maize silage

awaywithyou

lads,

looking the journal earlier and was reading the piece about the farm walks at the macra rally.......

one of the farmers had purchased 41 acres of maize @950euros/acre...

this comes to roughly 40k.......

thats alot of money...... i know its high in energy and so on but i have to ask..

is maize worth that kind of money...........?

stanflt

no not at all-

weve been growing 50acres of maize for the last 15years- this year i started grass measuring properly and ive convinced the auld man we only need 15acres a year. i had third cut silage this year at 78dmd and 18%crude protein-

jeff greene

It is for 40 cows but not for 200, haven't read it so don't know, also depends on his cows and system. Don't know current figures but I recall maize on €/tDM isn't much so bad compared to 2nd/3rd, wholecrop etc.

After an iffy weather year, there would be great insurance in having it contract grown. With own land, slurry and cultivation gear, can do it alot better than €950 though

dar31

price is about right, but it is a poor way or buying it
by the ton is far better

20 t crop @ €950 = €47.50 t fresh weight (30 %dm €158 t/dm)
15 t crop @ €950 = €63.33 t fresh weight ( €211 t/dm)

huge difference

threeball

dar31 wrote: »

price is about right, but it is a poor way or buying it
by the ton is far better

20 t crop @ €950 = €47.50 t fresh weight (30 %dm €158 t/dm)
15 t crop @ €950 = €63.33 t fresh weight ( €211 t/dm)

huge difference

What costs per acre would be involved in growing maize and what crop would most people rotate it with?

bob charles

Fresh weight means dam all with maize silage, cobs sizes and determining what the grain yeild is the only way to value maize. my highest value maize per acre was achieved with very low fresh weights per acre. Big looking crops of maize=happy farmer, average size high quality crop=happy cow. have lost count the amount of guys that have said there crops are well back this year. If they bothered to look at cob size and development they might be whistling a different tune.

€500 acre in the open
€700+ under plastic

contractor does everything above, rent incl at €150ac and assuming you will fertilise to meet off-take

threeball

bob charles wrote: »

Fresh weight means dam all with maize silage, cobs sizes and determining what the grain yeild is the only way to value maize. my highest value maize per acre was achieved with very low fresh weights per acre. Big looking crops of maize=happy farmer, average size high quality crop=happy cow. have lost count the amount of guys that have said there crops are well back this year. If they bothered to look at cob size and development they might be whistling a different tune.

€500 acre in the open
€700+ under plastic

contractor does everything above, rent incl at €150ac and assuming you will fertilise to meet off-take

Cheers Bob. You'd want every bit of the €950 at those costs. You wouldn't be making much of a living off the back of that.