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SILAGE CHOPPER

Location: Sabana Grande, Nicaragua

Client:Hilario Marinez Lopez, Community Veterinary Promoter

Brief Project Problem Statement:Dairy cow milk production is limited by poor nutrition during the dry season. UC Davis veterinary students have been working with community veterinary promoters to explore ways to supplement the cows’ diet and silage has been identified as a promising solution. Silage production involves cutting, fermenting, and storing plant material, which preserves its nutritional value. One of the main limiting factors to making silage is the labor that it takes to chop the fresh forage in preparation for fermentation. A mechanical silage chopper could significantly boost the community’s ability to produce silage.

A D-Lab I student team has reviewed existing silage production resources and evaluated the feasibility and cost/benefit of various silage chopper systems.

The D-Lab II team will be tasked with:

Reviewing prior art and work done in D-Lab I to identify design options