Forage harvester facts for kids
A forage harvester is a special farm machine. People also call it a silage harvester or forager. Its main job is to cut and collect plants like grass or corn. These plants are then turned into something called silage.
Silage is chopped-up grass, corn, or hay. It is packed tightly into a large storage area. This can be a silo, a big bunker, or even special bags. After it's packed, the plants ferment, which means they change over time. This fermented plant material is then used as food for farm animals like cows. Haylage is similar to silage, but it uses grass that has been partly dried.
How Forage Harvesters Work
Forage harvesters can be big machines that drive themselves. Or, they can be tools that a tractor pulls. Both types have a special part called a cutterhead. This cutterhead has many sharp knives. These knives chop the plants into small pieces.
After chopping, the machine blows the chopped plants out of a chute. This chute aims the material into a wagon. The wagon might be attached to the harvester. Or, another tractor or truck drives next to the harvester to catch the chopped plants.
Types of Harvesters
Older harvesters were controlled by cables. Newer ones use hydraulics or electronics. Small farms often use harvesters pulled by tractors. But larger farms often use self-propelled machines. These machines are very efficient. They can cut a wide path of corn in one go. Some of the biggest machines can harvest over 400 tons of silage in just one hour!
When a wagon is full, it goes to the silo to unload. Then, an empty wagon can take its place. Harvesters need different cutting tools for different plants. For example, corn and grass need different "heads." These heads can be easily swapped on the harvester.
Processing Plants
For grass silage, farmers usually cut the grass first. They let it dry a little bit in rows called swathes. Then, the harvester picks up the dried grass. For corn or other whole crops, the harvester cuts them directly. It uses sharp knives or saw-like blades.
When harvesting corn or sorghum, a special part called a kernel processor is often used. This part has two rollers with teeth. They crush the kernels of the plants. This helps the animals digest the food better. The kernel processor is located inside the harvester. It can be removed quickly if the farmer is chopping other types of plants.
Adding Preservatives
Silage made from grass, oats, or wheat is chopped into small pieces. The size depends on the machine's settings. Sometimes, farmers add special things to the chopped plants. These can be bacteria, enzymes, or preservatives. These additives help the plants ferment faster.
When silage is made from corn or sorghum, additives are not always needed. This is because these plants naturally have a lot of sugar and starch. However, farmers often add them anyway to help with the fermentation process.
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A tractor with a trailer running beside a self-propelled CLAAS Jaguar forager
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A head for chopping corn
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A parked Serigstad tractor-drawn grass forage harvester in Jæren, Norway
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New Holland Self-propelled FR9000 Forage Harvester
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Forage-bagging machine
