Straw & Silage from our neighbours.

[@stevestephen7673]

It's interesting how solid practices don't change. I used wood chips and straw for bedding and straw for mulch forty years ago. I still use straw to mulch my garden. Spoiled silage is still fed to the pigs, I see. Your channel brings back very good memories for me. Thanks.

[@mikelamothesr.8998]

I am now retired and have been for a while, now I watch a man doing work and enjoy it immensely. Thank you for keeping an old fellow occupied and not under his wife's feet all day.

[@huggstaff13]

I enjoyed watching those happy pigs building their bed. They are such smart creatures.

[@simeonandalex]

Very smart!

[@SteifWood]

Excellent. I love the sound and functionality of Tim's GC 4.7L. Now I have proof when I say I also have a true multipurpose vehicle (tractor/weekend ski transporter/roadside rescue vehicle/shuttle bus to the Opera/Charlottenberg shopping van/etc). The sheer suggestion of swapping my GC into an electric Mixmasters (even a Tesla) makes me shiver.

[@simeonandalex]

hahaha. Yes.

[@craigmooring2091]

Everybody likes a happy homesteader. This was a fun ride-along.

[@LifeGoesNorth]

That straw sure will be useful around the homestead. Looks like great fun for the pigs. 🐷

[@SmithyScotland]

i like how you get your brother to do all the hard work whilst you film him.

[@simeonandalex]

Haha.

[@vmcougarintn5035]

Pigs are amazing creatures. I raised a boar from a piglet as a young girl; it was one of the best things I ever did. I have great admiration for farmers who take the time to keep pigs. They are a lot of work, but they are fascinating creatures. I look forward to seeing the results of your work.

[@Charberlain]

Love your tractor with the chipper! Great episode, keep up the great coverage of your wonderful life!

[@Flexaret]

Great to see a working homestead in action, that's the reality, it's hard work even with a little help from the pigs and cows :-) Plenty of people" talk the talk" but you guys "walk the walk" I like the small tractor, economical, easy to use in confined places, low impact on the ground which is all perfect, especially in places where it rains a lot like where I live Of course you'll find times when it's working at it's limit but no matter how big the equipment is you always push to the limit. Like chainsaw bars, fit a 16" you end up just needing an 18", fit an 18" and you work to that limit also. Great channel and great people, thanks for sharing :-)

[@fredthorne9692]

Smart farming + happy hogs = Successful Swedish Homestead. Cool episode!

[@simeonandalex]

Thanks.

[@TheBonnieberry]

Simeon,I can see you are passionate about what you do...you love everything about the farm...my hubby and I so enjoy these videos...my Grandpa and my uncles all farmed so as a child I was very familiar with the busyness of farm life...your vids make me homesick for my youth...thank you bonnie and Grant berry in Nova Scotia....

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

Now I understand the meaning of "hog heaven"! Thanks for the great, informative video. Beautiful camera work, too!

[@diyfferent]

Your pigs are so cute, Haha. They are amazing animals for doing all that work moving the straw around for you. Great video.

[@slycat1939]

You have a very nice farm. your such a hard worker. You all deserve the rewards you will be getting for all that you do on your farm. Great job. Love the pigs. Why don't you get a couple more pigs, then you will have more to work and get more done faster thru them. May god continue to bless you all abundantly.

[@robholland5925]

I'm finding this more and more interesting Love how this farming style is scalable Who know one day I might be brave enuf to try this myself on a small scale Till then I'll try and get knowledge from you and others here on KZbin The city life seems less appealing the older I get Thank you again for being so open and down to earth You and your family are an inspiration for sure.

[@johnsommerfeld6889]

I always enjoy you videos, and love seeing the pigs! Thank you for sharing :)

[@joycejudd5109]

Simeon, you have such a beautiful homestead. Thank you for sharing it with us, especially the cows and the piggies!!!

[@simeonandalex]

Thank you.

[@thomasfarkas5458]

Hello Simeon, fun video. It was amazing to see how the animals went right to work when you tossed in the straw and silage. No wonder you are so happy, that gives you time to concentrate on another chore. Thank you.

[@simeonandalex]

Thanks. I know. The animals are amazing.

