Silage thread

Muckit

Will you be cutting later than last year? Meadows doing OK here for weather we've being getting, but still look a long way off being fit for 2 weeks time

Will ye be delaying cutting? Will this effect quality of you do?

Marooned75

About three weeks hoping to get second cut from one of the fields

Dampintheattic

Usually week 1 June. This year, week four:o
Meadows not reseeded. Never take second cut.
Will have to try this year.:mad:

delaval

Would usually be cutting some this week. It will be another fortnight at least. Will mow 15ha on Monday for bales getting ahead of cows really should have done this week.

blue5000

Aiming for 4th week of June, if it grows, might wrap the most advanced paddock before that so weanlings will have a bit of quality.

dzer2

Last week of may as bad as the yr has being the silage ground is still not that far behind only because we didnt get to graze it in march. Its still wet enough and a few dry weeks are neeeded.

Timmaay

About 60% of the 1st cut will be very early June, cant compromise on the quality of this for the winter milkers, the rest maybe end of June.

mf240

All bales so will be cutting the best resseded fields end of may and these will be cut twice some three times. (winter milkers and some finishers and weanlings)

Will be leaving 20 acres of old grass to bulk up well into june, this will feed drys and stores. this land will be grazed afterwards.

mahoney_j

Should be knocking it in a weeks time but now shoved back to early June,a few paddocks to be knocked for bales on Sunday,going to keep the fertiliser out and bale often and hard this summer.quality important for me so am going to suffer a bit with the pit this year ,still hopping for 70 plus dmd had 78 last year

darragh_haven

Usually cutting between the 17th and 21st of May. This year it'll be the first week of june. Most likely the june bank holiday weekend. Quality will probably suffer slightly but that's just the way the year is going.

delaval

mahoney_j wrote: »

Should be knocking it in a weeks time but now shoved back to early June,a few paddocks to be knocked for bales on Sunday,going to keep the fertiliser out and bale often and hard this summer.quality important for me so am going to suffer a bit with the pit this year ,still hopping for 70 plus dmd had 78 last year

SUNDAY ??

bob charles

I must take the horse to France first

darragh_haven

Stanfit is too busy to reply. He's probably knocking grass right now.

yellow50HX

closed off the silage fields a fortnight ago and stuffed them, great growth the 1st week nothing during the 2nd. cows just finishing 2nd rototaion, will need to monitior the regrowth as if not they'll be going into one of the silage fileds. usually cut in early/mid june but that'll be later this year. If we get amazing weather over the next month we might be able to cut it for hay (it'll save a few bob not having to wrap). will hope for a second cut in august from other fields along with some arable bit aswell.

"come on sunshine, poppa needs grass"

was chatting to contractor the other day, he reckons the bale lads will be busy this year as he doubts a topper will be used anywhere this year. Anything that gets too strong will be flopped and wrapped. I broke part of the frame on my topper about 2 years ago and havent used it since, baled and wrapped any fields that got too strong, will be doing that in future too. Lad next door has his own baler (does a bit of tillage) and bought a mower and wrapper last year only did about 15ac of 1st cut last year but did about 10 small cuts from april to october, anything from 2 to 10ac at a time

mahoney_j

delaval wrote: »

SUNDAY ??

That's the plan anyway a lot will depend on how wet sat night is,have a Tedder so will be turning it out 2 or 3 times possibly more depending on how warm and sunny it is,just looking back through diary and seemed to have cut and baled a lit of silage on Sundays last year,so much for keeping the sabbath a holy day!!!!

epfff

nothing closed yet
grass mad tight with me
plan to tighten up stock at weekend and make no pit just cut bales as grass gets ahead of me all summer

Dampintheattic

mahoney_j wrote: »

That's the plan anyway a lot will depend on how wet sat night is,have a Tedder so will be turning it out 2 or 3 times possibly more depending on how warm and sunny it is,just looking back through diary and seemed to have cut and baled a lit of silage on Sundays last year,so much for keeping the sabbath a holy day!!!!

No wonder the weather is gone as it is

simx

only 15 ac closed and slow coming on, closing another 12 this weekend, might spread it monday as good bit of rain meant for tomorrow

bogman_bass

first fine day after June 5th

whelan1

might do a few bales next week and first cut in 2 weeks

case 5150

bales next 2 maybe 3 fine days but might be pushing it looking for 3, slightly off topic but anyone spray off or start reseeding yet, hoping to spray off monday

Farmer Pudsey

Will cut Italian Ryegrass next week would have cut it this week except for weather, will cut normal paddocks early June and reclose some for second cut. Will cut Italian twice more. Have to get undersown field in yet hope next week end.

bob charles

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Will cut Italian Ryegrass next week would have cut it this week except for weather, will cut normal paddocks early June and reclose some for second cut. Will cut Italian twice more. Have to get undersown field in yet hope next week end.

