October 23, 2008: Shucklage

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 01:46 PM

Not everyone works in a cubicle!

Part of my yearly work load is to put up feed for the year for our cows. This is what is called shucklage. This stuff used to be the waste product of seed corn production until some realized it makes a high quality cheap feed. We were early converts.

The trucks are first filled with picked ear corn and taken to the Pioneer plant where the majority of the seed corn kernels are "shucked" by a special machine. The leftover product of shucks and corn has an added innoculant {fermentation product} and is sold as shucklage for a cheap feed source. It runs about $14 a ton. We feed around a ton a day, they usually bring us around 500 ton. 30 or more trucks will bring this "shucklage" to our farm. Once it gets here it has to be pushed into a pile like a huge loaf of bread and it is run over and compressed. Finally thousands of gallons of water are added to the top to assure fermentation. My husband is driving the payloader I run the bobcat!

glatt · 10-23-2008, 01:50 PM

How do you unload the truck? Is there something inside pushing it out?

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 01:54 PM

They have like a conveyor belt system and the truck drivers do the unloading. Very kewl and noisy!

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 01:59 PM

To compare the cost of hay which has less protein than shucklage; a large round bale of hay is $60-$80 we would need to feed one bale a day and supplement corn @ $4 a bushel @ 2 per day and we only have 30 cows!

newtimer · 10-23-2008, 02:07 PM

You look like you're well-bundled on a clear day in October. How far north are you?

glatt · 10-23-2008, 02:22 PM

And the cows eat that stuff. Amazing.

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtimer

You look like you're well-bundled on a clear day in October. How far north are you?

It was about 30 some degrees for awhile in the morning and the wind was vicious yesterday! I am in northern Indiana.

HungLikeJesus · 10-23-2008, 02:35 PM

I think that's called a walking-floor trailer.

Pico and ME · 10-23-2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirvana

It was about 30 some degrees for awhile in the morning and the wind was vicious yesterday! I am in northern Indiana.

Hey Nirvana, I'm from northwest Indiana and now live in north central Indiana. We are nearly neighbors.

TheMercenary · 10-23-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nirvana

They have like a conveyor belt system and the truck drivers do the unloading. Very kewl and noisy!

I always wondered about that. We have tons of trucks down here with wood pulp/chips on them and I never could figure out how they got the stuff out.

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

Hey Nirvana, I'm from northwest Indiana and now live in north central Indiana. We are nearly neighbors.

Well howdy neighbor!

Bullitt · 10-23-2008, 04:30 PM

They're also known as live-bottom trailers. We used those in Wyoming at the wood pellet manufacturing plant to offload unprocessed sawdust from the sawmills. They're kinda slow, but much easier than using a shovel as you might imagine.
http://www.troutriverindustries.ca/p...ction=Capacity

Aliantha · 10-23-2008, 05:59 PM

Cattle love anything to do with corn. I know my dad always gives his corn shucks to the his cows, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd market the commercial quantities as feed.

Nirvana · 10-23-2008, 06:06 PM

I looked at the last trailer and they are "walking trailers"! They unload in 15 min or less.

WillieO · 10-23-2008, 06:23 PM

In Central California, across the road from where I work there is a David and Son's Sunflower Seed Packaging plant. The trucks of bulk seeds come in, get unhooked from the tractors, hoisted up on one end with a giant crane and the seeds come sliding out! Kind of weird looking, but much simpler than a truck with a built in conveyor belt. Maybe because the sunflower seeds are very light weight, a whole truck is easy to lift?

10-23-2008, 01:46 PM	#1
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	October 23, 2008: Shucklage Not everyone works in a cubicle! Part of my yearly work load is to put up feed for the year for our cows. This is what is called shucklage. This stuff used to be the waste product of seed corn production until some realized it makes a high quality cheap feed. We were early converts. The trucks are first filled with picked ear corn and taken to the Pioneer plant where the majority of the seed corn kernels are "shucked" by a special machine. The leftover product of shucks and corn has an added innoculant {fermentation product} and is sold as shucklage for a cheap feed source. It runs about $14 a ton. We feed around a ton a day, they usually bring us around 500 ton. 30 or more trucks will bring this "shucklage" to our farm. Once it gets here it has to be pushed into a pile like a huge loaf of bread and it is run over and compressed. Finally thousands of gallons of water are added to the top to assure fermentation. My husband is driving the payloader I run the bobcat! __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

10-23-2008, 01:54 PM	#3
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	They have like a conveyor belt system and the truck drivers do the unloading. Very kewl and noisy! __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

10-23-2008, 01:59 PM	#4
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	To compare the cost of hay which has less protein than shucklage; a large round bale of hay is $60-$80 we would need to feed one bale a day and supplement corn @ $4 a bushel @ 2 per day and we only have 30 cows! __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

10-23-2008, 02:35 PM	#8
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	I think that's called a walking-floor trailer. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

10-23-2008, 04:30 PM	#12
Bullitt This is a fully functional babe lair Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 2,324	They're also known as live-bottom trailers. We used those in Wyoming at the wood pellet manufacturing plant to offload unprocessed sawdust from the sawmills. They're kinda slow, but much easier than using a shovel as you might imagine. http://www.troutriverindustries.ca/p...ction=Capacity __________________ Kiss my white Irish ass.

10-23-2008, 01:50 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	How do you unload the truck? Is there something inside pushing it out?

10-23-2008, 02:07 PM	#5
newtimer Operations Operative Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 479	You look like you're well-bundled on a clear day in October. How far north are you?

10-23-2008, 02:22 PM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	And the cows eat that stuff. Amazing.

10-23-2008, 05:59 PM	#13
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Cattle love anything to do with corn. I know my dad always gives his corn shucks to the his cows, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd market the commercial quantities as feed. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

10-23-2008, 06:06 PM	#14
Nirvana Back in 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 3,684	I looked at the last trailer and they are "walking trailers"! They unload in 15 min or less. __________________ Speaking simply... do not confuse this with having a simple mind.

10-23-2008, 06:23 PM	#15
WillieO perfesionul spel cheker Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Fresno, CA Posts: 70	In Central California, across the road from where I work there is a David and Son's Sunflower Seed Packaging plant. The trucks of bulk seeds come in, get unhooked from the tractors, hoisted up on one end with a giant crane and the seeds come sliding out! Kind of weird looking, but much simpler than a truck with a built in conveyor belt. Maybe because the sunflower seeds are very light weight, a whole truck is easy to lift? Last edited by WillieO; 10-23-2008 at 06:24 PM. Reason: re-worded

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