When is the corn finally harvested?

PineRidge · Oct 15, 2005

I have noticed here in the Ohio Valley many corn fields that are now dried and brown that have yet to be harvested. I am assuming that this is field corn but I am wondering what exactly triggers the harvesting cycle of these crops?

Inspector507 · Oct 15, 2005

Maybe when they have time to bring it in. They have all winter to sell it.

Bird · Oct 15, 2005

I don't really know, but I've heard it's when the corn itself is of a certain moisture content; i.e., the stalks may look dead, but how dry is the corn?

deere755 · Oct 15, 2005

We always start at about 22% moisture and dry it to 15%. 15% is what the elevators want anything above that and there is a charge for drying. We are pretty much done in this part of Illinois. We have about 120 acres to go, we would be done if we could find a place to hall it. All the elevators are full so we have been delayed. Most of the corn that goes down the Mississippi is coming to our local processors and has really filled everyone up quick this year. Tate & Lyle is closed in Decatur Illinois again Monday and ADM has not extended their hours all year for harvest. This could be why you are seeing a lot of corn unharvested in your area. Grain storage is a problem everywhere this year. Corn is being piled on the ground at a lot of the local elevators. I was told I haven't seen it that Cargill in Tuscola Illinois has a million bushels on the ground.

PineRidge · Oct 15, 2005

Thanks for a response to my question. I figured there had to be a good reason but never having farmed I felt the need to ask.

BubbaJr · Oct 15, 2005

We had a 35-40 acre corn field just to the east of us that didn't get harvested at all last year. Then early this spring I saw them out with the combine. I don't know what that was all about.

This year the spring was cold and kind of wet to get in the fields, so some of the planting was delayed around here, so the harvesting has been a little later too. But from what I've seen in this area, about 50-60% of the corn, and 80-90% of the beans have been harvested.

WhyNot · Oct 15, 2005

Also, with the price of fuel for the dryer's it is cheaper to let mother nature dry the corn as much as possible before sending it to the elevator down side to that is it may become to wet to even get in to the field's to harvest.

cowboydoc · Oct 15, 2005

Not only do you want to time it so that it's dry enough but you have to be careful it's not too dry. Too dry and you get docked as well plus your weight is going to be down which costs you $. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Birdhunter1 · Oct 16, 2005

Deere, what kind of yeild are you seeing on your corn so far.
A guy I work for quite often had a few fields that were 200-210 to the acre. Then the elvator quit taking corn, he has been negotiating storage space liek you wouldn't believe. So far he's been successful but it kind of sucks when at mid day they quit taking grain. He got all the corn in and either stored or sold it all, now he's on beans and running into worse problems with storage and the elvators than he was with corn.

He has shown some very good yields despite the dryer summer we had, but with his beans growing nearly chest high he is also spending alot of time going slow through the fields!

WhyNot · Oct 16, 2005

CowboyDoc,
Not to go off subject but I noticed in your profile that you have a 4020 and was wondering if they are as expensive as they are here in NJ. Here they sell for more now than they did when they were new but personally I think they are worth the price.

deere755 · Oct 16, 2005

Birdhunter
Most of our yields have been in the 140 to 150 range. We
had one field that made 182 at 16% moisture. We can still store corn or DP it here but we have to wait for them to make room. Soybeans were pretty good 50 to 55. We are done with beans and just in time our local elevator will only take them if you sell them, no storage. We have been real pleased so far with yield for as dry as it has been around here. We got a good rain on the 4th of July and one a week later. I think that half way saved us.

cowboydoc · Oct 17, 2005

We have a couple 4020's and they hold their value exceptionally well. In good condition they will bring 9-11,000. The 72's in good condition will bring 12-15k and above. With a loader add 3k. In poor to average condition they go for 5-8k.

Birdhunter1 · Oct 18, 2005

I saw some 50-60 bushel beans today, but also saw some low 40 bushel beans today.
I showed up just in time for the 5 mile move down a narrow road!

thcri · Oct 19, 2005

Mike,

Moisture dictates the time to harvest. Most farmers around here will even harvest the end rows early and dry it thus allowing for wind to get through the rows in the rest of the field. If it does not dry down at a decent time then they will harvest and run the corn through a dryer.

murph

Birdhunter1 · Oct 20, 2005

Sometimes you'll even see 12 rows of beans then12 rows of corn planted all the way across a field to allow air and wind to dry the corn earlier/better.
How do they do it, they fill one half of a 12/23 row planter with beans and the other half with corn and then they pay close attention to what they're doing!

Volfandt · Oct 20, 2005

Alrighty then, a few dumb questions here.
I've always been curious about trying out one of those corn burning stoves and since I raise sweet corn (golden queen and merit) I just have to ask what brand is best for field corn and how does one tell the moisture content of said field corn?

I just had to ask /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif....

Volfandt

thcri · Oct 20, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Alrighty then, a few dumb questions here.
I've always been curious about trying out one of those corn burning stoves and since I raise sweet corn (golden queen and merit) I just have to ask what brand is best for field corn and how does one tell the moisture content of said field corn?

I just had to ask /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif....

Volfandt )</font>

I can't tell what brand of corn is best for a corn burner. I think it varies from area to area, but you do need field corn for a corn burner. As far as the moisture content you can go down to you local farm and feed supply house and buy a meter. I have not been around one or seen one for many years but the kind I use to use you would put about 2 cups of corn in it, shut the cover and in a few seconds the meter would tell you the moisture content. Farmers will also check their corn from time to time that is stored in the bins in case the moisture starts rising, which it will if not stored properly. If the moisture gets to high the corn will mold.

I see they have changed some.
Meter

murph

deere755 · Oct 20, 2005

If you are going to just use it in your stove I would either buy the cheapest corn I could buy or just buy some shelled corn and plant that. You could probably bye a bucket full from a farmer or a grain elevator and plant quit a bit. As for moisture levels you can take a sample to a grain elevator and they will test the moisture for you for free. Another way to tell is after the corn has dented you can shell a kernal off and break the tip off of the kernal and if it is black it is around 32% moisture. All the leaves will be good and dry before you will want to shell it for your stove. Our local Rural King sells some corn that is pretty cheap. One bushel of corn (56 lbs) will plant close to 3 acres.

MarlandS · Oct 20, 2005

The way corn prices are and no more corn than it takes to run a season with a corn burner, you might be better off just buying some at the local elevator. Otherwise you're going to either be hiring someone with a combine to shell your 100 to 200 bushel of corn(providing you make the rows widths correct for their cornhead) or you're going to be picking it by hand (not too bad) and shelling it by hand (very very bad, lot's o' blisters).