How agriculture works thread

[ovrszd]

I think that self operating small tractor is a long way off yet. Especially in rougher country with hills and side slopes to contend with. Then throw in some sod waterways and a wet spot to have to skip and go around.

And a powerline pole in the middle of the field.

The self operated vehicle must be given the data from all other vehicles that have been in that field. For example, the combine went around that powerline pole. So the follow up tillage tractor knows to not go there.

 

[paulsharvey]

I dont know enough about the systems, too say, but I dont know 'self operating' is maybe the right term; maybe path following. Either with preset paths, or possibly a follow with off set sort of function. Let's say, 1 operator, with a second tillage machine following 25 ft behind, with a one machine offset. Operator still might be in the field, but with multiple vehicles. Not say it's true or not, just relaying an interesting take on future trends I heard.

On the construction side, I know I had an engineer make us read an article, and give our thoughts on rollers, with an integrated density testing and mapping system. There is cool tech out there, and anything that saves on payroll is probably going to be improving over the coming years.

 

[BnRidge]

In the chicken industry the company generally owns the birds and supplies the inputs, the day old chick and mostly feed. The contract farmer provides the housing and labor.

The operation here is for egg layers. One building group starts purchased chicks and grows them out until laying age. Another, a mile away (probably for disease control) houses the layers and egg processing plant. Once the layers age out, they're sent off for processing, one house at a time. It used to be they would go to Campbell's soup.

 

[Creamer]

I found ths one very interesting on sugar beets. I knew there were temperature ranges tehy try to harvest them in but I didn't realize that may mean they don't get to harvest some of the beets if they do not hit the proper weather window. Interesting video with lots of vehicles - like 50 people on one farm all coordinated.

 

[Creamer]

Here is an old school Spring Tooth Drag/Harrow Weeder made by the Melroe company in Gwinner, ND. I always found these very interesting as they were used to remove the weeds in the row when the corn was small. One pass with this and the corn usually got ahead of the weeds in the row at least enough to allow the hillers on the cultivator to throw enough dirt to cover them up. The weeder works on the principle that corn is planted much deeper than most weeds start to germinate. Consequently these tines would vibrate through the soil and move it enough to get the just starting weeds without digging the corn. Typically we did this at 1.5-2 mph - very slow but since we were taking 35' passes a field still got done relatively quickly.

melroe drag harrow - Google Search

BTW - If anyone knows of one of these for sale I am interested.

 

[ArlyA]

A brief history of Allis manufacturing sites. I had no idea they onwed Simplicity for a time.

 

[Creamer]

And now you can see what happened to the company - they were into so many things that they couldn't stay on top in anything and all of the divisions suffered by the lack of focus.

 

[ArlyA]

Gee, no one has posted here in a while. Here is a nice video of the effects of the "right to repiar" law recently passed in Colorado. Sounds like it will be good for everyone but the manufactures.

 

[JethroB]

The operation here is for egg layers. One building group starts purchased chicks and grows them out until laying age. Another, a mile away (probably for disease control) houses the layers and egg processing plant. Once the layers age out, they're sent off for processing, one house at a time. It used to be they would go to Campbell's soup.

The broiler chicken industry also has separate farms to raise ‘to be’ hatching egg layers and roosters. These ‘pullets’ start laying eggs at about age 25 weeks and are then transferred to laying houses on other farms. The fertile eggs are then collected and taken to the hatchery. These hatch after 21 days in the incubators and these birds become the chickens we eat.

Fun fact: there is about one rooster to twelve hens in the breeder/layer house. Spent is the term for worn out birds, at around 65 weeks of age. Hello Cambell’s soup.

 

[5030]

Not working all that good here in SE Michigan. As usual, local farmers (not me) are drilling in corn but the ground temp is way below 50 which is required for reliable germination plus it's raining almost every day. Considering the cost of fuel, seed and inputs today, they aren't overly smart. Basically a week to rot and then replant....duh