[@bitsnpieces11]

That's an interesting looking ball for the hitch.

[@subwarpspeed]

bitsnpieces11 those balls are the standard hitching method in Sweden for car trailers

[@dansbrown1313]

Thanks! I learn so much from you and really enjoy the quality of your work.

[@aleblanc3547]

Love that little tractor. It's a real workhorse.

[@simeonandalex]

It is.

[@michaelb.5345]

Nice to see how to operate a homestead without all the personal stuff. Great job and video Simeon... Mike

[@FRISKY_MANDINGO]

I'm really starting to enjoy your videos more as the year goes on and things are picking up. Great video. Really entertaining for my morning coffee ;)

[@nriley57]

I learn sooo much from your videos! Thank you

[@UTUB0731]

Funny, I was thinking of Joel Salatin as you were talking about the bedding. Glad that you have connected with him.

[@stevenbates7790]

Videos have continued to get even better! I enjoyed it, thank you. Perhaps a chest and head harness for the camera would help you use both hands at times to work. I am surprised your tractor has the lift capacity to lift those bales, surely the compact size helps get into small places. Maybe in the future you might cover your needs and considerations for tractors and other equipment, since these are some of the largest expenditures most of us will have to put out.

[@jamesbraun1264]

Nice pitch fork you have there. I'll bet you are happy you made that new handle.

[@NaturesCadenceFarm]

Woohoo Jeep! Mine has over 200,000 miles on it and still works great! 👍

[@duett445]

Thank you for an interesting insight into your daily life.

[@turboconqueringmegaeagle9006]

made me laugh, a McDonald's ad came on at the start of this video, how much of a different life their animals lead to yours, I'm certain a Swedish homestead burger tastes a lot better!

[@Moraren]

Faktist behändig liten traktor! Gladaste grisarna jag sett på länge!

[@Moraren]

Är det korna som böjt stängslet vid 9:40?

[@lorilumax6850]

Great info thanks for sharing

[@raymondhodge3979]

Great video as always, really loved the music too.

[@naomibeery478]

I just love your videos.

[@harddafarm]

I will be interested to see how the straw works out for you in the deep bedding. We have tried to do similar as you in our barn. We have not been nearly as intentional with it as you but I still feel like it doesn't break down as well. I am thinking wood chips might break down easier. Keep up the great videos!

[@jenno482]

We used the deep bedding method with our cows, goats and chickens this winter and the barn was significantly warmer! I will definitely continue to use this method. And, there is no smell which was surprising.

[@mick3805]

That is one little handy tractor

[@kbn45gen]

Thank you, Simeon!!

[@jeannemariebizeaujohnson8717]

Piggies love to build nests..pigs are smarter than Dogs 🐷🐷🐷🐷❤️⭐️ your piggies are going to love rooting through that!

[@cgirl111]

300 SEK is about 34 US dollars if you were curious.

[@RS-jj7yj]

silage:. 1. grass or other green fodder compacted and stored in airtight conditions, typically in a silo, without first being dried, and used as animal feed in the winter... I just posted that because I didn't know what it was

[@IRONMANDAN1965]

Great video !!!

[@fusionbird]

hi there , i have a small homestead in denmark ,and i am looking for a compact tractor, soo i hope we willget a review of yours soon :) awesome videos you make, keep up the good work . best regards --- Kim ---

[@yellowdeer7163]

That tractor is a work horse.

[@mimisfavorites5269]

Loved it!

[@TK-qu1ht]

Very nice!

[@glenfaughtjr1663]

Was thinking another use for stored straw bales could be to block prevailing wind from the cow shelter.

[@billatwell9479]

Try horse feeders. It's what I use for my Texas Longhorns. They also have a "pvc" type where they can get their heads in and pull it out with out any issues at all

[@farminglifeaustralia6716]

Good video please have a look at Silage Making Braywood Farm Australia

[@bethhinton7115]

The Kioti Tractor that you are using is made right down the road from where I live in NC...Maybe it came from the Plant in Wendell, NC...

[@simeonandalex]

I think they are made somewhere else for the European market.

