Silage thread

Sharpshooter82

the weekend is looking good lad

simx

Finished mowing at 11.30 last night have all small jobs just about done now going picking in a few minutes, like an excited child playing with his toys

moy83

simx wrote: »

Finished mowing at 11.30 last night have all small jobs just about done now going picking in a few minutes, like an excited child playing with his toys

What are you using to pick up with simx ?

Sharpshooter82

Don't forget some pics

Milked out

Would silage this time of year be low in sugar and difficult to ferment or are ye using an additive??

simx

moy83 wrote: »

What are you using to pick up with simx ?

All picked and pit covered by 6pm yesterday, picking with a trailed harvester, i couldnt get a second man to draw so tried my hand at back filling for first time, might do it all like that next year now, one less man makes cheaper silage, little bit slower and dependent on fields some corners on headlands are c**ts to pick but you would put more in trailers too, anyway no point talking about next year yet just hope theres enough silage in pit for this winter

grazeaway

simx wrote: »

All picked and pit covered by 6pm yesterday, picking with a trailed harvester, i couldnt get a second man to draw so tried my hand at back filling for first time, might do it all like that next year now, one less man makes cheaper silage, little bit slower and dependent on fields some corners on headlands are c**ts to pick but you would put more in trailers too, anyway no point talking about next year yet just hope theres enough silage in pit for this winter

what do you mean by back filling? did you cut, draw and push it all up your self? i suppose with all the young lads back in school drivers arent easy to come by.

could a silage wagon be a better option for you instead, no harvestor or trailers. was chatting to a neighbour who got in a silage wagon for the 1st time this year, he usually got it done with a lad with a trailed harvestor and 2-3 trailers. i was asking him about time and he reckons it wasnt much more. he did silage bales out of the same fields 2 years ago and the silage wagon cleared it in the same time. he is trading in his loader tractor this year and was looking at the idea of getting a telehandler instead and i think the silage wagon has pushed him that way now. he'll defo get the wagon in again next year but will look to push it up himself.

Sharpshooter82

grazeaway wrote: »

what do you mean by back filling? did you cut, draw and push it all up your self? i suppose with all the young lads back in school drivers arent easy to come by.

could a silage wagon be a better option for you instead, no harvestor or trailers. was chatting to a neighbour who got in a silage wagon for the 1st time this year, he usually got it done with a lad with a trailed harvestor and 2-3 trailers. i was asking him about time and he reckons it wasnt much more. he did silage bales out of the same fields 2 years ago and the silage wagon cleared it in the same time. he is trading in his loader tractor this year and was looking at the idea of getting a telehandler instead and i think the silage wagon has pushed him that way now. he'll defo get the wagon in again next year but will look to push it up himself.

i think he means hooking the trailer to the back of the harvester and towing it along rather than a fella driving along side

grazeaway

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

i think he means hooking the trailer to the back of the harvester and towing it along rather than a fella driving along side

oh right yeah, we call it tow filling round here, side filling would be when the tailer is drawn alongside.

i was thinking that he was backing the trailer up onto the pit to reduce the time pushing it up

simx

grazeaway wrote: »

oh right yeah, we call it tow filling round here, side filling would be when the tailer is drawn alongside.

i was thinking that he was backing the trailer up onto the pit to reduce the time pushing it up

Yes towing the trailer i meant, there was a neighbour here used to pick 120 acres alone before with trailed harvester, go out and mow a bit, put on harvester, back fill two trailers, take off harvester bring in trailers, tip, then up on digger, back up, then repeat, that man was mad.for hardship

Sharpshooter82

simx wrote: »

Yes towing the trailer i meant, there was a neighbour here used to pick 120 acres alone before with trailed harvester, go out and mow a bit, put on harvester, back fill two trailers, take off harvester bring in trailers, tip, then up on digger, back up, then repeat, that man was mad.for hardship

Jaysus :eek:

simx

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

Jaysus :eek:

He has a wagon now alright but still plods away alone

Sharpshooter82

simx wrote: »

He has a wagon now alright but still plods away alone

I stacked about 80bales this evening and I'm goosed the thoughts of 120 acres on my Tod

simx

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

I stacked about 80bales this evening and I'm goosed the thoughts of 120 acres on my Tod

I couldnt imagine his silage was of great quality by the time he was finished years ago as it would take 2 weeks and maybe more, long time for pit to be open

thetiredfarmer

Going at 22 acres of fairly good grass tomorrow for baling /wrapping.Almost last of the jobs for this year I think,Just maybe 2 left along with 15 acres for myself.
Here's hoping the weather stays good for a few more weeks.

roosterman71

Cut 4 acres today. Will leave it till Friday to wilt and hopefully row up and bale then

case885

Anyone have 3rd cut left? When ye cutting?

satstheway

3rd to be cut next week hope weather is ok

whelan1

have a 20 acre field that is split in half, one side was grass silage other side had triticale/lupins in it. triticale side was reseeded 2 weeks ago with grass silage seed. The other side was cut 3 times for silage and is growing away again, do you think there would be a market to sell bales or grass silage off it in a few weeks, it would be near impossible to split it and let cows graze it

