Aiming for max crop in one cut silage

BeeDI

Just looking for opinions.

I usually take one cut of baled silage. Normally first week June, after grazing the silage ground up to mid April.

This year, I have more stock for the winter. Mainly increased number of cows.

I'm thinking of leaving the silage to grow on till maybe last week June, to give me more bales but obviously less quality.

My thinking is, quality will be ok for suckler cows, and the increased quantity should get me through the winter.
I will have after grass to creep the calves on from August first onwards, which I wouldn't have if I went for a second cut. At least not till later anyways.

Is it a good way to go, or would taking two cuts be better?
Whats the thinking?

Grecco

I did something like that last year, I left the silage grow on for about 3 weeks longer.
Mixed results i afraid,
I had extra silage but it was very stemmy and the cows were scoury on it. If its bales your making then with the cost of making them I`d recommend putting good stuff into the bales. Theres nothing stopping you getting some chopped round bales of straw to mix in with the silage as your feeding if you want to stretch out the feed during the winter

MfMan

Might be cheaper to buy in bales (as long as you know they're good quality); cuold work out much the same as fertilizing, cutting, baling, wrapping yourself and that way you wouldn't have to preserve your own ground. Do the math I guess.....

BeeDI

Grecco wrote: »

I did something like that last year, I left the silage grow on for about 3 weeks longer.
Mixed results i afraid,
I had extra silage but it was very stemmy and the cows were scoury on it. If its bales your making then with the cost of making them I`d recommend putting good stuff into the bales. Theres nothing stopping you getting some chopped round bales of straw to mix in with the silage as your feeding if you want to stretch out the feed during the winter

Im my part of the country, straw costing €24 for a std round bale:mad:

jeff greene

Unless its a newish ley and well fertilized, its nearly better to cut on time as I find they actually go backwards in terms of yield and quality obviously, if left too long. It is a balancing act.

Grecco

BeeDI wrote: »

Im my part of the country, straw costing €24 for a std round bale:mad:

€24 is definitely out of the question

blue5000

Hi op, find an old copy of the comic from last aug/sept and look for ppl who had straw for sale back then. Try do a deal for nxt harvest.

If you could handle big square bales they are easier to transport, there will be more straw in a load than round bales. Maybe go halves for a load with a neighbour? A big square bale has roughly 2.5 round bales in it.

BBs is too expensive to be making bad quality.