Silage thread

Sami23

Morning everyone, advice and opinions needed.
Have silage that badly needs to be cut as closed bit too long now due to weather.
Question is should I take chance and cut today or tomorrow even thou there's showers promised every day including Saturday or should I wait and hope weather improves next week ?
Thanks

Farmer Pudsey

Sami23 wrote: »

Morning everyone, advice and opinions needed.
Have silage that badly needs to be cut as closed bit too long now due to weather.
Question is should I take chance and cut today or tomorrow even thou there's showers promised every day including Saturday or should I wait and hope weather improves next week ?
Thanks

I had same qundry, sorry I did not cut early last week. Cut Sunday got 4-6mm Sunday night but it is nearly ready now. hope to bale up this evening. Cut it when it is dry and do not ted it out unless it is very heavy. Try to make sure no heavy rain forecast for 3 day if a lightest crop if a very heavy first crop you will need 4 days at least.

http://www.weather-forecast.com/
http://www.bbc.com/weather/2635167

I use the above weather forecasts and try to judge weather. As one lads always says it is time to be getting on with it. Around me weekend looks very bad from monday on it is like this weekk around me.

Reggie.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I had same qundry, sorry I did not cut early last week. Cut Sunday got 4-6mm Sunday night but it is nearly ready now. hope to bale up this evening. Cut it when it is dry and do not ted it out unless it is very heavy. Try to make sure no heavy rain forecast for 3 day if a lightest crop if a very heavy first crop you will need 4 days at least.

http://www.weather-forecast.com/
http://www.bbc.com/weather/2635167

I use the above weather forecasts and try to judge weather. As one lads always says it is time to be getting on with it. Around me weekend looks very bad from monday on it is like this weekk around me.

Why not ted?

orm0nd

we're mowing to day

blackdog1

Cut 2nd cut last week. Got a bit of rain day after I cut but the day I picked it up was great. Still a small bit more moisture than I would have liked. First cut looked fantastic though.

td5man

blackdog1 wrote: »

Cut 2nd cut last week. Got a bit of rain day after I cut but the day I picked it up was great. Still a small bit more moisture than I would have liked. First cut looked fantastic though.

+1

Farmer Pudsey

Reggie. wrote: »

Why not ted?

Tedded grass holds water easier than grass lying in rows. If crop is light let it wilt in rows. If heavy cut with conditioner and let it wilt as much as possible in rows. Lads often go in too fast with tedders in this type of weather. This is how often you see that black hay. The grass is in knots and it holds water in these lumps. Rain water will run through the rows if only showers. Row up 24 hours before baling.

I find this works but maybe I am wrong any other opinions.

Reggie.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Tedded grass holds water easier than grass lying in rows. If crop is light let it wilt in rows. If heavy cut with conditioner and let it wilt as much as possible in rows. Lads often go in too fast with tedders in this type of weather. This is how often you see that black hay. The grass is in knots and it holds water in these lumps. Rain water will run through the rows if only showers. Row up 24 hours before baling.

I find this works but maybe I am wrong any other opinions.

I'd say in a way your right Pudsey but I find water sits in a row more than tedded grass as the row has a higher volume of grass in it that wind might not be able to dry off where with the grass spread out the wind can get through it quicker...less volume per area

Bullocks

Reggie. wrote: »

I'd say in a way your right Pudsey but I find water sits in a row more than tedded grass as the row has a higher volume of grass in it that wind might not be able to dry off where with the grass spread out the wind can get through it quicker...less volume per area

I don't know Reggie , the dry ground in between the rows is a better help in drying I reckon . The conditioned row should catch a breeze better than grass lying flat aswell

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

I don't know Reggie , the dry ground in between the rows is a better help in drying I reckon . The conditioned row should catch a breeze better than grass lying flat aswell

I thought the same but alot has to do with the terrain aswell. Ground may be dry between the rows but No good if the ground underneath the row is soaked tho. We got a heavy mist yesterday on the hay and I thought it was game over as it got soaked. Tedded it last night around 8pm and the high ground was bone dry again with the hollows still damp underneath

Farmer Pudsey

Reggie. wrote: »

I thought the same but alot has to do with the terrain aswell. Ground may be dry between the rows but No good if the ground underneath the row is soaked tho. We got a heavy mist yesterday on the hay and I thought it was game over as it got soaked. Tedded it last night around 8pm and the high ground was bone dry again with the hollows still damp underneath

I agree that terrain has an impact. However wet ground wil be slow to dry anyway. I find that grass in knots will hold water the more you ted the more lumpier it gets. This grass can be hard to dry. If baling as silage if you get 80% of the grass in the row well wilted this will reduce effluent. Got a bads shower yesterday for half an hour around midday. However rows were well dry when I looked at them yesterday evening. Except that one field was heavyish I could have baled yesterday. Will get it today I think.