[@bethhinton7115]

I not 100% sure, I just know that there is a plant near my home town

[@RS-jj7yj]

I think you're very blessed Simeon to live on the homestead with your entire family. I think that's so awesome. by the way I noticed that the tires looked a little low. I'm just asking if the tire pressure was low or if that straw weighs that much. just curious, because it doesn't look very heavy.

[@simeonandalex]

Do you mean the front tires of the tractor? That is partially the weight of the bales and partially because there is not supposed to be that much air in them.

[@Ticdaniel]

that cherokee is really Nice

[@jmstrings]

I think it would be cool to get a daily picture of the pigs progress breaking down that moldy hay bale.

[@alexisbookey9997]

Jarrod Stringer time lapse would be cool

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

While some ,mainly single to couple of horse owners use rectangular bails, Most feed operations use roll bails of 250, 500, 1k, 2k lbs. size depending on grass type and feed operation. The advantage of large rolls is of course the reduction of oxidation and light exposure degradation of the feed and the ease of distribution in lot systems.

[@Cdngardengirl]

I'm surprised Sweden has no snow right now. In my area of Canada, we still have some snow left after an unusual warm spell.

[@dorascott8286]

Very nice...

[@brianjonker510]

Clever home made bucket

[@brianjonker510]

Thats a lot of lift capacity. That silage bale must weigh 300 KG?

[@cptvanier]

I wish I could give you 2 thumbs up! Thanks

[@StoneHedgeAcres]

Our round hay bails are around $100. Canadian not sure about straw bales.

[@subwarpspeed]

I think you should get a proper counterweight for the tractor. Proper meaning whatever that is not an implement, is fairly compact and heavy. I'm afraid you will damage that chipper.

[@sewingbarbie6136]

I love your channel! I hope you haven’t already answered this, because I’ve watched dozens of your videos....but what is the difference between straw and hay?

[@Veemack21]

cool vid bro

[@ciaobella8963]

What's the difference between hay, silage and straw? I'm obviously not a farm girl. Great video. Really enjoyed it and learned a lot. The piggies are working hard for you.

[@tughillfarmer1407]

CiaoBella hay=grass that is mowed and left laying in field to dry to less than 20% moisture content, then gathered and stored, typically as round or square compressed bales. silage=forage that is gathered "wet", typically 60% moisture content, and stored in the absence of oxygen, in a silo, wrapped in plastic film, or on the ground covered with plastic sheeting. can be stored as loose bulk material, or baled with a hay baler then wrapped. Often the term silage refers to corn, and hay that is "ensiled" (ensile is the act of fermenting forage into silage or sauerkraut as simeon says) is referred to as haylage (loose bulk material stored in silos), or balage (wet haybales wrapped with plastic wrap.) straw is the stems of grain leftover after grain is harvested. grain being the seeds of plants such as wheat, rye, oats, barley and so on. straw has little nutrient value, it is mostly cellulosic material.

[@subwarpspeed]

CiaoBella I know the difference but googled it to find a good explanation for the novice. It doesn't mention silage but most things about hay applies. It is just not dried as much and sealed (like bale wrap) from air (oxygen) as a conservation method. www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-straw-and-hay

[@TheRedneckprepper]

The mold wont give the pigs blot or other problems ?

[@RS-jj7yj]

I did a little research that I wanted to share. one Swedish Crown equals about $0.11 in u.s. dollars at the current moment

[@holisticadvocate7882]

I messed up on my search for conversion.

[@ravenwood1405]

Hi great channel btw.New sub here :) just wondering about the feed cost(grain to the pigs) and wanted to share something maybe usefull... If you got a countryside food store not far away right?.ore in the nearest city for that matter...why dont you go and ask the owner if you could take the old food he is throwing away that he probl have to pay for anyway to get rid off.That way all the so called old food are put in good use as animal feed instead(most of this food arent that old at all).The rest goes into compost thats not good enough as animal food.Thats how i feed my animals at my homestead here in Norway.I get so much i struggle to not overfeed the animals that way haha..They eat like kings for free :D just a tip.

[@RS-jj7yj]

do you grow your potatoes in the ground or do you want use one of those wired containers with straw and compost and raise them above ground. I've seen people raise potatoes in wired containers and it seems pretty easy and effective

[@simeonandalex]

I will place them on top of the soil and mulch them with straw.

