Dairy Farming In Sub-Zero Weather!

Today is one of the first days of sub zero temperatures for the winter of 2024 on the farm. We do a wide range of chores this morning. Let us know your thoughts on our feed problem. Also let us know what you think about our cows' playing in the sub zero temperatures. Thank you all for watching! We will see you next time!
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P.O. Box 706
Eau Claire, WI
54702

[@everetthord4918]

You are a very caring person. God bless you

[@MrTonyharrell]

Does anyone else smile when cows kick up their heels!👍

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

Yup!!

[@tomvandenbergh4127]

Hi guys. I dont have any experience feeding out of piles, but I do feed out of bags... I dont know how you manage the plastic on the face of the pile, but I have found that my silage will get blue mold as you describe when I leave the plastic long and seal it up between feedings. This seems contrary to logic as you would think it would heat and mold less if sealed up. However I find that I dont have any mold issues if I keep the plastic completely off the open face. I think it lets the heat escape and so it then doesnt mold. I am in south central Illinois, so my climate is warmer than yours, but you may give it a shot snd see what happens. I love your videos. Keep it up.

[@ravenfeather7087]

This fits well with what Alan Prankle (above) commented. Temperature being one of the environmental factors that affects the growth of the fungus. Eliminate one of the environmental factors that the fungus needs and it won't thrive.

[@user-kf9fv1qj9u]

Great video Gierok Farms

[@dlzastera]

Happy cows give more milk.

[@davidkimmel4216]

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts with us. Stay warm

[@vmdairy]

Over my 35 years feeding dairy cows I've had upright, piles, bunkers. Mold is inevitable and you can only do your best to eliminate oxygen to the silage during fermentation as well as thorough packing. The additives will help keep molds at bay and certainly rate of feeding, exposing the face, enters the formula. I've learned that the grey and blue-green mold are most prevalent, but not nearly as harmful as red molds. I've lost cows to red mold infected silage . There are some anti mold chemicals available; calcium propionate comes to mind. I used it mostly as an additive to moister grains when grinding. I remember those cold mornings too! Dairying on KZbin is much easier!

[@tammygurke7482]

Aaron I absolutely love when you film with the cows…love the brown Swiss , I believe, you have. I’m a city gal so I could have the name wrong, lol.

[@harveypenner2386]

Great Job! Keep them coming!!!

[@AandSfarms2010]

My personal opinion is a moisture problem somwhere, we had a similar issue and i went to ag bags..... It was kind of a pian dealing with the expensce and plastic but it made awsome feed, thanks for the video

[@marklen2322]

Don't go standing on the top rung of that ladder again, that is too dangerous. Get in the bucket of the tractor and have someone lift you up to the garage opener.

[@sunnyday5621]

For the mold, try using 4% commercial vinegar spray on the chunks of mold and see the reaction. If it kills the chunks, you can spray it as it is harvested. It is a good time to try it when you have some to test on. We had 2 - 65 foot silos and had a problem with it for 2 years, before using the vinegar. We then sprayed the the walls and ground of the silos down, as they are emptied. After 4 years, it was done. But who knows the type of mold you have. We just used a 2 gallon had sprayer and bought it by the 55 gallons drum. 1 drum per year. Menards used to carry it by the gallon, in the food isle. Parade brand, if you want to give it a try. Our dairy cows had no digestion issues with it.

[@johnwudarcki9315]

I’m not a farmer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night 😂 I think the first thing to do is find out what strain the mold is. That will help to target it if you spray. Then maybe your ag department can help determine if it’s something on the crop when you harvest or is just in the air while packing?

[@chrisburke848]

Great Job. This should win an award or something. Really enjoy your work.

[@prariewindsfarm]

Love the sound of cracking snow when it is walked on

[@alanpranke3299]

I spent 12 years studying potato storage rots. The piles are 20 ft deep. That horizontal disease characteristic you observed, also occurs in potato storage bins. I am out a few years, but that bluish fungus is somewhat common in the field (had it analyzed but forgot the name since it was one of the minor potato disease agents). Although potato storage is quite different than silage piles, that horizontal disease characteristic results from a transition zone in the pile - heat generated by the pile rises and once it encounters the 'cool' part of the top of the pile, a very specific and unique environment is created, viz. high relative humidity. This unique environmet is ideal for fungal organisms that like high moisture. For diaease to occur one needs 3 things: infectious agent, food source and environmental conditions - take away one and no disease occurs. The environmental conditions are temperature, moisture and air quality (oxygen/ CO2). The disease probably starts on the end because of the moisture factor influence.

