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RE: Corn for a small farm

Sue Weaver — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:18:33 GMT

cweick (8/8/2009)

Thanks Sue for the websites.

BTW. The mailman dropped off our HF mag today. I have to wait my turn to read it. Thanks!

Really? I never seem to get my copy until two weeks after everyone else has theirs. Bummer. I'm really looking forward to reading this one, too. :o(

Sue

RE: Corn for a small farm

cweick — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:35:32 GMT

Thanks Sue for the websites.

BTW. The mailman dropped off our HF mag today. I have to wait my turn to read it. P2 got excited when he saw the goats. I told him first thing first the keets got to get out of the brooder. The pig pen needs to be built and we get him 2 and then and only then (when they are grown) will talk about a pair of goats. Where becoming the McWeick Family Farm.

I've see in a seed catalog a red sweet corn. By any chance do you know what it is? I think it had the queen name in it somewheres.

Thanks!

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:05:36 GMT

I understand now...I thought you were talking about growing heritage varieties for winter feed. The funny thing about this topic is, I have harvested corn for years in the 1000 plus acre range, but I have also harvested a small scale plot for my sheep. I really like feeding corn silage, but so many people think hay is the only way to go.

Not so. Up in Canada they feed sheep and goats silage a lot.

They do claim that if you chop grassland every 28 days, and put lots of manure on it, and get 4 crops per year; grass ground will give you the same tonnage as corn, without the tillage, fertilizer and seed costs. I am not so sure about that. We average 21 ton per acre here with corn, so I would think to get that with grass silage everything from the weather, to a lack of mechanical breakdowns would have to be on your side to beat out corn.

This year both the corn yield is down (about waist high now) and the grass is pretty bad because we got 2 months of straight rain. Now the temp is not helping. This morning the temp hit 40º here and the maples are already starting to turn bright red. Last year the same thing happened early, but that was in September, not a week into August.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Sue Weaver — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:28:55 GMT

Sue, please don't take this wrong, but what humans like for corn, and what animals like is two completely different things.

No, no...I'm talking about a nice treat of green cornstalks thrown over the fence to supplement late summer grazing (which is pretty darn poor down here), NOT a staple of the diet! Rather in the vein of feeding giveaway pumpkins after halloween or Christmas trees (to goats) after Christmas.

Growing corn for silage would be impossible down here. In fact, I honestly have not seen a corn field in seven + years.

Sue

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:45:48 GMT

After gaining valuable experience in feeding non-traditional feeds, I have come to look upon corn silage as the feed for this farm well into the future. The tonnage per acre is extremely high, the purchased grain will be considerably less, and nutritionally it is more than adequate for the sheep. Granted I may soon outgrow my rather intensive method of harvesting corn, but when the number of sheep dictates it, but when a better method is needed, buying my own chopper may be more beneficial then haying.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:44:00 GMT

As with feeding anything non-traditional, there are precautions a Shepard must take to ensure the health of his flock. The first is storage of the corn stalks. In large farming operations the stalks are immediately chopped and blown into trucks that put it in upright silos or in horizontal bunkers. Unfortunately, neither storage method is practical for the small scale Shepard. The only practical way to store corn is by covering it and allowing the air to dry it so that it does not rot or mold.

Listeroisis is a disease that sheep are especially susceptible to and develops from the black mold of unensiled, or mold ridden feed, so storage is especially important. I like to store my corn stalks on logs so that it is not directly on the ground, cover them with a tarp, but leave the sides open so that the wind can blow through the pile to ensure proper drying. It should be noted that this complete drying does change the status of the plant significantly. Having dried, the plant converts all its sugar into starch which is what gives the sheep its energy. It does make the stalk and leaves slightly less palatable, but my sheep still prefer it over that of hay.

Another caution I must make is that while a Shepard might be inclined to feed straight corn silage, it really must be mixed with hay, haylage, balage or green chop, and for two reasons. Corn silage can be acidic in nature and cause the rumen of sheep to be inflamed. Hay or a variation thereof, helps to settle their stomachs and is a common practice on dairy farms. As added insurance, I like to give my sheep probiotics to ensure the rumen is working properly and is aiding digestion. The second reason is corn silage shortcomings in regards to protein and calcium. Fortifying with Urea (45% nitrogen) can be accomplished, but failure to get the right ratio right can result in death. For that reason I am a strong advocate of using corn silage to reduce the dependence on hay, but not eliminate its place in the manger.

While debating the concerns of genetically modified foods is beyond the scope of this article, it is in a Shepard’s best interest to select their seed carefully, or if purchasing standing corn from dairy farmers, to ask of its status.

The final caution is rather strong, and that is to refrain from feeding lambs corn silage. Lambs lack the rumen size to allow enough corn silage intake to get the nutrients they need. They literally can be stuffed from eating, and yet die from starvation. Good quality hay must always be available for lambs.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:41:59 GMT

While feeding corn began out of economics, I have grown to like feeding corn and plan to continue the practice, increasing the scale in time with my sheep operation. What makes it beneficial to me, may also have make it beneficial to other Shepard’s with micro-flocks.

