Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Slugs in Silage

Options
  • 03-08-2012 5:06pm
    #1
    Torquoise
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi there,

    Hearing a few stories about slugs in silage... Anyone having a major problem with it??

    Also does anyone know if it's dangerous to feed it to your cattle if there are a lot of slugs in it?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,645 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Hard to avoid slugs in the averge Irish summer and cattle are as likely to pick up as many if not more out grazing in this type of weather. Some years you find more slugs in baled silage then others but I can't say its ever been an issue in my small suckler herd down west on fairly heavy land. Its certainly never been mentioned by my inlaws(who mainly run my show and are experieced stock handlers) as a problem.


  • Options
    #3
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users Posts: 6,887 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Hard to avoid slugs in the averge Irish summer and cattle are as likely to pick up as many if not more out grazing in this type of weather. Some years you find more slugs in baled silage then others but I can't say its ever been an issue in my small suckler herd down west on fairly heavy land. Its certainly never been mentioned by my inlaws(who mainly run my show and are experieced stock handlers) as a problem.
    A friend was saying a lad opened put couple of weeks ago and lost a bullock, week later lost another. Got it sampled, slugs in the silage contamination. Hard to believe?


  • Options
    #4
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,645 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    A friend was saying a lad opened put couple of weeks ago and lost a bullock, week later lost another. Got it sampled, slugs in the silage contamination. Hard to believe?

    Theres alot of poor quality baled silage about this year which has the potential to go "bad" for a variety of reasons - who tested the bale and what exactly in terms of bacteria, yeast,virus etc. killed the bullock??

    PS: Just how many slugs are we talking about - like was it black with them or what??


  • Options
    #5
    maidhc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭maidhc


    I have heard similar anecdotes.


  • Options
    #6
    Atilathehun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Atilathehun


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Hard to avoid slugs in the averge Irish summer and cattle are as likely to pick up as many if not more out grazing in this type of weather. Some years you find more slugs in baled silage then others but I can't say its ever been an issue in my small suckler herd down west on fairly heavy land. Its certainly never been mentioned by my inlaws(who mainly run my show and are experieced stock handlers) as a problem.
    A friend was saying a lad opened put couple of weeks ago and lost a bullock, week later lost another. Got it sampled, slugs in the silage contamination. Hard to believe?

    A man told me that a man told him kind if story! Was there intoxicating liquor involved at any stage of passing the story?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Conflats
    Registered Users Posts: 224 ✭✭Conflats


    Asked the vet 3 weeks ago when he was out doing the herd test and he said they were poisonous in large quantities


  • Options
    #8
    Manoffeeling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 931 ✭✭✭Manoffeeling


    Is there protein in slugs?


  • Options
    #9
    Silvics
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭Silvics


    Manoffeeling wrote: »
    Is there protein in slugs?
    About 14%.
    There's a recorded story of a poor widowed woman in England in the 1600s with kids who were exceptionally healthy. It was decided that she was probably a witch, and at her trial it was put to her that her magic made her kids so strong and that this had to be the only explanation. She took them to her home and showed than a barrel of slugs preserved in brine. This is what the family survived on. She was acquitted.


  • Options
    #10
    rocky bilboa
    Registered Users Posts: 29 ✭rocky bilboa


    Heard myself that the trail these black slugs left behind was cause of contamination and farmers that got silage tested through teagasc were advised not to feed silage as samples had botulism in them


  • Options
    #11
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    rocky bilboa wrote: »
    Heard myself that the trail these black slugs left behind was cause of contamination and farmers that got silage tested through teagasc were advised not to feed silage as samples had botulism in them

    Does anyone know if this could be a risk if grazing ground was heavily contaminated with black slugs?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    "Slugs
    Slugs are evident on almost all swards of grass that I have walked lately.
    They can cause severe contamination to silage, with major animal health consequences.
    There are reports of animal deaths in the last week due to feeding of very fresh silage contaminated with slugs. This must be avoided at all costs    ."

