Fertiliser for silage

Tomjim

I see a neighbour who puts very little if any fertiliser on his meadow. The meadow would be kept up from last November and is normally cut in July. However the grass is never a deep green colour but he will get ba good return on it.

What is the difference quality wise between the meadow described and a meadow that gets 3 bags of fertiliser and is growing for say 8 or 9 weeks

Milked out

Tomjim wrote: »

I see a neighbour who puts very little if any fertiliser on his meadow. The meadow would be kept up from last November and is normally cut in July. However the grass is never a deep green colour but he will get ba good return on it.

What is the difference quality wise between the meadow described and a meadow that gets 3 bags of fertiliser and is growing for say 8 or 9 weeks

His silage will need to be supplemented in order to keep cattle at maintenance levels as it will be low in terms of digestibility, protein, and energy and if looking to drive performance will need to be supplemented heavily and may not even do. Whereas silage fertilised properly and cut before heading out would more than likely do adult cattle or stores with no supplementation and minimal amounts for young stock still growing. As protein would be higher, more energy and digestibility in the 70's. In winter milk here so when indoors milking cows do much better on the better quality silage in terms of output, holding condition and fertility than on poor silage. I still have to supplement the milkers on the good silage but to a lesser extent and you get more bang for your buck. Also ground is back growing after grass faster for stock

mahoney_j

Tomjim wrote: »

I see a neighbour who puts very little if any fertiliser on his meadow. The meadow would be kept up from last November and is normally cut in July. However the grass is never a deep green colour but he will get ba good return on it.

What is the difference quality wise between the meadow described and a meadow that gets 3 bags of fertiliser and is growing for say 8 or 9 weeks

Main difference will be having to feed a lot more meal to compensate for the crap low feed value silage

case5130

Have 5 acers that only got pig slurry was ment for grazing but the silage found well behind so going to cut it have it saved 8 weeks now

mf240

Tomjim wrote: »

I see a neighbour who puts very little if any fertiliser on his meadow. The meadow would be kept up from last November and is normally cut in July. However the grass is never a deep green colour but he will get ba good return on it.

What is the difference quality wise between the meadow described and a meadow that gets 3 bags of fertiliser and is growing for say 8 or 9 weeks

It would be around the same feed value as straw.

Farmer Pudsey

If grass is not fertlized right it will go to seed faster than grass that is. Ground closed since November, not cut until Mid late June will have a white butt. It is not just on feed value of silage he is losing.

I grazed normal grass before closing late March early April. I will average 9-10 bales/acre and it was cut yesterday. I will have after grass in early July. He be lucky to have after grass by mid August where by I will have had a second grazing and growth started for a third. So I will have got 3 grazing by the time he first puts an animal on after grass. Which is the cheapest feed????

MIKEKC

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

If grass is not fertlized right it will go to seed faster than grass that is. Ground closed since November, not cut until Mid late June will have a white butt. It is not just on feed value of silage he is losing.

I grazed normal grass before closing late March early April. I will average 9-10 bales/acre and it was cut yesterday. I will have after grass in early July. He be lucky to have after grass by mid August where by I will have had a second grazing and growth started for a third. So I will have got 3 grazing by the time he first puts an animal on after grass. Which is the cheapest feed????

closed two of the best growing months and only 9-10 bales per acre, would have thought much more

orm0nd

MIKEKC wrote: »

closed two of the best growing months and only 9-10 bales per acre, would have thought much more

closed ground 15 October , grazed late January with sheep, grazed again 3rd week March with sheep , chain harrowed, fert spread 7 th april ,mowed last Friday , baled a couple of hours ago

average 13 bales / ac ,, should have been mowed a week ago

still it looks very good quality and the bales are very solid .. made with a new fusion3

mahoney_j

MIKEKC wrote: »

closed two of the best growing months and only 9-10 bales per acre, would have thought much more

But he also got it grazed tight in late March which will promote tillering and give crop a good clean but which to start growing from.cattle also got big some cheap weight gain at grass before closing .id also guess dmd value of the crop would be 2/4 points higher as a result of grazing .at 9/10 vales per acre I'd be a lot happier than getting 13/14 bales of inferior quality feed

Farmer Pudsey

MIKEKC wrote: »

closed two of the best growing months and only 9-10 bales per acre, would have thought much more

Not baled up yet were mowed Saturday morning.However Saturday was a good drying day, it was turned out noon yesterday and will be rowed 11ish this morning. It will be baled around 5pm. Would not expect more than 9-10 bales after this treatment. The lot closed late march is heavier than the early April grass.

onyerbikepat

Are people finding the crops heavy? I put out urea only 3 weeks ago and stuff is nearly fit to cut as is.

farmerjj

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Are people finding the crops heavy? I put out urea only 3 weeks ago and stuff is nearly fit to cut as is.

Ya grass is flying up around here in the last 4weeks, best start to June that I remember for grass growth,long may it last

Mad4simmental

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Are people finding the crops heavy? I put out urea only 3 weeks ago and stuff is nearly fit to cut as is.

Ya very heavy, contractor said allot of crops so far are heavy.