows – how important is it?• How to measure? Animal unit 1000#• Cost to cut plastic, dispose of plastic, pile tires,

load, mix and deliver feed are all time factor.

Real Life Example Farm• 1000 cows - no heifers• Combination of large piles

with no walls• Use older uprights to store

high moisture corn.

Feeding system1. 4:00 AM clean mangers (not part of calculation)2. 4:30 AM feeding technicians start feed mixing

• one person running mixer, one running loader3. While TMR operator is delivering feed, the loader operator is getting HMSC from silos, facing piles, taking plastic off silage bales. Plastic is removed from piles once or twice per week during the afternoon.

4. 4:30-8:30 AM time to mix and deliver feed to 1000 cows.5. Extra batch is made to top dress groups as needed in the afternoon.6. Once a week removal of plastic from piles and piling tires. Good weather once per week. Twice a week if rain is predicted or in hot weather.

Cost to feed cows on example 1000 cow dairy (no heifers)

• total hours including plastic removal once/week = 9 total man hours per day.• 1000 cows equals 32 seconds

per cow per day. (1400# ave. cow weight).• Other estimates down to 15

seconds. Question on accuracy.

Let’s talk dollars• 32 sec. per cow per day• Example 1000 cow dairy using

$15/hour wage rate.• 9 hours @ $15/hour• $135/day just labor• $49,275/year feeding labor cost• What if you could cut the time

by just 10 seconds/cow/day?• Cost reduction of $15,398/year• Cost reduction at $20/hour wage rate equals a savings of $20,531/year. • Cut the time in half (16 sec./cow/day) @ $20/hr. wage = $25,000/yr.

savings. 3000 cows equals $75,000 savings per year.

2011 - 12,100 licensed dairy farms in Wisconsin, 105 cows per farm 2012 – 11,216 licensed dairy farms in Wisconsin, 113 cows per farm

How do you link up all these silos cost and feeding time effectively?

Silos were planned with expansion in mind.

Speed in mixing and delivery is not well researched.

Matt and Joel Lavey – Chilton, WITwo 30’X124’

Producer Challenges with Uprights • Dry Matter of ensilage put in uprights

For good fermentation need haylage put up at less than 45% DM and corn silage at 35% DM Drier forages cause lower cow DM intake – lower

productioin 50% ±TMR DM desired – a little wetter is better Relationship between DM of forage and unloader

operation and life of unloader (drier forage easier to unload)

• Speed of filling and unloading Blower design and center drop unloader tube filling

speed and unloading speed. Center drop forms better tube with wetter haylage

Producer Perceptions regarding upright silos

• Problems in general with unloaders• Frequently climbing silos • Slow filling and feed out• Trouble in cold weather (back up system

with bags or piles in January)• Frozen silage will wear unloader out quicker• Flat feed storage is a faster and more

economical way to store and feed cows.Turn a perceived problem into profit by improving

blowers and unloaders. Prove uprights are an economical way to store and feed cows.

Potential Advantages of the Upright Silo System “Selling the System”

1. Find out producer goals. 2. Plan an expandable approach for feed storage

• Can old silos be linking up to new uprights?• Is there room to build more uprights at the present site?• How large might the dairy grow at the present site?• Help producer plan the entire forage system

Filling - chopper cap→hauling cordination→blower cap→center drop fill cap Feed Out - unloading speed of upright silos (limiting factor to speed in feeding)

3. Use the available tools to help producer make decisions regarding their feed storage structure system

• Speed of feeding – no data exist• Biggest dairies can feed a cow in less than 30 sec. per day.• Which storage system is the most cost effective for very large dairies?

www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/storage.htm

Most important variable concerning flat feed storage is cost of potential DNR fluid collection system under the cement and surface run-off. 750 cow dairy Sheboygan County DNR project cost of $400,000.

This was not considered in this cost Comparison study!!!!

Take Home MessageTurn a perceived problem into profit by improving

blowers and unloaders. Prove uprights are an economical way to store and feed cows.

• Co-authored by U.W. Brian Holmes, Professor and Extension Specialist Biological Systems Engineering Department University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Bruce Johnson, Wisconsin Silo Company• Leroy Shefchik, ISA