Are you only cutting RVP 3 times? seen second cut being done today, I had first cut on the 18th of March and contractor has knocked it again today, might try another bit to keep the show on the road

severeoversteer

tell me if you stiched in hybrid ryegrass into bare silage ground after cutting , would it be fit to take a light cut of silage of it 4- 6 weeks later? not to smother the new grass like.. would give it sprays aswell to control weeds and adequate fertilisation. probably high nitrogen would cause old grass to advance quickly.

aim is to get at least 2 cuts off all silage ground

bob charles

severeoversteer wrote: »

tell me if you stiched in hybrid ryegrass into bare silage ground after cutting , would it be fit to take a light cut of silage of it 4- 6 weeks later? not to smother the new grass like.. would give it sprays aswell to control weeds and adequate fertilisation. probably high nitrogen would cause old grass to advance quickly.

aim is to get at least 2 cuts off all silage ground

dont mess around, spray off growing silage and harvest between day 3 and 14 and straight in with the drill. should have silage to cut again in circa 11 weeks

freedominacup

Timmaay wrote: »

About 60% of the 1st cut will be very early June, cant compromise on the quality of this for the winter milkers, the rest maybe end of June.

I'd say by early next week you will be compromising on quality. Grass will be heading out regardless of how long it's stoped and once that happens quality starts to plummet. By the first week of June quality is no longer an issue and you mught as well let it bulk away for a while.

keep going

aiming to cut somewhere around 10 to 15 june.putting on a second split as 18.6.12x2bags which should be safe enough by then.baling a strong paddock this week

dzer2

freedominacup wrote: »

I'd say by early next week you will be compromising on quality. Grass will be heading out regardless of how long it's stoped and once that happens quality starts to plummet. By the first week of June quality is no longer an issue and you mught as well let it bulk away for a while.

Most of the stuff we reseeded with heads out about 10th June. It was designed for a graze and the cut dont know if you can get it any more.

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

I'd say by early next week you will be compromising on quality. Grass will be heading out regardless of how long it's stoped and once that happens quality starts to plummet. By the first week of June quality is no longer an issue and you mught as well let it bulk away for a while.

Considering the forecast isn't too bad at all for next week I'd be going in and taking it out then if it was my decision, we usually get a decent 2nd cut anyways, esp on the fresh reseeds. On that note I think I'll still try get it out in early June, will be going for a 2nd cut on 2/3s of it anyways so might as well get it back growing.

I really should have gone with some maize also ha, I wouldn't need to be as fussy about quality of the silage for the winter ladies in that case.

kowtow

freedominacup wrote: »

I'd say by early next week you will be compromising on quality. Grass will be heading out regardless of how long it's stoped and once that happens quality starts to plummet. By the first week of June quality is no longer an issue and you mught as well let it bulk away for a while.

Is quality really going to drop off as quickly as normal given the slow growth and low temperatures?

We have some silage ground closed on 1st April, had slurry then but hasn't had any CAN or Urea yet - there is some nice grass on it but would be a very low yield if we baled it now -

I'm planning to put some pasture sward out on to it tomorrow or Monday but I want it cut for quality even if the yield is low - thinking of a bag an acre just to thicken it up a bit but don't want to delay cutting at all if quality is going to be worse.

dzer2

kowtow wrote: »

Is quality really going to drop off as quickly as normal given the slow growth and low temperatures?

We have some silage ground closed on 1st April, had slurry then but hasn't had any CAN or Urea yet - there is some nice grass on it but would be a very low yield if we baled it now -

I'm planning to put some pasture sward out on to it tomorrow or Monday but I want it cut for quality even if the yield is low - thinking of a bag an acre just to thicken it up a bit but don't want to delay cutting at all if quality is going to be worse.

I spread 3 bags of 18-6-12 per acre on the 8th of April on ground that I will cut for silage there is great cover there now and wellbulked up but with the poor growing conditions I will leave for 8 weeks after spreading to be sure to be sure. I would be afraid that the nitrogen would still be in the grass.

hugo29

Would there be too much of nitrogen over load in 2 bags 10 10 20 and I bag can per acre , only getting silage ground rightly taken up now, end July cut , been a few cows picking it last few weeks

mf240

hugo29 wrote: »

Would there be too much of nitrogen over load in 2 bags 10 10 20 and I bag can per acre , only getting silage ground rightly taken up now, end July cut , been a few cows picking it last few weeks

You could put 3 bags can as well as 10 10 20

Farmer Pudsey

hugo29 wrote: »

Would there be too much of nitrogen over load in 2 bags 10 10 20 and I bag can per acre , only getting silage ground rightly taken up now, end July cut , been a few cows picking it last few weeks