Reggie.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

I agree that terrain has an impact. However wet ground wil be slow to dry anyway. I find that grass in knots will hold water the more you ted the more lumpier it gets. This grass can be hard to dry. If baling as silage if you get 80% of the grass in the row well wilted this will reduce effluent. Got a bads shower yesterday for half an hour around midday. However rows were well dry when I looked at them yesterday evening. Except that one field was heavyish I could have baled yesterday. Will get it today I think.

Agree with grass in knots. Seen grass refuse to dry in rows before but as we said it was probably the terrain

CloughCasey1

so ye'll agree to disagree....well thats as close to a gentlemans arguement as i've ever seen!

Reggie.

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

so ye'll agree to disagree....well thats as close to a gentlemans arguement as i've ever seen!

But sure myself and puds are gentle souls

CloughCasey1

Reggie. wrote: »

But sure myself and puds are gentle souls

Yer like FG and Labour at the minute. wont agree on anything but will be nice to each other all the same

kollegeknight

First and only cut started. Got about 100 bales cut today, had to cut a few acres myself last night- the 135 was Aquaplaning the place is so wet.

Our contractor is fair stressed looking with all the pressure.

whelan2

hope to mow tomorrow, sunday and tuesday look brutal on the forecast

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

hope to mow tomorrow, sunday and tuesday look brutal on the forecast

We're you not supposed to mow today

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

We're you not supposed to mow today

nope.was a crappy enough day here .

orm0nd

mowed to day & heavens opened for a half hour shortly afterwards

will shake it out to morrow & bale to morrow evening or friday

C0N0R

Mowed today, few small showers but nothing of substance, hope to shake tomorrow morning and bale tomorrow evening but if weather is holding might try wait till Friday unsure yet.

Brown Podzol

Mowing now, ted tomorrow am and pm and bale Friday all going well. Got caught with the weather two weeks ago and what was supposed to be 80-90 bales turned into 140.

just do it

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Got caught with the weather two weeks ago and what was supposed to be 80-90 bales turned into 140.

Ouch!

orm0nd

forecast looking sh1tty for 2 moro now :mad:

Farmer Pudsey

Baled it up this evening. It was raked up yesterday evening. Got a heavy shower this morning at 11ish. However it dryed up after that. The hybrid and red clover was still very wet at 4pm. However contractor said he bales the other grass as it was well fit. He arrived at 6pm after he had the other two paddocks baled, we looked at the HY/RC and it had was fairly dry so we baled that as well. It is all nearly haylage I say.

Birdnuts

Hoping to get the first cut done next week on my place in North Mayo - though the weekend weather could knock that back even further. Some cut locally this week on dryer sloping land.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Lads I got a second cut sample tested for sugar and N content. The N came back with a score of 250. Is this low enough for cutting or is there too much N left in the grass?

Farmer Pudsey

ZETOR_IS_BETTER wrote: »

Lads I got a second cut sample tested for sugar and N content. The N came back with a score of 250. Is this low enough for cutting or is there too much N left in the grass?

I think over 500 is starting to get high however not sure can you ring lab you got result from or teagasc.

Sami23

Well lads, how do ye think the weather will hold up in Galway today as I've stuff rowed up to be baled that could do with another bit of drying so not sure to bale this afternoon or chance waiting until evening but I'm afraid of rain arriving before that.

Timmaay

Baler did one bale here about 20mins ago and called quits then, good job because it's utterly bucketed since. Hopefully go again tomorrow. Only 6ish acres and 20bales max at a guess so won't lose much sleep over it ha, 1st time getting caught out this year so can't complain.