Corn crib questions

[Mad340]

I am looking picking about 7 acres of corn this year and need a crib to store it. I have been back and forth on whether I should find a used wire crib or build a traditional wooden one? I live in Western Pennsylvania and wonder if the round crib would not dry down as well or keep the corn from molding. Also, is it possible to shell the cribbed corn and sell as grain?

 

[Bob Bancroft]

As long as you have a substantial air tube up through the middle of the round crib it should be alright. I think our wooden corn cribs were 6' wide. Probably for a reason. Corn dried on the cob will be the nicest quality shelled corn, but I don't miss that job!

 

[Ken Grimm]

We had a wire corncrib when I was a kid. Ours had a wooden ventilator up through the middle, sat on a cement foundation with a trench through it. Corn always came out ok with no spoilage. Yes, you can sell that as shellcorn at the local elevator or terminal. At least here in Iowa you can. Might find a deal on a wire crib, possibly given away. Only thing is if it's not full and snow blows in under the roof you could have spoilage. Wooden ones are nice too, but would be expensive to build I would think. Just my thoughts.

 

[NY 986]

I think the cribs that were here when I was a kid were 4 feet wide. The corn picker was already parked when I was old enough to shovel.

 

[RedGreenGuy]

When dad needed additional ear corn storage he built a flat wood platform on old poles large enough to stretch wooden picket fence (like road snow fence) on top of it. Picket fence was maybe 12-14 foot across the circle. Put 1 row of corn crib tunnels across it for air flow and a place to start scooping when it was emptied. When corn filled to within a foot of the top of first picket he added another inside the first. If that got within a foot of the top he added another. Never saw one over 4 pickets high. It was always fed or shelled by spring.

 

[larbear]

Corn crib, seven feet wide, here in south western Ontario with a prevailing west wind.

 

[Paul from MI]

We had a round wire crib, about 12' dia. Vent up the middle, and a few vents from the outside. We had mold problems and had boards on top of the concrete floor. Maybe a visqueen vapor barrier would have helped?

 

[paul]

Wood crib 6-7 feet wide will take wetter corn than a wire crib, or less mold.

You need a shelter, and will have great corn out of rage shelled the next summer.

Paul

 

[fastfarmall]

I agree Paul, but how do you get it out of there, besides a Aluminum scoop shovel,no way to get a Bobcat in there,usually, at least my Dad's couldn't !

 

[caterpillar guy]

Most of the cribs here were incorporated into sheds by building 2 about 12feet apart then roofing over the whole distance. Then you had corn storage and shed space all in one. They also tapered from top to bottom narrower at the bottom than the top by about 6inches to a foot. Was told that was so the water from rain would not drip on the board below. They were only about 4feet wide at the bottom and maybe 5 at the top. Would have cement floors with places along the sides to unload at.

 

[Charlie M]

I do 3-4 acres of ear corn every year and many years ago built cribs with wooden slate floors and wire sides. Mine are 4 ft wide. I don't know how wide they can be made but the main thing is air needs to circulate through the crib to dry the corn. I have a sheller and shell it over the summer as I need it. Unfortunately the only way I have to get the corn out is with a shovel. I've read you can put corn up to 30% moisture in them and still be OK. One word of warning - they are a magnet for rats.

 

[Ultradog MN]

You need a corn crib like this one.
I posted these photos here a few years ago.
It is near a small town in SW Minnesota.

 

[Leroy]

6' too wide if corn has much moisture. Had 3', 4', 5' and 6' cribs. The higher the moisture the narrower the crib. For average a 5' should be good. If wood siding put boards vertical for better with rain. Put enough empty openings on side and most would roll out when dry.

 

[LonM]

That's a neat one! What town is that near?

 

[DoubleO7]

We would really like to find a wire corn crib for down here.
They are quite rare.
Would make an awesome cage for large birds and monkeys!

 

[Ultradog MN]

More of a rural township than town.
Butternut MN. West of Mankato.
You can see it from MN Hwy 60.
We drove through there to see the inlaws a bunch of times. Finally stopped one day and asked if I could take a few photos.

 

[jacksun65]

I used to see a few cribs like that up in Ohio

 

[Pitalplace]

(quoted from post at 19:44:32 01/25/20) When dad needed additional ear corn storage he built a flat wood platform on old poles large enough to stretch wooden picket fence (like road snow fence) on top of it. Picket fence was maybe 12-14 foot across the circle. Put 1 row of corn crib tunnels across it for air flow and a place to start scooping when it was emptied. When corn filled to within a foot of the top of first picket he added another inside the first. If that got within a foot of the top he added another. Never saw one over 4 pickets high. It was always fed or shelled by spring.

Yep (snow fence) that is what my dad and I did. Then it was my job to grind a load of corn every Saturday morning all winter. Bottom 6" to a foot might spoil where it was touching the ground. That depended on how cold with winter was. The spoiled corn was fed to a few hogs we had for just that reason. Then sold in the spring. My lab loved when we got close to the bottom. Grabbing mouse bite, drop and grab another. Fond memories except for the scooping.

 

[Leroy]

Lots of them abanded up here Ohio way. You might just get removed for taking down. Standing still on tax rolls, down off tax.