Anyone own a grain silo?

[Sparkyprep]

So, I've been thinking of adding a small (30 Ton) grain silo to the homestead to hold cow feed. Seems like it would save me money in the long run, buying bulk feed from a local supplier rather than 50 lb. bags. Anyone have any experience buying one? Was wondering on brands, features, etc. that I need to look out for.

[Slippy]

Do not have a Silo, but I have a buddy in Texas that converted an existing grain silo on his farm to a liquor still.

He has a nice sitting area around the still with lights. It's more like an indoor/outdoor patio/fireplace PLUS he makes moonshine!

[Box of frogs]

So, I've been thinking of adding a small (30 Ton) grain silo to the homestead to hold cow feed. Seems like it would save me money in the long run, buying bulk feed from a local supplier rather than 50 lb. bags. Anyone have any experience buying one? Was wondering on brands, features, etc. that I need to look out for.

Not sure if it’s still true but…..
Cargill used to give you a solo if you’d contract with them for the feed.
That was way back in the 80’s when I worked for them.

[T-Man 1066]

Make sure your supplier has an auger long enough to reach the top. Should be good otherwise.

[T-Man 1066]

Other issue is to make sure you turn over the feed often enough that it doesn't pick up moisture from the air and start to mold. I do not know if you Floridians have enough moist in the air to be an issue, here in Hellinois it not a problem, but see what other farmers are doing...

[Inor]

About a year and a half ago Slippy posted an ad for a company that makes really nice small ones. I was all ready to go buy a 3 ton and the matching auger and not build a feed shack. Then I went and talked to the owner of our feed mill... Since I do not have a grain truck, I would need to have it delivered and the delivery charge would have almost eaten up any savings. Plus, 3 tons is more than one steer eats in a year (about 2 tons) so I would have had some to store (and attract rats and worry about mold etc.)

In the end, I worked out a really sweet deal with our feed mill. I prepaid for 2 tons of sweet feed in bags up front. Then they let me come over and take delivery smaller amounts as I need them so it was always fresh. They gave me a 20% discount paying for it up front, plus the conversation drifted into what he would charge if I paid in cash and did not require a receipt. It ended up, that he would take payment in Bitcoin (no receipt) and I got an extra 10% on top of the 20%! With our last steer, just due to the price action on Bitcoin, the owner of the feed mill and I both made out like bandits. When I did the math on our steer last fall, I ended up saving close to 54% on feed over the previous steer we raised 2 years ago!

I need to go over and have another similar conversation with him about what we can do on layer mash and scratch for the chickens because Mrs Inor just ordered a bunch more egg chickens for next spring/summer.

[Mad Trapper]

If you get a silo your gonna get rats!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dlAlrGNj8&t=70s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnUiiyiDxsw

[Dwight55]

If you get a silo your gonna get rats!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dlAlrGNj8&t=70s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnUiiyiDxsw

With a night vision scope and a 300 dollar pellet gun . . . you can have some serious entertainment

May God bless,
Dwight

[Sparkyprep]

If you get a silo your gonna get rats!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48dlAlrGNj8&t=70s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnUiiyiDxsw

Not a problem with my two barn cats. They do a pretty good job.

[Mad Trapper]

Not a problem with my two barn cats. They do a pretty good job.

I almost considered the idea of getting a pet mink after seeing those videos........I was laughing for an hour watching them. Someone posted those links on a tractor/farmer forum, and when I saw all the grain silos couldn't help but think of this thread.

I agree on having a cat(s). Every house needs one and farms a few. My mouser friend of many years passed a while back and I've not replaced her yet. Once in a while she'd come inside with one of her "prizes" to display. A few times they weren't fully expired and she'd "play" some more with them. One time one ran under the stove/frig and GF started screeching "it's still alive and escaped......"

27496


If you do get a silo, make sure it's secure and you don't leave big spills underneath it. Farms I worked at long ago had the big old traditional wooden silos found on small farms, most not used anymore, so I can't give any good advice on the newer ones.

On my cousins farm they have been putting their grain/feed in the big metal 55-gal barrels with the removable tops. Those are even bear proof and I use them for trash cans.

[Sparkyprep]

2 X 50 lb. bags a day = 14 bags a week = 56 bags a month. That is a lot of barrels, for a lot of bags, just for my small farm.

[Mad Trapper]

Do you have pasture or feed any hay?

My cousins cows started calving a couple weeks ago.

27498

[Box of frogs]

2 X 50 lb. bags a day = 14 bags a week = 56 bags a month. That is a lot of barrels, for a lot of bags, just for my small farm.

How many cows are you keeping?
Just for my curiosity, I’m doing cow math on feed# per cow.

[Jester-ND]

we have hopper bottom bins, rats and mice don't really get into them, fans in the bottom keep things dry, not sure how it goes further south.

[Sparkyprep]

How many cows are you keeping?
Just for my curiosity, I’m doing cow math on feed# per cow.

5 cows. 10 acres of pasture. Round bale of hay always in the pasture in the wintertime. No hay in the summer.

[Inor]

5 cows. 10 acres of pasture. Round bale of hay always in the pasture in the wintertime. No hay in the summer.

Check with your feed mill. Our feed mill also sells feed in big canvas bags. I think they are about 2 tons each? (Don't quote me on that part). Most guys around here that buy them have a big flatbed trailer they keep just for feed. I'm sure those would be cheaper than 50# bags, certainly easier to deal with and probably easier than taking it out of a silo as well.

[Inor]

How many cows are you keeping?
Just for my curiosity, I’m doing cow math on feed# per cow.

We are doing 1 steer every other year. When we first get him, we go through about 1 bag every week or week and a half. The last couple months, he is going through 3-4 bags per week.

[StratBastard]

Not a problem with my two barn cats. They do a pretty good job.

27533

[red442joe]

27533

Jonesey!

Joe