Here 100 day corn yields average 20-25 tons to the acre, while hay ground yields only 10 tons to the acre. The difference is staggering. For those without a lot of extra acreage, a ¼ or ½ acre plot may be able to reduce their winter feed purchases by 40%.

Another alternative is to approach area farmers with existing corn fields and purchase a ½ or ¼ acre plot off them. By using their seed purchased in bulk, and their larger tilling and planting equipment, this is an economical way to obtain corn.

If you are like me though, and just enjoying growing your own feed, thankfully the equipment to plant corn is the same as planting a home garden, and many small scale Shepard’s already own the equipment and have the knowledge to do it. Soil can be tilled by other means as well, including renting equipment, contracting it out, or in the case of plots less then ½ an acre, do it themselves with garden tractors and rotor-tillers. While no-till farming on my farm is not possible, other areas of the country may be able to avoid tilling altogether.

Seeding can be sown by hand or by the use of a single row, push behind planter. I do recommend planting the corn in rows to ease the harvesting of it, but even that is a personal choice. For those that choose to forgo the standard 30 inch rows, studies have proven that increased seed densities per acre increase yields significantly without unduly stressing the plant from overcrowding.

As for harvesting, by using nothing more than a chainsaw, a tractor and a brush chipper, standing corn can easily be converted into sheep feed. After waiting for a killing frost, I simply walked down the rows with my saw held at 8 inches high and felled the stalks. These were gathered up; taken home and stored under cover. As I fed it out to my sheep, I ran the entire stalk through my brush chipper into ¼ chips. Alternatives exist of course and could include using a hand scythe to sever the stalks and a cart to move them under a tarp, or simply fencing in the corn plot and letting the sheep graze on the stalks in the winter.

Assuming you are feeding out, the chipper is the only critical piece of equipment, and its small size is surprising. I use a 5 hp Troy-Bilt Tomahawk chipper/shedder that takes a 3 inch branch, but a smaller or larger one would also work. The stalks are easily severed into chips and blown onto the ground or into a container. The smaller the “chip” the better as it tends to grind the cobs into individual kernels and allow the rumen to extract the nutrients from the finely chopped corn. It takes me about 10 minutes to chip enough feed for 4 sheep for one day. Even more important, what comes out of the spout of my homeowner chipper, is exactly the same of a ¼ million dollar silage chopper. In short, you do not need expensive equipment to produce high quality silage.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:40:43 GMT

The corn silage my small scale endeavor created can be safely fed to sheep, and can meet much of their nutritional needs if done correctly. I mixed the corn with the only hay I had on-hand; some 2 year old hay of rather poor quality which got me through much of the winter. Even with poor quality hay, the sheep continued to gain scoring condition in preparation for lambing.

The ration consisted of, 60% hay, 40% corn silage, .25 pound of mineral mix ,and .75 of a cc of probiotics per head. This was fed at a rate of 2½ pounds of hay to 5 pounds of corn silage per head to have enough dry matter and roughage to support the sheep nutritionally.

You will note that I do not feed grain while feeding this ration. Corn and hay are mixed at this ration on dairy farms so that grain consumption is greatly reduced. It works the same with sheep and corn has the added benefit of giving the sheep plenty of energy and warmth on those long winter nights.

It should also be noted that while feeding this ration, the sheep were checked by the State Livestock Expert and the Assistant State Veterinarian. Upon scoring the sheep their statement was gratifying. “Whatever you are doing, keep doing it because the sheep are in great shape.”

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:39:53 GMT

Here is some interesting stuff on raising corn for livestock. It all started because having a dairy herd of over five hundred cows, the farmer that rents my farm had abandoned haying equipment and exchanged it for equipment that could harvest 150 acres per day and duck in and out of the weather. This system works well for dairy farmers, but the problem is…sheep can only have hay!

Or do they?

Interestingly enough, a gale and a hurricane back to back answered that question. They had saturated the ground, and with mud so deep, the trucks had to be hauled around the fields as the chopper filled it with feed. In some places the mud was too deep for even that and standing corn was left to be plowed under next Spring.

With only a few sheep to feed, I quickly calculated the remnants of the harvest could easily take me through much of the winter. With a bit of research, a lot of advice from area farmers, and a determination to feed my sheep nutritionally and economically, I set out to find a method that could convert standing corn stalks into delicious red meat.

Maine farmers are frugal by nature and after 34 years of farming, I am no different. In reality, the harvest of corn is pretty simple. The stalks are cut, transported, chopped, stored and fed. By rearranging the process of which that is done, I was able to feed my sheep easily with the equipment I already had. More importantly, it is most likely equipment that the average sheep farmer has on hand as well.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Drawbar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:34:59 GMT

Sue, please don't take this wrong, but what humans like for corn, and what animals like is two completely different things. It has to do with the harvest time, and how the corn matures and then converts sugars into carbohydrates, and then later ferments as it ages. The heritage breeds work, but you get a lot of waste because the corn stalks aren't all that palatable to livestock.

