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Close down the pit?

  • 14-03-2011 8:19pm
    #1
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭


    Justin McCarthy in the beef column talked about 'closing down the pit'.

    It got me thinking. . . of those of you who make pit silage

    after letting out your cattle, do you
    • Pull the polyethene down and seal the front of the pit if you've any left
    • Or just leave it open?


Comments

  • #2
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    seal it down BUT it is only mid march you never know what weather is around the corner


  • #3
    Tora Bora
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭Tora Bora


    Muckit wrote: »
    Justin McCarthy in the beef column talked about 'closing down the pit'.

    It got me thinking. . . of those of you who make pit silage

    after letting out your cattle, do you
    • Pull the polyethene down and seal the front of the pit if you've any left
    • Or just leave it open?

    I have a relation with what you might call "challenging", land. When we would be giving him a hand making the pit, and we would have it well covered down to the open end, he would always, shout out "Yearra dont go to any bother with that end, sure we will. e opening it again next week":D


  • #4
    fatoftheland
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78 ✭✭fatoftheland


    Best off to shut it. Prevents secondary fermentation and spoilage.


  • #5
    David brown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 130 ✭✭David brown


    i expect to have around 25% of my pit left over.its a walled pit.i wonder when i start to make silage if i pulled back leftover silage and spread it over the entire slab and filled fresh grass on top,would that work? pit silage novice;)


  • #6
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    David brown wrote: »
    i expect to have around 25% of my pit left over.its a walled pit.i wonder when i start to make silage if i pulled back leftover silage and spread it over the entire slab and filled fresh grass on top,would that work? pit silage novice;)

    will work perfectly. Did it one year. Just got guy on loader to take off a scraping off top, then flick back the rest and ramp it off. It doesn't have to be spread over entire base, just so long as he can drive up on it to roll it.

    Regards cover, I found that closing down the face only rots it more as it's hard to seal a straight face. We use a shear grab and find that it leaves the face sealed perfectly and doesn't let air back so long as sides and top are sealed down well


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  • #7
    David brown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 130 ✭✭David brown


    its well sealed.i'll try that. sometimes the easy way is the best way:D:D.


  • #8
    jeff greene
    Closed Accounts Posts: 733 ✭✭✭jeff greene


    David brown wrote: »
    i expect to have around 25% of my pit left over.its a walled pit.i wonder when i start to make silage if i pulled back leftover silage and spread it over the entire slab and filled fresh grass on top,would that work? pit silage novice;)

    I would leave it alone, moving will only let air in and mix any bad bits in, they will work against it anyway.


  • #9
    snowman707
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,279 ✭✭✭snowman707


    jeff greene wrote: »
    I would leave it alone, moving will only let air in and mix any bad bits in, they will work against it anyway.

    we move it any year we have it left over and no problems whatsoever


  • #10
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    jeff greene wrote: »
    I would leave it alone, moving will only let air in and mix any bad bits in, they will work against it anyway.

    Yes, but they won't be able roll it properly. Just think about it. If you drive a wheel up tight to a say a straight wall, there's a gap where the wheel is putting it's weight and the bottom of the wall. It'd be the same with the old silage pit face and the front loader wheel


  • #11
    lefthooker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,729 ✭✭✭lefthooker


    Muckit wrote: »
    Regards cover, I found that closing down the face only rots it more as it's hard to seal a straight face. We use a shear grab and find that it leaves the face sealed perfectly and doesn't let air back so long as sides and top are sealed down well

    Totally agree. Shear grab seals the face cleanly.
    I try to leave the face stepped before we start pitting each summer so as when we get to the point where the new silage meets the old come the winter we don't end up with a "silage slide" on the floor of the pit.


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  • #12
    jeff greene
    Closed Accounts Posts: 733 ✭✭✭jeff greene


    Muckit wrote: »
    Yes, but they won't be able roll it properly. Just think about it. If you drive a wheel up tight to a say a straight wall, there's a gap where the wheel is putting it's weight and the bottom of the wall. It'd be the same with the old silage pit face and the front loader wheel

    It will act like a wall, just like in a walled pit. Cant see the merit to moving it when there is a substantial bit left over.


  • #13
    Muckit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,174 ✭✭✭✭Muckit


    jeff greene wrote: »
    It will act like a wall, just like in a walled pit. Cant see the merit to moving it when there is a substantial bit left over.

    Yes fair enough but my point is unless the loader driver drives ACROSS the pit, where the old meets the new, he can't roll it properly.


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