Penn State Forage Particle Separator

This unit was developed in cooperation with the Department of Dairy and Animal Science at The Pennsylvania State University Features

• Tray with 17mm holes
• Tray with 8mm holes
• Tray with fine mesh screen
• Tray with a solid base

Density, Moisture and Particle Size

If silage density is maximised, then air inclusion in the silage is minimised and spoilage is greatly reduced.

In essence, the density is managed by reducing the particle size as moisture drops. When the silage harvester sets the theoretical chop length, it does not mean that all particles will be exactly the same size, rather there is a spread of particle sizes, especially in wilted forage.

One of the additional benefits from measuring particle size is the opportunity to look at chop quality.

- Cutting - are the blades sharp and is the shear bar adjusted correctly to avoid jagged cuts and the potential for increased effluent when the cuts are jagged?

- Kernel processing - an opportunity to look closely at the effectiveness of the chopping operation on grain processing. Do you need to engage the kernel processor?

Ration Formulation and Particle Size

Forage particle length is becoming an increasingly important issue in ruminant nutrition. The Forage Particle Separator will help you achieve the correct particle lengths needed to help meet the many nutritional requirements of your cattle.

Reduced forage particle size has been known to reduce chewing time and decrease rumen pH. Smaller forage particles also spend less time in the rumen for microbial digestion, thereby decreasing digestibility as the rate of passage increases.

We are very proud of our research data please contact us if you need more information.