[@blindbob4115]

I wonder if insulation on top of the pile would work, you could sacrifice some small straw bails , which would give a more uniform temperature

[@alanpranke3299]

Probably not, the center heat is driving the temperature differential. Would be interested in knowing more about the mold pattern. The heat is possibly driving evaporation (and could be a factor if the mold only appears on the open end) and encouraging mold growth. Any differences between the center and the edges could also give a hint as to why mold starts, big differences in compaction and pile height from center to edge. @@blindbob4115

[@nashcobb3056]

thank you

[@anthonyhengst2908]

Cows and heifers didn't seem to mind -8° weather. Must be a result of being fed well. I don't know if this will help you or not: many years ago we had an upright tile silo and we would get chunks of blue mold like that. I'm not sure how airtight that silo was but it always seemed worse when the corn went in a little too dry. We pitched out that silo by hand and the corn seemed to come out in layers. Wherever layers would separate that's where the mold would be.

[@JAB00777]

The definition of dairy farming is ....Work Work Work and then Work some more , I would know , done it for A lifetime ....but its A labor of love too , but you can't have any other interests because you won't have time to do them anyway 🚜 .....cashcropped the last 14 yrs and thats A breeze compared to dairying .....now im just going fishing 🎣

[@nathanalmond8280]

Thanks for sharing the video. I knew you were cold out there compared to us. Good luck figuring out how to get rid of or how to minimize the blue mold. I'm thinking it is were the silage can cool and the other is keeping the heat and it makes extra moisture in it at that level. I know your Dad said when it is cold he can get ahead of it. Good luck. Y'all do a great job with your cattle and your farm.

[@russellhansen7622]

Great video once again, love watching your guys channel. One more thing that we always have gone by with having cows, quiet cows are happy cows!

[@bigbobcob8716]

It’s the hay I’ve seen it before we used to do that but then switched I think it was the hay gassing off and getting trapped because we all pack that top layer more then anything

[@craiggarrison768]

I think it could be the way you get the silage out I'd scrape top to bottom I'm sure you guys already know air in any chopped silage or haylage is your worse enemy could be a chemical reaction from putting the 2 crops on top of each other too. Maybe try to make 2 separate piles corn silage and haylage one year if you can just to see if there's any change.

[@craiggarrison768]

I remember seeing that any little bit even in the silo where we filled a silo with pure alfalfa on the bottom and corn silage on top but wasn't nearly as thick just a day's worth of feeding as the silo transitioned from one to another but that was a long time ago

[@dr.michaelr.foreman2170]

The only way to combat that mould is to turn the silage or add salt when putting it into the pack. This is common for people who make compost out of straight grass. The Amish add salt to their silage, so it won't go bad. I should add also that blue and grey mould on corn (as you probably know) is not toxic. In fact, it is delicacy in some areas. It tastes like popcorn. If you harvest corn with that blue grey mould on it, does not lower the value of corn at market.

[@jwmfarms]

You’ve obviously never sold any #2 yellow corn on the open market. You will most definitely be docked, for that, and any other reason they can find!

[@farmcentralohio]

"does not lower the value" you sir are misinformed, big time. Take some of that mould? It's spelled mold to the local co-op and see how quickly they tell you to leave and don't come back.

[@dr.michaelr.foreman2170]

kzbin.infoS28CLugFaxw?si=0POzZbHkQ08WusRG

[@jerrywalker2699]

I enjoy ur videos.. this reminds me of when I was younger and working on the farm. The silage is putting off the steam from the heat and cold I see

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

Hope you figure out the silage problem. I know there are a lot of people out there with the knowledge you need. Enjoy watching all of your videos and also how the cattle enjoy themselves. Have a feeling the weather has moderated there some by now as it has here. Take Care and God Bless.

[@gregcatlett1458]

Hey men on the silage issue,it make nervous when you guys reopen a pile up to put more on top of it. I have used all types of storage systems and all can work with the proper management 👍👍and you guys do the best. That being said my least favorite was the drive over piles😢 and we would even pack the sides some by driving up an down them. Sorry for the windy comment,I guess you got 5cents worth. Thanks men.

[@stanhensley3082]

Burrrr cold!!! Stay safe. Thanks 😊.

[@randycharest4507]

I TOTALLY ENJOYED WATCHING THE VIDEO AARON 😊

[@fullers1966]

As long as there's snow on the ground your dad's going to have to do is yearly thing put the heart in the field it's nice to see

[@ronkmiecik7442]

Another awesome video. Glad to see the Oliver is still doing well!

[@russellpetrie119]

it might be where your grabbing salage from the pit the loader disturbs and loosens the pit allowing air in the salage causing mould you said it gets worse towards the back of the pit more disturbance as you go in more and more

[@gatorguy7711]

Too cold for me... I admire your family's resilience and resolve in farming in the winter. Take care....

