Farming Chit Chat II

td5man

Kovu Murr wrote: »

We have fodder til April 15th. Only because we had 20 bales left over from the previous year though!

The dry cows and replacements are eating three year old silage here.
They used to say you need enough fodder to last until may day,hope its not like that this year.

Kovu

td5man wrote: »

The dry cows and replacements are eating three year old silage here.
They used to say you need enough fodder to last until may day,hope its not like that this year.

You're very lucky that you have that. We normally make just enough for the winter to come, depending on the weather.

Conmaicne Mara

No offense to the weather forum, but they talk about snow on there even in Summer.

Muckit

Had great plans to go spreading a few bags on Saturday, but the reality is, it's just too cold! Totally different year to last year. Had loads of grass here this time last year, not a blade this year.

Plan B was to open the butt of a pit made June 2011. Face a bit black, but I was surprised there was no white mould as it wasn't blocked out uneven and so polythene wasn't tight to the face. Looked grand once I had a few blocks taken out and the girls in the shed had no problem lapping it up

Kovu

Muckit wrote: »

Had great plans to go spreading a few bags on Saturday, but the reality is, it's just too cold! Totally different year to last year. Had loads of grass here this time last year, not a blade this year.

Plan B was to open the butt of a pit made June 2011. Face a bit black, but I was surprised there was no white mould as it wasn't blocked out even and so polythene wasn't tight to the face. Looked grand once I had a few blocks taken out and the girls in the shed had no problem lapping it up

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

Cool the jets. MT Cranium in the weather forum has been talking about snow for the next 7 days for the last 7 days. How much notice do you want? :eek:

theres a fcuking weather forum:eek:

no one told me that and here was me reading the stars:D

vanderbadger

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

no pit now since probably the early nauties..we are high up, exposed yard, the pitt was difficult to keep tight, have to say find the bales alot handier tidier, would hate to have to go back to pit now

hugo29

Kovu Murr wrote: »

We have fodder til April 15th. Only because we had 20 bales left over from the previous year though!

same here, out on 16th April, no grass anywhere on farm, slurry only going out tomorrow in some places, oh the joys of it, time to get the cheque book out again,

Timmaay

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

More and more bales used here, but the pits certainly wont got yet, probably a 70:30 split between pit and bales. If I expand numbers in the future I probably wouldn't bother putting in anymore pits though, just cut excess paddocks as bales.

hugo29

lads and ladies going paddock system for the first time this year

all have been limed few weeks ago, slurry tomorrow, how much fertilizer do you go with on the first run, say couple weeks time weather permitting, is half bag 10:10:20 per acre enough to see inital response,

td5man

hugo29 wrote: »

lads and ladies going paddock system for the first time this year

all have been limed few weeks ago, slurry tomorrow, how much fertilizer do you go with on the first run, say couple weeks time weather permitting, is half bag 10:10:20 per acre enough to see inital response,

How long are you supposed to leave between lime and slurry

hugo29

td5man wrote: »

How long are you supposed to leave between lime and slurry

no one could give me definative answer on that one, think as long as lime goes first thats most important, leave as long as possible between applications but weather has dictated my applications,

td5man

hugo29 wrote: »

no one could give me definative answer on that one, think as long as lime goes first thats most important, leave as long as possible between applications but weather has dictated my applications,

Two weeks.

hugo29

td5man wrote: »

Two weeks.

great, just two weeks today

Muckit

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

We make both. Both have a place. I really think where you are winning with bales is when your baling up light stuff, like surplus paddocks. Have the contractor working for you. Great value in it then. Zero extra fertilizer, quality silage, no topping and lovely clean butt for regrowth with no trash blocking out the light. You don't want to be too concerned with shape though as hard to get nice edges when baling short stuff. Stick them on end though and they are grand. Great to have them at start and end of feeding when not all stock are in. You're only opening what your using. Pit can start to dry out in spring if it starts to get warmer, no fear of that at the moment!;) Bales are also handy for selling.