Urea would be cheaper 2X urea and 10.10.20. Because of the weather consider splitting the nitrogen using only a bag of urea now and again in 3 weeks time. If it dry's up a lot you can use a bag and a half of CAN the next time. Feeding will be scares next winter so even if you have extra you will get any money you put into it back. The last thing you want is to be buying silage next winter if you can avoid it.

dasheriff

Id say there wont be a good cut of silage taken around here untill the first of july its a clean disaster

Alibaba

dasheriff wrote: »

Id say there wont be a good cut of silage taken around here untill the first of july its a clean disaster

Same in Kerry. At least 1st of July. Manured fields month ago. Hardly nothing in them now. Normally would be fit to cut in a couple of weeks.
On top of that land is saturated.
Total disaster. Definitely the Spring From Hell.

just do it

80 units of N went out on 29th April so 8th June is first possible date. Weather and yield will dictate. Won't delay though as want to take a second cut and reseed.

case885

mahoney_j wrote: »

That's the plan anyway a lot will depend on how wet sat night is,have a Tedder so will be turning it out 2 or 3 times possibly more depending on how warm and sunny it is,just looking back through diary and seemed to have cut and baled a lit of silage on Sundays last year,so much for keeping the sabbath a holy day!!!!

forget the sabbath hate people who say sunday is not for working farmers are always working especially if you are under pressure with weather

manjou

Silage will probably be in middle of july as fertliser only going out this week had to graze it 3 times since feb. Have some grazing ground that will be ready for baling in june but depends on grass growth which was very slow but might pick up this week as dry weather is forcast.Going for bulk as will be cheaper i think to add meal when cows calve than buy silage next winter.

freedominacup

manjou wrote: »

Silage will probably be in middle of july as fertliser only going out this week had to graze it 3 times since feb. Have some grazing ground that will be ready for baling in june but depends on grass growth which was very slow but might pick up this week as dry weather is forcast.Going for bulk as will be cheaper i think to add meal when cows calve than buy silage next winter.

It woud be cheaper again to add straw to quality silage for dry stock and have good quality available to fresh calvers.

stanflt

darragh_haven wrote: »

Stanfit is too busy to reply. He's probably knocking grass right now.

been busy but no silage made yet-


going at 80acres tomorrow at lunch time


Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

whelan1

case885 wrote: »

forget the sabbath hate people who say sunday is not for working farmers are always working especially if you are under pressure with weather

we had a contractor sowing our maize a few years ago, he came on a saturday evening did a few rows up the field and then said by the way we dont work sundays, rained monday and tuesday so was wednesday before he came back, was the last job he ever did here

fatoftheland

30 acres on Saturday and another 30 acres in a fortnight, were closed off first week in April and got CAN, pasture swart and slurry.

Muckit

stanflt wrote: »

been busy but no silage made yet- going at 80acres tomorrow at lunch time

Hope all goes well. It looks lie the weather is good for tomorrow and Tuesday. Do you plan to pick it on Tuesday? Will you be tedding?

Timmaay

Stan whats the cover like in comparison to other years? Back by much?

Muckit

Timmaay wrote: »

Stan whats the cover like in comparison to other years? Back by much?

I was thinking same Timmay. Would class Stan as top of the pile, and with his silage ground that height, don't feel as bad. Looks top quality stuff has to be said.

Does anyone test grass before cutting or is that OTT?

stanflt

Muckit wrote: »

Hope all goes well. It looks lie the weather is good for tomorrow and Tuesday. Do you plan to pick it on Tuesday? Will you be tedding?

picking up wed morn-defo tedding

using an additive from kw forages
Biotal Axphast gold is the highest
spec wet grass treatment
on the market. Improved animal performance and
effluent reductions of up to 50% from the resultant
silage are normal. Its use can also allow you the
flexibility of cutting and ensiling grass at higher
nitrate levels.

stanflt

Timmaay wrote: »

Stan whats the cover like in comparison to other years? Back by much?

similar covers but cutting date back one week on last year, 3 weeks on year before

stanflt

Muckit wrote: »

I was thinking same Timmay. Would class Stan as top of the pile, and with his silage ground that height, don't feel as bad. Looks top quality stuff has to be said.

Does anyone test grass before cutting or is that OTT?

have grass in freezer that kw forages are collecting in the morning to test nitrates

Muckit

Do you think sugars will be low or will it be harder ensile if it's wet, or what is your reasoning behind using an additive?

what will be the additional cost per ton/ per acre?

stanflt

Muckit wrote: »

Do you think sugars will be low or will it be harder ensile if it's wet, or what is your reasoning behind using an additive?

what will be the additional cost per ton/ per acre?

worried about nitrates with the poor growth-dont want 500tonne of rotten first cut

1.80per ton