[@davidliverseed2942]

Milk from cows fed blue mold silage should be used to make blue cheese!

[@wdinns]

we had an old wood stave silo, and always ran the water hose into the blower if the corn was dry, it helped 2 ways, to make the corn wet and cause the wood to swell shut, we did that for both corn and green chop in the spring, if we could get the silage level down far enough, when the silo leak, it smelled like making moonshine in the barn with bubbles coming out between the cracks of the wooden staves, we also had the level and pack down by walking on the silage after being blown, as the heavy stuff, and the light leaves would settle in different sections of the silos,

[@jaykettlewell3922]

You guys really make me miss Farming. I used to love doing chores like that on a cold winter day

[@richardmcpherso5759]

I think you got water and air mixing together that’s why you get that blue mold

[@jakemeixelsperger2296]

We use a product from Lallemand called magnive titanium. have had good luck with we use bags not a pile tho, haven’t seen any kind of mold in it this year so far

[@8tomtoms8]

We had the same type of mold in our concrete stave upright silo growing up. This was in the 80's so no GMO corn yet. I think it was from air pockets in the silage. Even though you guys pack the pile as well as you can, all it takes is the right size combination of cobs or leaves or whatever to allow an air pocket. With the right combination of humidity and temp, the mold will grow. I don't know what else you can do to totally eliminate all mold.

[@charlietanner6211]

we used to ue a product called silogard but thats been long ago we always applied it every day at filling

[@dennislang4375]

You know it's cold when the snow crunches underfoot.

[@nicolemullen21]

I have the same mold issues! It disappeared late December when it got colder.

[@johnhenderson299]

Great daily farm video

[@toddjacobs5660]

You guys do a great job, keep it up ..😊

[@tammygurke7482]

Also, can you give us an idea of what you are going to sell? Maybe a 12 ounce coffee mug? Sweatshirts🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@FloydBlack-xi8fh]

Nice looking cows.

[@billsauberlich7337]

We use to refill a silo with corn silage years ago about 3 or 4 times in the fall after feeding it down about 10 feet or so each time ,and where we filled on top of the older silage there was always a 1 or 2 inch layer of mold across the whole silo,is your mold where the halage and corn silage meet

[@jameslesliejr.5636]

Ultraviolet light is being used to a greater extent to disinfect environments. Not covering the front of the pile(sunlight) may work best.

[@clinthochrein888]

Man, the memories of dairy farming in the winter. Never seen that kind of mold in corn silage before. seen mold on hayledge from an ag bagger that my dad had rented one time. Can't remember if one of our tractors was high horsepower enough that it didnt pack in tight?.

[@alexharris5540]

Preservatives run through the chopper as you chop

[@dawn20]

Have you ever tried bags they seem to work pretty good trinity dairy uses them ask Allen 😊

[@chadpaider1009]

Just feed a mold inhibitor to protect yourself. With the cows. It binds the mold and protects the cows.

[@ericluitjens4256]

Ag bags are the way to go for small operations. I agree that a defacer would help, but I just think you dont feed out fast enough to keep ahold of the spoilage.

[@MorganOtt-ne1qj]

There's a strange spot in silage piles and silo's that seems to "loose" compaction and allows air infiltration. Below that line, gravity compacts it tighter, and above it is only wheel compaction from the tractor on the pile, but not in upright silo. I've seen it myself, but with a silo unloader it gets blended in. I've seen someone use a vibratorory sheepfoot roller to compact a HUGE pile, but as the last pass after multiple passes with weighted 4wd tractor s. Didn't see the line in those piles. But they applied propionic acid through the chopper as well.

[@DigginLife21]

🔥🔥🔥 HUGE FAN OF THE CHANNEL HERE!!! Thanks for sharing

[@crazyoldbat7600]

I was wondering when the videos were going to catch up to the weather.

[@douglaswhite7328]

It even SOUNDS coldDDD...

[@davidlauman760]

no surprise but you sure care about your cows

[@user-zu2bw7ig5v]

I believe thats yeast from drought stressed corn you can mix in binders

[@danw6014]

Aerobic bacteria I would bet is present in that sample. Anaerobic bacteria is present in the fermentation process. Aerobic bacteria will be present when it's spoiling. The biggest issue we see, and that may be once every two or three years out of 400 cows is circling disease. Otherwise I would be hard pressed to say spoilage in the silage is a cause of any of our problems. Now vomitoxin can be a whole other story.

