[Jacob-list] How do you chop alfalfa hay?

[Linda]

There is a chopper that fits on a tractor that some people use. A feed mill can chop it for you, at least ours can. They run the bales through the mill and bag and put it up in bags. They will mix anything you want with it. I don't know if you could chop hay in one of those small chipper/shredders. If anyone knows, I'd like to hear. One thing about chopping the hay, though, is that it's incredibly dusty. I know the guys at the feed mill all hate chopping hay.

Linda


> I believe I remember reading on this list in the past that some of

> you feed "chopped" alfalfa hay.  How do you chop it?  Do you have

> it done commercially with a hammermill?  Is there a way to chop

> alfalfa that would work for a hobbyist like me with a small flock? 

>  We feed  alfalfa but the sheep tend to waste the stems....any

> suggestions?  I know of a sheep farmer who has a larger flock than

> us and he collects all the wasted hay (he feeds in a rack with a

> trough below that catches the waste) and then has a hammermill

> truck come out to his farm, the stems are ground up in the

> hammermill and a bit of molasses is added and also some corn, and

> then he stores this mix in 55 gallon, air tight drums and it

> ferments into a sort of silage and his sheep love it.  However,

> this wouldn't be feasible for us - he has around 50 of the drums

> and he has enough of wasted hay to make it worthwhile for the

> hammermill to come to his farm.

> Sue Martin

> Stonecroft

  
http://www.patchworkfibers.com 
Registered Jacob Sheep, Handspun Yarn  
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