In this case going for a special silage feed of corn is the best bang for the buck. First you get a better ear of corn and multiple ears on single stalks to boot, getting your kernel to stalk ratio at 50%.

They also grow taller...7.5 feet high is half of the height, and half the yield that we get with silage varieties. We can get heights of 14 feet high with 100 day corn and get yields in the 20-25 tons per acre range. Considering the fact that the sheep and cows will eat every scrap of corn because the stalks are softer and palatable, well you really gain in both weight and energy...a important factor when it gets very cold.

Its also a better bang for the buck because we pay between 100-150 bucks for 50 pound bag of decent seed which will do a few acres. If you source out heritage varieties in that quantity, you end up with very expensive seed. And the concern about herbicides and insecticides is kind of a moot point because unless you go for the really high tech seed, silage seed can grow no matter what how you choose to grow it. Just be forewarned, no corn grows good when weeds are competing for water and sun.

One great thing about corn is, because of the high grain content, you can mix in hay with the corn and get an excellent ration of feed. So good that grain is not necessary saving you money but giving your livestock the very best in feed.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Sue Weaver — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:55:38 GMT

Here's what they look like. Stowell's has a larger ear and the kernels grow in rows; in Country Gentleman the kernals aren't in rows and they are very narrow but deep (the cob is quite skinny). I think maybe Country Gentleman is a little better eating but they're both very, very good.

Stowell's Evergreen http://www.cherrygal.com/cornstowellsevergreenheirloomseeds2008-p-4967.html

Country Gentleman http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/corn/corn+country+gentleman+(heirloom)+-+1+pkt.+(200+seeds).do

I've seen Country Gentleman on seed racks right alongside the modern hybrids; it's still pretty easy to find.

Sue

RE: Corn for a small farm

cweick — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:03:07 GMT

I'm going to have to see if our co-op can get one or the other that you mentioned.

With our Indian Corn (this year) we used it several ways and boy P2 has a beautiful one that is drying in the attic. We haven't gotten our mag yet but I will keep an eye out for it.

Thanks.

RE: Corn for a small farm

Sue Weaver — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:12:03 GMT

cweick (8/7/2009)

Sue, can you post that chart for the corn somewhere in the forum? We do subscribe to HF. It sounds like it could come in handy for a science project for the kids.

Thanks,

cweick

I can't do anything like that until after the magazine comes out (it belongs to Hobby Farms now, not me) but maybe when it does, Krista can post it somewhere on the Web site?

Something I like about many of the old-fashioned varieties is that they grow really tall, substantial stalks that make terrific livestock fodder while they're green. We like two white-kerneled varieties called Country Gentleman (it was my grandma's favorite variety) and Stowell's Evergreen; the corn is beyond delicious when eaten as sweet corn and after we've eaten the last ear, we pull up the stalk and use it for feed. Country Gentleman stalks tend to go 8 feet or taller and we've fed Stowell's Evergreen stalks that must have been 10 feet tall, yet they also mature big ears of sweet, yummy corn.

John and I greatly prefer the flavor of heirloom corn over the new sugary-sweet hybrids. It's true you have to rush old-fashioned varieties straight from the corn patch to the cookstove but oh my, it's soooooo worth it!

Sue

RE: Corn for a small farm

cweick — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:16:38 GMT

Sue, can you post that chart for the corn somewhere in the forum? We do subscribe to HF. It sounds like it could come in handy for a science project for the kids.

Thanks,

cweick

RE: Corn for a small farm

Sue Weaver — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:03:01 GMT

I wrote an article about growing heirloom corn for the soon-upcoming September-October issue of Hobby Farms. I'm not sure if it will be used or not, but the article package included a chart describing a dozen varieties of heirloom corn. Many are old-time dual-purpose varieties that can be eaten as sweet corn in the milk stage and dried to use as animal feed or cornmeal at maturity. I wish we had room to grow them all!

Sue

RE: Corn for a small farm

cweick — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:45:22 GMT

The Indian Corn that we picked up at our co-op got 7.5' tall. Nothing was added except the pine shavings from the chicken coop. We feed our chickens, heifers and finally made some corn cob jelly.

What ever you decide to use go with one type. If they are planted to close or if you have a directional wind they will cross and only the animals will eat it.

Corn for a small farm

Douggifford — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:50:04 GMT

I have several acres available on which to raise crops to feed my animals. I would like to raise some corn, but I'm not sure which varieties would be good for a small hobby farm. I will not use chemical fertilizers or herbicides, so that excludes many of the popular commercial varieties of field corn. My land is good bottom land located in east-central Missouri. Any advice?