[@michaelbaugh1679]

Ask your computer the question on any problem and you will find and accurate answers.🌞

[@user-kx1vp5ti4c]

Hi Good morning 🌅 Great video yes. I understand -0 -19 weather 🌡️☁️ yes. Happy New Year 🪅🎉🎊🎈🎈🐕✨ everybody eating grapes 🍇🍇🍇 for January for Good Luck like joy and happiness and peace and Love 💕✨🧢✨🎁💐🌹🌹✌️☮️👍Have a Great Day .+:):)💌✨

[@user-gt4gt8ec7u]

use to feed cattle we found make a dome out of pile put plenty of water on pile then you can pack the pile with tractor going different directios

[@user-kf9fv1qj9u]

Great job milking guys

[@FloydBlack-xi8fh]

I saw that when I was a kid back in the 60s,70s. Best thing to do is just dispose of the chunks but not in the fields. It comes back that way. That's my thoughts. When we found it we just threw them out side in the yard.b

[@frankdeegan8974]

Where I grew up in south central Wisconsin a dairy farmer let his cows out everyday most of the day no matter what. I don't know how he kept the barn warm enough so as not to freeze the water pipes and things like that.

[@ronaldsnell1503]

Rain at different times

[@joshuasherman9967]

More weight on top of the tarp (keep tires up there longer/add more), do your best to scrape out your feed top down to not airate it on the end of the pile, split the pile in half as in feed your left side for two days then move to right side of face for two days then you kinda gap aheahd of the oxygen

[@shealy265]

Did you give up your off farm job. You seem to be available to help with choirs/milking more than in past.

[@tincan6929]

Then only silage or corn silage I have see that is perfect no rot at all was vacume silage total sheet wrap the used a slurry tanker part full of water and suck the air out of the silage for about week day and night the blue fungus might be related to blue cheese fungus get it annualised just to be sure

[@VIVA4EVER2001]

Mould not an easy thing to diagnose ! Could mould spores be introduced to the clamp via soil contamination, from wheels of tractor ? I think you drive from the field then over the heap to empty trailer ! We used to tip loads "next to heap" then fill pit with seperate tractor and push off buckrake..

[@JoaoPires-pd9ot]

OI Oi 👍👍👍👍👍

[@austinhoffman8449]

Use and oxygen barrier below the plastic, and pack it tight. Just a layer that got some oxygen

[@austinhoffman8449]

I do not think it is hybrid related or anything with the corn is the issue

[@MrMagnum7220]

I don’t like silo king. Opening up the pile to put corn on top does expose fermented feed to mold. Could try propionic acid as a preservative

[@dennistembreull2718]

One week of winter no back to spring

[@CarnivoreCurin]

Perhaps use a silo as appointed to a pit or bags

[@kevinanderson89]

What do you do with your bull/steer calves? I like to take mine to 450 ish pounds. Just wondering what you guys do. We are starting to warm up here. Hope did not any serious issues from the cold.

[@trentonromig9765]

I have only ever helped put silage in a Concrete pit and bags one time we saved a bag for two years and the critters got on top of the bag and made holes in it we had sone modey stuff on top but that was it I never heard of mixing corn silage and Haylage like you guys do

[@tc6573]

I don't know if it would help mould. How about using a shear grab to cut out corn (maize) clamp instead of the bucket. The theory is a clean flat face lets less air into the clamp.

[@ruangilmu8588]

there are lots of livestock

[@ravenfeather7087]

Would USDA be able to identify it and be aware of it's life history and potentil control methods?

[@131R30]

What's the latest with the Oliver? Leaked more coolant into the oil, or magically sealed itself?

[@santasandbearsjohnson4952]

I really enjoy watching your videos. I was raised on a small farm and dad milked around 25 head. Do you use bulls on site or artificial ? Can you show your bulls if you have them?

[@alanpranke3299]

Take a look at the mold pattern . Does it appear only on the open end? Then what is the pattern from edge to edge. Is there more mold in the center where the pile is higher compared to the lower edges?

[@kyleczubek168]

Isn’t the cold fun

[@holdenheath3485]

My dad is curious if you hooked new outdoor furnace up and if you like, we have to charge ours, we farm 2 1/2 hours north of you

[@MrTonyharrell]

Does your state university ag departments ever consult about situations like the mold?

[@davidowen8632]

Not packed good the key is packed

[@michaelmonthei8019]

How many bulls do you have? Your cow herd does not look that big to have that many bulls. Do you raise dairy bulls for sales to other dairies also?

[@AmandaDoll-hi4dr]

How manie cows do you milk

[@misterhipster9509]

AG Bag?

[@redcountry2241]

What kind of dog Is it

[@fullers1966]

Feeding mold to your cows you have a higher chance of having abortions higher schematic cell harder to get them bread back