6480

whelan1 wrote: »

have a 20 acre field that is split in half, one side was grass silage other side had triticale/lupins in it. triticale side was reseeded 2 weeks ago with grass silage seed. The other side was cut 3 times for silage and is growing away again, do you think there would be a market to sell bales or grass silage off it in a few weeks, it would be near impossible to split it and let cows graze it

could you not let last springs calves graze it and keep them out for longer

st1979

Mowed 12 acres of hybrid ryegrass yesterday afternoon and baled a couple of hours later. Mowed nice and dry got no wilt but sugar should of been high as it was a lovely sunny day. Got 6 bales to the acre which surprised me. It was third cut. Field sowed with wheat and undersown in spring. Got big cut at cheesy stage mid july. Nice 2nd cut last week of august and then put 1 bag of CAN on for 3rd cut, could of done with 2 bags.
Makes me happy today that i beat the rain as its lashing since 4 am

Sharpshooter82

st1979 wrote: »

Mowed 12 acres of hybrid ryegrass yesterday afternoon and baled a couple of hours later. Mowed nice and dry got no wilt but sugar should of been high as it was a lovely sunny day. Got 6 bales to the acre which surprised me. It was third cut. Field sowed with wheat and undersown in spring. Got big cut at cheesy stage mid july. Nice 2nd cut last week of august and then put 1 bag of CAN on for 3rd cut, could of done with 2 bags.
Makes me happy today that i beat the rain as its lashing since 4 am

good stuff

Robson99

st1979 wrote: »

Mowed 12 acres of hybrid ryegrass yesterday afternoon and baled a couple of hours later. Mowed nice and dry got no wilt but sugar should of been high as it was a lovely sunny day. Got 6 bales to the acre which surprised me. It was third cut. Field sowed with wheat and undersown in spring. Got big cut at cheesy stage mid july. Nice 2nd cut last week of august and then put 1 bag of CAN on for 3rd cut, could of done with 2 bags.
Makes me happy today that i beat the rain as its lashing since 4 am

Have you tried this with wheat before ? Is the wheat better than barley?

st1979

Done wheat many times undersown. Done barley once years ago and triticale once. Wheat suits my heavy land better most years, triticale seed is dear but it is hardy so you need less spraying. But straw is very long. Wheat just kind of works. This year wanted to sow winter wheat (as a combineable crop) but autumn too wet. In spring couldn't get spring wheat or barley so sowed winter wheat seed on 1/3/13 and it sat there for over a month in the cold so taught all was lost and spread the grass seed on top and rolled in early april. Got no spray only fert and have plenty of feed for the extra cost of the wheat seed. Always hear that you don't get good results from undersowing as you don't get a good crop or you don't get a good reseed. I cant see the problem myself. Normally sow in spring and give it one spray cut and then have decent reseed. Am not looking for a perfect wholecrop and a perfect reseed i am happy with a cost effictive reseed that didn't lose much production in year 1.

Robson99

Have reseeded for the last few years by putting in grass seed with approx 5 stone of barley to the acre. 2.5 bags of 10-10-20/ acre when sowing. Usually sown mid May. 1.5 bags of 24-2.5-10 after 3 weeks. Cut between 80 & 90 days. Graze with lambs after. Never had a problem with grass quality the year after. Although a lot of the experts will tell you not to take a cut of silage off in the first year. I find a great way of combining reseeding and getting fodder for the winter

just do it

Robson99 wrote: »

Have reseeded for the last few years by putting in grass seed with approx 5 stone of barley to the acre. 2.5 bags of 10-10-20/ acre when sowing. Usually sown mid May. 1.5 bags of 24-2.5-10 after 3 weeks. Cut between 80 & 90 days. Graze with lambs after. Never had a problem with grass quality the year after. Although a lot of the experts will tell you not to take a cut of silage off in the first year. I find a great way of combining reseeding and getting fodder for the winter

Grazing with sheep is the key

Robson99

Robson99 wrote: »

Have reseeded for the last few years by putting in grass seed with approx 5 stone of barley to the acre. 2.5 bags of 10-10-20/ acre when sowing. Usually sown mid May. 1.5 bags of 24-2.5-10 after 3 weeks. Cut between 80 & 90 days. Graze with lambs after. Never had a problem with grass quality the year after. Although a lot of the experts will tell you not to take a cut of silage off in the first year. I find a great way of combining reseeding and getting fodder for the winter

As a matter of interest could the barley be replaced with Wheat? Does Wheat require better growing conditions / soil fertility than Barley? Would Wheat provide better feeding than barley or are they similar?

vanderbadger

Robson99 wrote: »

Have reseeded for the last few years by putting in grass seed with approx 5 stone of barley to the acre. 2.5 bags of 10-10-20/ acre when sowing. Usually sown mid May. 1.5 bags of 24-2.5-10 after 3 weeks. Cut between 80 & 90 days. Graze with lambs after. Never had a problem with grass quality the year after. Although a lot of the experts will tell you not to take a cut of silage off in the first year. I find a great way of combining reseeding and getting fodder for the winter

er?
sorry for stupid question but do you bale it or put it into pit, how would it work in wrapped bales, same as normal?

Robson99

vanderbadger wrote: »

er?
sorry for stupid question but do you bale it or put it into pit, how would it work in wrapped bales, same as normal?

We bale it vander. Cut it with disc mower, rake it and bale it. Use 6 layers of wrap because of the straw element. Have found that conditioner mowers tend to knock a fair bit of seed of it so thats why we use disc mower

vanderbadger

Robson99 wrote: »

We bale it vander. Cut it with disc mower, rake it and bale it. Use 6 layers of wrap because of the straw element. Have found that conditioner mowers tend to knock a fair bit of seed of it so thats why we use disc mower

sounds like good stuff, i have a silage field to do maybe next year i wouldnt mind trying that method