Silage stocks 2013

mf240

Well how are things looking for lads now? Will ye have enough?

I reckon I will be just ok. And that's after pushing the boat out big time on fertilizer and including, Some 3rd cut that has yet to grow I'm my calculations.

kevthegaff

mf240 wrote: »

Well how are things looking for lads now? Will ye have enough?

I reckon I will be just ok. And that's after pushing the boat out big time on fertilizer and including, Some 3rd cut that has yet to grow I'm my calculations.

i have 71 acres of a heavy cut in the pit, 150 small hay bales and gona buy 70-80 bales of wheaten. Should be grand

bob charles

Im very worried, I can forsee a similar problem to last year again in the worst effected areas. There are no surplus around here to be got. Im having trouble finding and buying silage for immediate use. Then again there seems to be very little grazing stock "up the country". Good few dealers tell me that guys that always buy animals didnt this year and cut feeding. One saving grace this winter will be the price of cereals wont be anything like last year. Are pockets deep enough to sustain that again. Somehow I think we maybe in for an easy winter . As of yet I have nothing, can even buy wholecrop as most of the tillage farmers as they are at the merchants beck and call due to credit reasons. to clear a ton of Urea bought in Feb will require 3 tons of barley delivered in the gate :eek:

Walked my crops today and I would have being better if I had not. What looks like a super crop of beet is all fanged. presume I'm looking at a serious reduction in tonnage, maize crops are average and similar to last year at best. I have a horrible picture of a completely levelled field of spring barley

Timmaay

Lowly enough stocked here which usually means we are never under too much pressure, if we are we'd usually just horse out abit more fertiliser, but this year even that hasn't done the trick, the drought cripped most our 2nd cut, so its in with more fertiliser and get afew acres 3rd cut. Earlier in the year I thought I'd be comfortably able to build back up silage stocks, and have 100 or so bales to sell on, I'll be happy if I end up with enough for myself now, it certainly would not want to be a late spring again.

loveta

Should be grand, got burned this spring by being restricted so when got clear in may trimmed the herd back to the bone and have the 2nd cut in 2 weeks today so after grass is exploding at the minute to the point should have surplus for bales if need be.

1chippy

I have the usual quantity in. i will be knocking another 17 acres as surplus or necessitie, were not sure, i have yet to decide on whethr i will be holding this years weanlings or selling

delaval

I think we'll get out.

Not as much in stock as last year after 10's bumper crop. All pits were empty at start of silage this year. I have sugar beet ordered washed and chopped, was questioning my decision in June. I have now changed my view as we ate a massive amount of bales in July. We will pit on delivery mixed ith a pulp of some kind.

Have late second cut to take at first chance and have fert spread on ground that cows can't get to for 3rd cut. I may decide to let grow and block graze with heifers in Oct and Nov. My other option is to bale it in 3 weeks fert again and graze in Dec and Jan as i did all other years, this is my preferred option as we graze all weanlings for the winter.

jomoloney

have 30 acres ready for baling, looks heavy enough,

even so we are going to be very thight, hopefully might get extended grazing into Nov,

will access the situation at housing & decide then

RaggyDays

There is an app available on android for this

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livestockfeed

TUBBY

One thing 4 sure lads, i wont be listening to teagasc about in early and back out early this year. Left a butt of grass 4 early turnout and it was no benefit. Goin to graze for as long as i can without poaching. That will save good few bales.

bob charles

TUBBY wrote: »

One thing 4 sure lads, i wont be listening to teagasc about in early and back out early this year. Left a butt of grass 4 early turnout and it was no benefit. Goin to graze for as long as i can without poaching. That will save good few bales.

overwintered grass is never worth a >>>>, start to new year with a clean out sward every time. surly everyone has learned this over the last number of winters

TUBBY

bob charles wrote: »

overwintered grass is never worth a >>>>, start to new year with a clean out sward every time. surly everyone has learned this over the last number of winters

Obviously not bob:-)

Sam Kade

RaggyDays wrote: »

There is an app available on android for this

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livestockfeed

I have a better app it's built into my head

Sam Kade

bob charles wrote: »

overwintered grass is never worth a >>>>, start to new year with a clean out sward every time. surly everyone has learned this over the last number of winters

It did work back when we got mild winters a few years ago. I used to have a bank of grass for dairy cows after calving, a few years I got away with 2 month wintering

Conmaicne Mara

Sam Kade wrote: »

It did work back when we got mild winters a few years ago.

