Arable Silage

Ashill5

I was thinking of doing a bit reseeding about 5 acres this spring and was thinking about arable silage. Had any of you any experience with it ? I will be round baling it and would rats be a problem! Also and as important after seeding what is the best of keeping the birds away ?

Sam Kade

Last time I grew arable silage I grew straight oats. I used to grow an arable silage mixture of oats and peas before that, they are charging a small fortune for mixtures now. Crows are going to be a problem until the seed germinates just increase the seeding rate a bit. I baled and wrapped the crop and stacked them 3 high rats attacked the bottom layer of bales. The only way to solve the problem is to put the bales out in a single layer spaced apart not very practical with 75 bales as you will get 15 bales/ac.

Hill Man

I grew oats and round baled it. Worked well, however it was too hard for sheep. Wont do it again. I was told by a friend that he stacks his oaten silage bales above his regular silage this solved his rat problem. I have also found that if you could leave the grass without cutting silage for a year or two it helps to get the field established, and helps keep weeds down.

whelan1

what would be a good alternative to maize - it is too expensive and our crop wasnt great this year

aristo

whelan1 wrote: »

what would be a good alternative to maize - it is too expensive and our crop wasnt great this year

triticale? it produces a very dense crop, we had wholecrop oats a few yrs back and couldnt feed much of it to the dairy cows as it caused the quarters to heat up and get mastitus, even though it was cool and had additive and no toxins showed up on test.

whelan1

aristo wrote: »

triticale? it produces a very dense crop, we had wholecrop oats a few yrs back and couldnt feed much of it to the dairy cows as it caused the quarters to heat up and get mastitus, even though it was cool and had additive and no toxins showed up on test.

how do you grow that , do you pit it or do cows graze it ?

Muckit

You harvest with a combine as with conventional cereals and use the grain. My uncle in France grows it and mixes it into his homemade ration to fatten charolais bulls.

I had never even heard of the crop before then! Never heard of any lads in Ireland growing it either, maybe climate, soils not as suitable, I don't know, I don't have a great knowledge of tillage crops:rolleyes:

aristo

whelan1 wrote: »

how do you grow that , do you pit it or do cows graze it ?

pit whole crop, its a hybrid of sorts between wheat and rye, up to 120 grains per head, theres no real merchant market for it though if it was threshed.