Pit though would be my first choice hands down for a bulky main cut if you get in a contractor, have long draws, have a base, decent sized fields and flat land.

towzer2010

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

All bales here. I know pit is cheaper but by the time I put in a slab it would take a long time to make any savings I think.

bbam

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

Bales here since the mid 90's
Handy for handling when your on a small scale.

reilig

Bales here since 1989. Suits the farm really. All of the silage is never fit to cut on the 1 day. Sheep numbers in the past dictated that meadows which they winter grazed weren't ready to cut until the middle of july while we also like to have early meadows for silage to feed anything that we are trying to put condition on.

Bales suit the smaller farmer like ourselves who doesn't need to make a huge investment into a pit, effluent storage or shear grab.

hugo29

Kovu Murr wrote: »

How many here in the forum still wrap bales compared to pit silage? It would be interesting to know.

all bales here, suits me better

Bizzum

All baled with us. We would try and cut a field of hay most years but wrap it when the weather dictated.

getupthatyard

td5man wrote: »

How long are you supposed to leave between lime and slurry

Was at a teagasc grassland walk last year an dey gave out guidelines on lime, slurry and fert! Wat to apply first an times between lime first slurry after etc
Will try an put up a pic of it ere

thetiredfarmer

900 bales a year here .Do them myself and I dont think I ever had a dedicated silage field yet I just mow paddocks as they start to get strong.Quality is usually spot on.

dzer2

thetiredfarmer wrote: »

900 bales a year here .Do them myself and I dont think I ever had a dedicated silage field yet I just mow paddocks as they start to get strong.Quality is usually spot on.

About 200 bales here and the same only cut strong paddocks Bought my own machinery when in milk as it was impossible to get contractor on the day you wanted him. The baler is 25yr old now but still does the job have replaced the wrapper and bought a different tractor but every thing else dates from 93. You cant beat doing it the day its ready.;)

hugo29

getupthatyard wrote: »

Was at a teagasc grassland walk last year an dey gave out guidelines on lime, slurry and fert! Wat to apply first an times between lime first slurry after etc
Will try an put up a pic of it ere

[IMG][/img]https://www.dropbox.com/s/m3p21wczwkazhgf/2013-03-19%2012.53.00.jpg

thanks for that, looks like i could and should have gone slurry first and lime second, now to to show this to the advisor who told me go the other way

Timmaay

Just had the vet out for afew jobs, one being check a young heifer that had got abit of a bag, I was fairly sure she was incalf but wanted to see how far along she was etc. Turns out she is over 6months, born in Aug 11 so will only be 21months old calving down. Funfun! She'll fit in nicely with the JEx heifers in the parlour! Whelan ya call those ones slappers don't ya! I'm fairly sure a HE bullock who wasn't castrated right did the damage, I'm hoping no more surprises in stock for me!

Another plus to post quotas and flogging off the beef side of the farm, no chance of the likes of this!

getupthatyard

might be of some help

whelan1

Timmaay wrote: »

Just had the vet out for afew jobs, one being check a young heifer that had got abit of a bag, I was fairly sure she was incalf but wanted to see how far along she was etc. Turns out she is over 6months, born in Aug 11 so will only be 21months old calving down. Funfun! She'll fit in nicely with the JEx heifers in the parlour! Whelan ya call those ones slappers don't ya! I'm fairly sure a HE bullock who wasn't castrated right did the damage, I'm hoping no more surprises in stock for me!

Another plus to post quotas and flogging off the beef side of the farm, no chance of the likes of this!

ah , ya still get the odd immaculate conception here and there... will be interesting to see what the calf is when its born

whelan1

anyone at the Clongowes sale ?

just do it

hugo29 wrote: »

thanks for that, looks like i could and should have gone slurry first and lime second, now to to show this to the advisor who told me go the other way

Given the cold weather the N in your slurry won't have much of an impact any way, especially if the cold continues for another 7-10 days. It's a good guide though. I'd have thought 2 weeks was fine, especially if the lime got washed in.

hugo29

just do it wrote: »

Given the cold weather the N in your slurry won't have much of an impact any way, especially if the cold continues for another 7-10 days. It's a good guide though. I'd have thought 2 weeks was fine, especially if the lime got washed in.

oh it got well washed in, went in the day the weather broke, ground would have been pretty moist too

true on the weather issue