    From;
    http://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/dairy/winter-fodder-shortage-is-inevitable-this-year-201178.html

    Examiner - Thursday, July 19, 2012

    Any know if slugs are only a problem in freshly made silage?


  • Options
    #13
    jimmy G M
    Registered Users Posts: 1,140 ✭✭✭jimmy G M


    I'd say wrapping bales at early in the morn and late in the evening when slugs are most active should be avoided?

    I cut the lawn the other day and the amount of slugs on top of the grass late that evening was unreal. Never seen a year like this for slugs.


  • Options
    #14
    nashmach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭nashmach


    pakalasa wrote: »
    Any know if slugs are only a problem in freshly made silage?

    That is what it reads like to me too.

    They are unavoidable this year anyway no matter what type of land. You can't even walk up a tillage field without being covered in them at the moment.

    Our silage cut 2 weeks had quite a few but left it wilt and baled it at 6pm and no sign of them in the bales.

    Bales were left unwrapped in the yard overnight and didn't see any on the ground at that stage so hopefully should be fine.


  • Options
    #15
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    rocky bilboa wrote: »
    Heard myself that the trail these black slugs left behind was cause of contamination and farmers that got silage tested through teagasc were advised not to feed silage as samples had botulism in them

    Urban myth. Or rural equivalent thereof.

    LC


  • Options
    #16
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Yesterday's FJ confirms that it was only a rumour. No silage was lost and no animals died as a result of slugs in silage.

    I wonder did the rumour start here?? :D:D:D:D


  • Options
    #17
    redzerologhlen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,329 ✭✭✭redzerologhlen


    reilig wrote: »
    Yesterday's FJ confirms that it was only a rumour. No silage was lost and no animals died as a result of slugs in silage.

    I wonder did the rumour start here?? :D:D:D:D

    I seen where it said "whole threads on internet forums dedicated to it". Who knew the comedians read boards :D


  • Options
    #18
    Manoffeeling
    Closed Accounts Posts: 931 ✭✭✭Manoffeeling


    rocky bilboa wrote: »
    Heard myself that the trail these black slugs left behind was cause of contamination and farmers that got silage tested through teagasc were advised not to feed silage as samples had botulism in them

    Take great care then when washing your lettuce!

    Where is the proof?


  • Options
    #19
    ravima
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭ravima


    Botulism????

    There is a theory that decaying vegetation such as slug infested silage can cause botulism which is fatal to bovines. its not only chicken ****, but bad **** that causes it!!!!!!!!!


  • Options
    #20
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    ravima wrote: »
    Botulism????

    There is a theory that decaying vegetation such as slug infested silage can cause botulism

    Who has this theory?

    There is NO basis for it.

    It's very easy to start nonsense like this, and very hard to disprove it, so if the theory you are flogging sounds silly (like this one), then you as the propagator bear the burden of proof.


  • Options
    #21
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    Conflats wrote: »
    Asked the vet 3 weeks ago when he was out doing the herd test and he said they were poisonous in large quantities

    So is water.

    Time to change your vet?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    A friend was saying a lad opened put couple of weeks ago and lost a bullock, week later lost another. Got it sampled, slugs in the silage contamination. Hard to believe?

    Yes


  • Options
    #23
    Muckit
    Registered Users Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    Was out walking the silage swarths about 10 at night. The ground was covered in the feckers. What's the story with them? Can't exactly call it a wet summer. Would this be normal or what causes them to come out? Would it be the dew?


  • Options
    #24
    votuvant
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭votuvant


    Muckit wrote: »
    Was out walking the silage swarths about 10 at night. The ground was covered in the feckers. What's the story with them? Can't exactly call it a wet summer. Would this be normal or what causes them to come out? Would it be the dew?

    Yes. They have to keep moist so usually come out in damp conditions.


Advertisement