Frequently Asked Questions

Barley, wheat and oats, maize, peas and beans, soya, rape, linseed and lupins.

 

35%-45% is the moisture content to aim for. Crops will normally be at this level three to four weeks before conventional harvest date. As the grain is processed through the crimper it is treated with a special preservative called Crimpstore which maximises nutrient retention in the clamp and at feed out.

 

Experience has shown that the combine may need to be slowed by around 20% field speed with an increase in cylinder speed. The sieves can be left open. And yes some contractors have harvested in the rain to the bewilderment of onlookers.

 

Harvesting should be undertaken three weeks early. There is little crop shedding, DM yield can be increased by up to 30%, straw value improves and a quick follow-on crop, eg stubble turnips, can be sown. No further processing is required.

 

Up to one third more but remember it is at 35% rather than 14% moisture content. Trials have shown around 6-10% less grain loss due to shedding. You'll also get a lot more straw of much better quality.

 

Take some grain (barley from the middle, wheat from the bottom of the head) and squeeze with your finger and thumb. It should split but no milk will be ejected. When 70% of your field is at this stage you are ready to harvest. There are other tests for different crops.* Our next day laboratory results service is available for accurate DM results.

 

If you can make good grass silage you'll have no trouble with crimped moist feed: the Finns have been doing it for 30 years. Crimp and ensile within 24 hours of combining. The ensiled crop is not dried but stored in an unchanged condition. Crimpstore is added through the Korte crimper. As usual use a 1000g poly sheet, carefully consolidate and seal the clamp. Apply plenty of weight. Allow for around 50% less room over a conventionally harvested crop. Use the Dorset Wedge method, and if the top dries out while filling, water spray to retain the 40% moisture content.

 

Firstly, unlike some other preservatives, it contains no formaldehyde (Health & Safety Executive: "Formaldehyde is classified as toxic, a category 3 carcinogen." HSG 174 19 Sept 1997). 3 litres per tonne is used if the crop is at 35-45% moisture content. (Average cost less than £4 per tonne treated). Crimpstore 2000S is made by Kemira of Finland and is pleasant to use (it is classified as a mild irritant) totally non-corrosive, controls aerobic deterioration and contains a mixture of organic acids and salts.

 

3-4 weeks after ensiling making sure that you maintain a clean cut face. * Separate detailed leaflet available.

 

Feeding the whole moist berry slows down digestion and avoids acidosis allowing higher levels of low price cereals to be fed effectively. It's quite common to feed 8-12kg of crimped cereals in dairy diets and even more in beef diets.

 

In Finland crimped feed is the staple diet for pigs and poultry; horses will do well on it as well.

 

Feeding home grown cheap crimped cereals is a simple and economic method of stock rearing. There is no winter rolling or processing (less work in the winter) and no haulage costs. In the long term the improved nutrition from your own resources will give a more economic, dust-free and healthy diet -leading to healthier animals.

 

They make excellent dry rollers, by crushing the feed into dust-free groats. Farmers have also found them useful for using up odd "left-overs" of, say, linseed which are too small to sell on to a merchant but ideal for using up in a TMR.