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They Still Build New Wood Stave Silos
"Wood silo and barn restoration. New wood silos for sale."
That's part of an ad we spotted recently in the back of a farm publication. It was placed by a New York firm that continues to do a thriving business repairing old wood stave silos and building new ones.
"As far as I know, we're the only company i
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They Still Build New Wood Stave Silos SILOS Silos 33-4-7 "Wood silo and barn restoration. New wood silos for sale."
That's part of an ad we spotted recently in the back of a farm publication. It was placed by a New York firm that continues to do a thriving business repairing old wood stave silos and building new ones.
"As far as I know, we're the only company in the U.S. that still builds wood stave silos for farm feed storage," says Mac Hyney, Hyney & Sons, Fort Plain, N.Y.
The company, founded in 1965, works mostly on-site in New England and Pennsylvania. They have three employees and use a self-propelled crane and a specially designed, hydraulic-operated platform to do the work.
Customers can choose from a number of roofing styles including gambrel, conical, standing seams, wooden shakes, and steel domes. "About half the silos we build are for working farmers, and the rest are for hobby farmers who just want to preserve an existing silo's appearance," says Hyney.
"Wood silos are rarely found any more except in New England, where they're still quite numerous," says Hyney. "Farms here are relatively small, and many have livestock. The biggest wood silo we build measures 20 by 50 ft."
The cost to build a new wood silo is comparable to the cost for a conventional concrete stave silo, he says. But the feed that comes out of a wooden silo is often "sweeter". "It's the same concept used to preserve food in a pickle barrel," says Hyney.
He says some of his customers have tried bunker silos or bagger-type systems but weren't happy with them. "Another advantage of wood silos is that in cold weather the feed doesn't freeze as much.
"Sadly, a lot of people are buying up small farms and tearing the wood silos down. Others just let them rot."
The company sometimes converts wood silos into homes. "We can make provisions in the hooping to allow for doors or windows at desired locations," says Hyney. "We can furnish the interior floors and install a circular staircase either inside or outside, along with supporting angle irons."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mac Hyney & Sons, 750 Elwood Road, Fort Plain, N.Y. 13339 (ph 518 993-4613 or 518 857-1411; mmhyney@citilink.net; www.woodsilos.com).
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