[@RS-jj7yj]

sorry for all the questions but I'm not a homesteader. I live in the city but I'm very interested in what you do. I have a question. would the pigs get sick if they intentionally or accidentally ate the mold in the silage

[@nigelmchugh5541]

You wouldn't give it to pregnant animals. Can cause abortion, depending on the strain of mould.

[@RS-jj7yj]

nigel Mc Hugh Thanks for the info

[@simeonandalex]

I would be more worried if these were commercial breeds but these are really old heritage pigs, almost wild boar and they are MUCH better at knowing what is toxic.

[@1superocky1]

thinking of getting a jeep any advice ? regards richard ps need to do lots of towing .

[@wiserguyer]

You know those pigs love it ,

[@crofter3903]

nice why didn't you spike the bales you can still do it with pallet forks it would make it easier when handling a would be better for the bales net wrap just a thought

[@crofter3903]

and why isn't the silage wrapped

[@andreafalconiero9089]

@@crofter3903 Because it is spoiled silage -- that's why he got it for free.

[@tedgramlich691]

Your area looks like Maine USA.

[@gregor2853]

How do you know how much you need to feed your pigs?

[@MrVailtown]

220 kg =485lbs. I thought they might weigh more. So Tim basically hauled 1 1/4 American tons on the trailer. How the jeep handle it ?

[@joshuareaper2082]

MrVailtown its as jeep I haul more with mine and the trailers got two axles so it be nuthin for it

[@simeonandalex]

Jeep didn't even notice there was a trailer. ;)

[@joshuareaper2082]

Swedish Homestead i assume its early 2000 jeep grand Cherokee with a 5.2 or 5.9 its newer than mine I got a 97

[@jomme78]

the jeep is in europe certified for between 2 and 3,5 metric tonnes on aa trailer, and i bet thets a 2,5 ton trailer and even at a weight 400 kilos per bale its plantiful strong to pull it, and those 2 2ton straps are good enough secure for the bales

[@joshuareaper2082]

jomme78 I Kent motor size

[@gateway8833]

Do you know what hay you are using? Most hay has between 807 calories to 980 caleries (per pound) and corn has no more than 606 caleries (per Cup). You should compare the two products based on total nutritional density, so on the face of it, grain may look way more expensive but may yield better weight gain or muscle tone. With sheep I have to ballance type of hay and the same for grain. A side note, sheep are far simpler to care for than cows, and are 4 time more efficient than cows processing feed. I don't know how their manure differs in mineral content but I can attest that sheep manure works well on our gardens here. Do you add grain to your cows rations when you start breeding? I add grain when the Ewes come into season, and we finish Wethers with grain a few weeks befor market. When I raised beef cattle for market we always added 7 way calf grow to maximize growth. Love your vedios.

[@simeonandalex]

Hey there. I hope to talk about some of this in a future video. Sheep are my favorit and we have had over 100 sheep at times. I plan to get some again some day. Compared to the cows they eat the corn out of the deep bedding with their small noses. Personally I don't feed grain to herbivores. Hope to explain more in a video.

[@gateway8833]

Swedish Homestead I look forward to your vedio about sheep. I

[@andreafalconiero9089]

​@@simeonandalex From what I've read, it is more efficient and cheaper to feed silage to pigs rather than grain, since you can make full use of the pigs' digestive system to derive a lot of nutritional value from the fermented leaves and stems, in addition to any seed (in any stage) that might be present. Pigs can do this quite efficiently -- much better than humans, despite also being monogastrics. Here's a good article that explains the benefits of silage (or pasture grazing, which is essentially equivalent) compared to grain: orgprints.org/28047/3/28047.PDF

[@Gun_Molester]

Nice

[@jamesrivis620]

Did I miss the price per bale ?

[@eldoradowoodcrafthobbies3888]

Working bacon 🥓

[@Afraithe]

No chance the pigs can get sick from the rotten silage? I know you don't give that stuff to horses etc cause they can get poisoned?

[@simeonandalex]

These old heritage breed pigs are amazing at smelling and knowing what is toxic.

