Acid on silage. Questions.

sheebadog

It's been many years since I used acid on silage and I've forgotten the rates. Anyone that can remember rates please divulge!

mahoney_j

sheebadog wrote: »

It's been many years since I used acid on silage and I've forgotten the rates. Anyone that can remember rates please divulge!

With ur weather Sheba why do u need any additive????.cut it ted it out 3 times and put it.we used to use it a few years back but don't bother any more since I bought a Tedder.if weather Is dodgy though you may need something

sheebadog

mahoney_j wrote: »

With ur weather Sheba why do u need any additive????.cut it ted it out 3 times and put it.we used to use it a few years back but don't bother any more since I bought a Tedder.if weather Is dodgy though you may need something

Tedding is not an option as the Tedder will knock the leaves off the crimson clover.
It will be dry enough but the ryegrass and crimson clover are extremely rich and hard to ensile.
I'm aiming for silage circa 20% protein so an acid additive would be a great help.

mahoney_j

sheebadog wrote: »

Tedding is not an option as the Tedder will knock the leaves off the crimson clover.
It will be dry enough but the ryegrass and crimson clover are extremely rich and hard to ensile.
I'm aiming for silage circa 20% protein so an acid additive would be a great help.

20% p in silage ,could only dream of that!!.if I can get it 14 to 15 I'm happy.on the crimson what would u think of it in a Italian ryegrass mix???.my coop rep wants me to try it sorry still not getting answer u want!!,try drop a pm to stan as he is proably the man in the know re that

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

20% p in silage ,could only dream of that!!.if I can get it 14 to 15 I'm happy.on the crimson what would u think of it in a Italian ryegrass mix???.my coop rep wants me to try it sorry still not getting answer u want!!,try drop a pm to stan as he is proably the man in the know re that

Lad in the info this week about reseeding.
He sows hybrid and itailuan with an einbock.
74 DMD 24%0 protein and 22 bales to the acre with no nitrogrn

stanflt

sheebadog wrote: »

It's been many years since I used acid on silage and I've forgotten the rates. Anyone that can remember rates please divulge!

For some reason I remember 1 litre per ton fresh weight

A barrel on the harvester used to do circa 30 acres but that was them old fashioned days when nobody talk tonnage of dm- how did we survive

sheebadog

stanflt wrote: »

For some reason I remember 1 litre per ton fresh weight

A barrel on the harvester used to do circa 30 acres but that was them old fashioned days when nobody talk tonnage of dm- how did we survive

Thanks Stan!

sheebadog

mahoney_j wrote: »

20% p in silage ,could only dream of that!!.if I can get it 14 to 15 I'm happy.on the crimson what would u think of it in a Italian ryegrass mix???.my coop rep wants me to try it sorry still not getting answer u want!!,try drop a pm to stan as he is proably the man in the know re that

I love the ryegrass and crimson clover mix - so do the cows. They milk through their teeth on it. The crimson clover is the tricky bit. You need to cut it just on the point of it flowering that's when the protein is at it's max.
It grows to about 3 feet high and all the protein is in the leaves. The leaves are easily lost and can't mowed with a conditioner mower. Just like lucerne.
You only get one cut from it because when you cut the stem that's it, gone.
When it's cut at the right time you are on about 25% protein but I seem to end up with 20% when it's fermented, hence trying acid.

Milked out

Crimson clover, that's red clover I assume? Is there issue with feeding to breeding cows due to presence of oestrogen? Could be well of but thought I read that somewhere

Muckit

Would an additional 5% protein justify the use of an acid? Perhaps you could supplement in the parlour with additional soya etc for cost equal and save your silage equipment from a quick death! Also from what little I've read) I hear it's hard to apply acid without loosing some of it through the swarth and onto the ground

sheebadog

Milked out wrote: »

Crimson clover, that's red clover I assume? Is there issue with feeding to breeding cows due to presence of oestrogen? Could be well of but thought I read that somewhere

No it's not the same as red clover.

sheebadog

Muckit wrote: »

Would an additional 5% protein justify the use of an acid? Perhaps you could supplement in the parlour with additional soya etc for cost equal and save your silage equipment from a quick death! Also from what little I've read) I hear it's hard to apply acid without loosing some of it through the swarth and onto the ground

Yes Muckit it would definitely justify the extra few quid.
Diet for cows here is very strong on energy but weak on protein, so I'll take all the protein I can get!
Anyhow with soya trading at over €400/ ton I would rather be selling than feeding to cows.

Milked out

sheebadog wrote: »

No it's not the same as red clover.

Would it grow over here our would it need warmer/ drier conditions

Damo810

How about using a bacterial inoculant? Speeds up fermentation, lowers pH, and helps preserves protein.

Gillespy

You'd be a fool to not use Powerstart from ABS, it reduces your calving interval by up to 10 days.

stanflt

Gillespy wrote: »

You'd be a fool to not use Powerstart from ABS, it reduces your calving interval by up to 10 days.

And you can win a quad

sheebadog

Milked out wrote: »

Would it grow over here our would it need warmer/ drier conditions

I would be afraid that it mightn't last the winter in Ireland.

stanflt

i was wrong

sheebadog

stanflt wrote: »

i was wrong

Again,thanks Stan. Any idea which would you reckon to be the best?
There would be no real reason to go for Formic as it will be quite dry at ensiling (I'm thinking).
Sulphuric?

stanflt

sheebadog wrote: »

Again,thanks Stan. Any idea which would you reckon to be the best?
There would be no real reason to go for Formic as it will be quite dry at ensiling (I'm thinking).
Sulphuric?

depends on the cost and conditions at cutting

sheebadog

stanflt wrote: »

depends on the cost and conditions at cutting

Not too worried about cost once it's not insane.
Probably cutting tomorrow as the clover is about to flower. Will cut with a 12 foot hay mower without conditioner. Sit to wilt for a day then rake and leave for a day.
Them nice and dry to ensile. Problem is the amount of nitrogen in the leaf.