Yes, I don't house the sheep but put them to the hill. In a normal Winter I'll send them out after tipping, then have the farm cleared. Bring them in again 6 weeks before lambing. I didn't do that last year and left some hangers on in on the farm and let them graze late. By feck did I end up paying for it. Grass grows grass and it's handy to have a head start in Spring rather than bared down to the soil.

mahoney_j

Aghh lads early spring grass is invaluable especially for dairy cows and also yearlings.the trick is The trick is to start closing up paddocks from early October to have a nice bank of grass for turnout in late jan early feb.even frost burnt grass is as good if not better than >70 dmd silage.the trick is in how you manage it with strip grazing etc. a lot of crap cones out of Tegasc but autumn and spring rotation planners are excellent tools..can't see the point in grazing the farm bare up to early or mid December and having little or no grass till mid to late march.i know a guy that dose this and then won't let stock out to gras till silage is nearly all eat.with a bit of planning he could have stock out till late November and still be back out grazing in early feb.grass quality for him though is put ****e though most years from mid to late April through to late summer and this is a direct consequence of the way the farm is set up during winter/spring.grass is this country's best and cheapest feed as long as if is managed correctly

Muckit

delaval wrote: »

we ate a massive amount of bales in July. .

What would you call a massive amount? Put a figure on it... and shock us (maybe) would it be north of 200?

delaval

Muckit wrote: »

What would you call a massive amount? Put a figure on it... and shock us (maybe) would it be north of 200?

All bales that were thought to be surplus:D

stanflt

Did the teagasc fodder planner-, allowed for a 7 month winter and I have a 6% surplus as silage tested at 42 dm and bales at 51dm which means I have nearly twice the tonnage of dm- also will have a 20 tonne crop of maize

Muckit

delaval wrote: »

All bales that were thought to be surplus:D

spoil sport:p We'l say 250 so

delaval

Muckit wrote: »

spoil sport:p We'l say 250 so

A lot of bales for 85 cows;)

delaval

mahoney_j wrote: »

Aghh lads early spring grass is invaluable especially for dairy cows and also yearlings.the trick is The trick is to start closing up paddocks from early October to have a nice bank of grass for turnout in late jan early feb.even frost burnt grass is as good if not better than >70 dmd silage.the trick is in how you manage it with strip grazing etc. a lot of crap cones out of Tegasc but autumn and spring rotation planners are excellent tools..can't see the point in grazing the farm bare up to early or mid December and having little or no grass till mid to late march.i know a guy that dose this and then won't let stock out to gras till silage is nearly all eat.with a bit of planning he could have stock out till late November and still be back out grazing in early feb.grass quality for him though is put ****e though most years from mid to late April through to late summer and this is a direct consequence of the way the farm is set up during winter/spring.grass is this country's best and cheapest feed as long as if is managed correctly

This is absolutly correct.
We have 2.5 rounds left so need to be thinking of Spring grass now. It's your attention to detail from now on that determines wheather you will have grass in Feb and march or not.

Any paddock grased in the early Oct should not be touched 'till feb no matter what grass comes back on it........RULE No. 1

td5man

delaval wrote: »

This is absolutly correct.
We have 2.5 rounds left so need to be thinking of Spring grass now. It's your attention to detail from now on that determines wheather you will have grass in Feb and march or not.

Any paddock grased in the early Oct should not be touched 'till feb no matter what grass comes back on it........RULE No. 1

When do you go with last fertiliser?
Adviser says to start closing paddocks around 10 Oct, he also estimated that we have a fodder surplus of "26 tonne"!!!!!
Must do a fodder budget myself .

Sam Kade

mahoney_j wrote: »

i know a guy that dose this and then won't let stock out to gras till silage is nearly all eat.with a bit of planning he could have stock out till late November and still be back out grazing in early feb.

What he is doing is keeping cattle in to cut silage and cutting silage to keep cattle in.

delaval

Sam Kade wrote: »

What he is doing is keeping cattle in to cut silage and cutting silage to keep cattle in.

:D:D

delaval

td5man wrote: »

When do you go with last fertiliser?
Adviser says to start closing paddocks around 10 Oct, he also estimated that we have a fodder surplus of "26 tonne"!!!!!
Must do a fodder budget myself .