[@fredthorne9692]

Swedish Homestead They look like Tamworth pigs. Beside being too smart for their own good, they have a superior sense of smell. They're able to differentiate from what is edible or not. When foraging, they instinctively know poisonous from edible fungi.

[@Xaviar002]

Friend of mine paid $60 Canadian Dollars (300 swedish korona= $43 Canadian Dollars) for a 800 lb bail of lower quality (grassy) hay. Seems more expensive then what you paid but maybe it's not comparable. I have no idea, was just the pickup driver.

[@andreafalconiero9089]

It is more expensive, but those bales he bought for 300 SEK were _straw,_ not hay. I would think even low-quality hay would be worth more than straw.

[@candicechristensen1753]

where are the piglets?! I've been waiting for that video

[@holisticadvocate7882]

$33.42 US per 485lbs round bale sounds cheap to me :)

[@mytube0969]

I just used my currency converter. $33.42 US$ is 299.77 Swedish Krona. I didn't catch the weight of Simeon's bales though.

[@HomesteadingSwe]

Bra att du tar upp vad saker kostar! Har länge tänkt på att täcka den blivande trädgården med gammal ensilage, har dock inga grisar ännu. Hur många kvadrat täcker en rundbal ca? :)

[@simeonandalex]

Det beror på. Om du har befintlig trädgårdsland så behöver du inte täcka så tjockt. Vi har lagt det på gräsmatta och då krävs det mycket så att gräset kväs. Prova dig fram.

[@mads122d]

Well. 1 kg. of hay dosn´t have the same amount of energi as 1 kg. of grain... you have to caculate the amount of energi that´s in it pr kg. As the farmers do when he caculate the ration he feeds to he´s animals.. :) Nice video.

[@simeonandalex]

Yes, you are right. But pigs naturally want and need grass. You'll be amazed at how much they graze. It is stil worth much more in a pig than in a cow.

[@mads122d]

Well they ain´t as good as the cows are for digisting the hay as they are with the grain... But i get it you also like to get some soild manure with a good amount of fertilizer in it. Lagre scall farmers likes you use the food as much as posible, because it is expensive to bring it out on the fields (Im from DK)

[@newandoldtech5634]

2 ton?

[@jgonzz10028]

A round bale of straw in Kansas is about $50 USD. A round bale that's a year old should be about $30 USD.

[@TheEscape2012]

Kioti tractor: 25.000€ (used, not new) Wow money does not seem to be a big problem. I remember you, talking about how Wranglerstar, with all his fancy machines, lost track when it comes to real homesteading. No offense, i still get the point and i agree with you. I just looked up the Kioti because i need a little tractor with a fork for little money and i thought a Kioti might be in my budget. But i was surprised how expensive they are.

[@nigelmchugh5541]

They are a lot cheaper in Europe. Without the loader, a brand new one is about 10,000 Euro (11,000 US Dollars) www.kioti-nederland.nl/tractors/15:kioti-ck22---ck22-plus

[@chads9818]

TheEscape2012 people act as if the people that make vids just went and forked off X amount of cash for like a tractor or whatever other equipment they need. but don't consider the fact that pretty much 90% of people that buy the equipment worked their tails off and scrapped and saved for a long time before investing into a piece of equipment, and some take out loans to pay their equipment out. and I highly doubt that they bought the tractor cuz they just wanted one for fun, they needed it to have their farm operate...

[@patriotpioneer]

Large Round Bails where im at are $55 U.S.D Each

[@seanjtobin]

I'm intently watching a guy buy straw.

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

We are easily amused. ;^]

[@donlatimer5114]

Are you going to get some more little piggy help you with your farming

[@martinspijker9661]

thats not how a breakline suppost to sit..:)

[@johnwarfield7742]

HOW DO YOU LIKE THE kIOTI ??

[@simeonandalex]

It works great. Like it. Would need a little bigger sometimes. Quality seems good.

[@johnwarfield7742]

thank you ...

[@thecynic807]

There's no such thing as a carbon footprint. Extreme weather changes happen because of the sun and because humans have replaced trees with concrete which is a man made desert.