I will front load, so will go with 50 units in mid to late Aug and 27 at the closing date.
I think for Co Meath a closing date of the 1st of Oct, Maybe Stan can shed some light. You are fairly North.

td5man

delaval wrote: »

I will front load, so will go with 50 units in mid to late Aug and 27 at the closing date.
I think for Co Meath a closing date of the 1st of Oct, Maybe Stan can shed some light. You are fairly North.

Our ground would be a few weeks behind stan's.

mahoney_j

Sam Kade wrote: »

What he is doing is keeping cattle in to cut silage and cutting silage to keep cattle in.

The guys is pure old school and dosnt fully appreciate the value of early grass or even grass full stop!! No manure out till early April any year ,slurry plastered out for silage in mid to late april(3 to 4 k gallons) none out before that and again after first cut.sure he's happy though and thinks anyone doin any different to him is stone mad!!cattle or dry cows often in sheds most years till mid may just to empty the puts even though grass could be out over the ditches

delaval

mahoney_j wrote: »

The guys is pure old school and dosnt fully appreciate the value of early grass or even grass full stop!! No manure out till early April any year ,slurry plastered out for silage in mid to late april(3 to 4 k gallons) none out before that and again after first cut.sure he's happy though and thinks anyone doin any different to him is stone mad!!cattle or dry cows often in sheds most years till mid may just to empty the puts even though grass could be out over the ditches

A lot of guys need grass waving before they would even think of checking the fence

bob charles

But there has to be some merit in people that leave animals in and dont have them out the first dry day and doing damage to the sward. You certainly cant graze late and again early and be on here willy waveing here saying your growing 8t dm per ac which is \**\. graze when trafficability conditions allow irrespective of what date it is.


Im of the belief of, ground cleaned off before xmas, 3k gallons of slurry 15th of Jan and 40 units of urea before the 1st of Feb if conditions allow to do all the above. You will have a lovely thick sward setup for the year



hold on we are talking about feed stocks, not spring grazing. Plenty of early guys were caught with there pants around their ankles this year, and had to pay double the price for feed. Some saving

stanflt

delaval wrote: »

I will front load, so will go with 50 units in mid to late Aug and 27 at the closing date.
I think for Co Meath a closing date of the 1st of Oct, Maybe Stan can shed some light. You are fairly North.

around 10oct is closing here

mahoney_j

bob charles wrote: »

But there has to be some merit in people that leave animals in and dont have them out the first dry day and doing damage to the sward. You certainly cant graze late and again early and be on here willy waveing here saying your growing 8t dm per ac which is \**\. graze when trafficability conditions allow irrespective of what date it is.

Ill argue that u can bob and if u have stock which poach swards badly then the finger points directly at by the farmer for letting it happen!!i wouldn't be willy waving either if I was only growing 8 tonne of grass in paddocks either!!

bob charles

mahoney_j wrote: »

I wouldn't be willy waving either if I was only growing 8 tonne of grass in paddocks either!!

you should be in the record books so like lots of farmers who live in dreamland with the tonnages they get off there land

mahoney_j

bob charles wrote: »

you should be in the record books so like lots of farmers who live in dreamland with the tonnages they get off there land

Sure dreamland is a great place bob,come on up here to us!!

bob charles

mahoney_j wrote: »

Sure dreamland is a great place bob,come on up here to us!!

So how many tons of dm grass are you growing per ac so. Reality is a much sober place to be. plenty of dreamers and spoofers on here anyway

mahoney_j

bob charles wrote: »

So how many tons of dm grass are you growing per ac so. Reality is a much sober place to be

Best paddocks grew over 14 last year and worst grew over 9.average across milking block and outside farm was 11.5.dry farm and oldest pastures are 8 years in at worst.still room for improvement though

bob charles

mahoney_j wrote: »

Best paddocks grew over 14 last year and worst grew over 9.average across milking block and outside farm was 11.5.dry farm and oldest pastures are 8 years in at worst.still room for improvement though

Tons of DM/ac I stated. Gold medal for you chap, growing 14tons of dm or give or take 52t of graze grass per ac. If you are happy in dreamland stay there m8.

stanflt

bob charles wrote: »

So how many tons of dm grass are you growing per ac so. Reality is a much sober place to be

utilized 11.8ton dm hectare last year

bob charles

stanflt wrote: »

utilized 11.8ton dm hectare last year

there is a big difference between and ac and a ha though. presume thats and average figure over whole farm Stan, did the bad year really drag down utilization?

stanflt

bob charles wrote: »

there is a big difference between and ac and a ha though. presume thats and average figure Stan, did the bad year really drag down utilization?

thats a very high fiqure bob 11.8ton dm/ha would be top 1%

bob charles

stanflt wrote: »

thats a very high fiqure bob 11.8ton dm/ha would be top 1%

an average figure over your whole farm is what I meant.

mahoney_j

bob charles wrote: »

Tons of DM/ac I stated. Gold medal for you chap, growing 14tons of dm or give or take 52t of graze grass per ac. If you are happy in dreamland stay there m8.

Working in he bob you do the maths ,I have figures to back it up.

stanflt

bob charles wrote: »

an average figure over your whole farm is what I meant.

that is whole farm bob including silage ground-

you really do have an awful lot to learn- maybe if you stopped belittling grass your diet feeder wouldnt need relining so often

bob charles

mahoney_j wrote: »

Working in he bob you do the maths ,I have figures to back it up.

go back up and read post 30 where I specifically stated 8ton of dry matter per ha.

If you want to misread things it aint my problem. accept your wrong and move on.

delaval

stanflt wrote: »

thats a very high fiqure bob 11.8ton dm/ha would be top 1%

Bob same here.
To put it in your terms thats the same as 12 tonne wheat per ha on the whole farm...........many doing it?

Timmaay

"bob wrote:

of DM I stated. Gold medal for you chap, growing 14tons of dm or give or take 52t of graze grass. If you are happy in dreamland stay there m8.

Ok assume you are right bob, and we are all wayy off with our ultimate figures of grass growth, surely you'll accept that measuring grass regularly from one year to the next will allow you to compare changes from one year to the next, things like implementation of rotation planners, comparing reseeds etc, your logic appears to be that grass based systems are so flawed that its ultimately not worth even trying to do any sort of grassland management, at the end of the day, chaps like delaval, stan, maloney have provided to me that it all appears to have plenty of merit, with their profit monitor figures at the end of the day, my profit monitor figures most certainly don't come anyway close to what I could be achieving, there might be an element of willy waving (esp from stan ), but that doesn't bother me at all if at the end of the day if it all results in more money in my pocket!

delaval

Timmaay wrote: »

Ok assume you are right bob, and we are all wayy off with our ultimate figures of grass growth, surely you'll accept that measuring grass regularly from one year to the next will allow you to compare changes from one year to the next, things like implementation of rotation planners, comparing reseeds etc, your logic appears to be that grass based systems are so flawed that its ultimately not worth even trying to do any sort of grassland management, at the end of the day, chaps like delaval, stan, maloney have provided to me that it all appears to have plenty of merit, with their profit monitor figures at the end of the day, my profit monitor figures most certainly don't come anyway close to what I could be achieving, there might be an element of willy waving (esp from stan ), but that doesn't bother me at all if at the end of the day if it all results in more money in my pocket!

We are only small fry at the willy waving compared to quadboy:P

Bob is there some where you could go to get your one fixed;)

bob charles

stanflt wrote: »

that is whole farm bob including silage ground-

you really do have an awful lot to learn- maybe if you stopped belittling grass your diet feeder wouldnt need relining so often

maybe so, just utilisation figures are much lower where im farming. Recently looking at a 5 ac paddock during the real dry spell which was perfect for grazing. Field has 5ft white thorn hedge all around it. First meter gone with leccie fence, next 3m utilisation was only around 50% if even, around the gate there was a radius of the first 5m complete earth from animals standing around and then another 3 m outside that where utilisation was below 50%. same again at the water trough but not as bad. Makes the utilisation drop like a stone. Talking to a guy who has done allot of research into this for costings and he is using a figure of only 80%

its the feeders first reline @ 30k tons so not bad going in my book. Hoping to keep it going so it will cost 50 cent a ton, for machine and repairs.

bob charles

delaval wrote: »

Bob is there some where you could go to get your one fixed;)

Nah its bollixed

stanflt

delaval wrote: »

Bob same here.
To put it in your terms thats the same as 12 tonne wheat per ha on the whole farm...........many doing it?

thats 5.3ton of wheat at 18%moisture and 600kg of straw per acre

bob charles

delaval wrote: »

Bob same here.
To put it in your terms thats the same as 12 tonne wheat per ha on the whole farm...........many doing it?

I accept it a good figure and never said otherwise. just asked if utilisation was pulled lower with the crap weather last year.

10 of ww over the whole area is gold medal standard, 12 is pub talk.