Mowing with grouper

Matty6270

Putting in a silage pit this year. The contractor has a new wagon but he groups his rows. I hear this is a bad job because of heating and wetter silage. He has a swarter to use at small bit extra but no rake.

Tail painter

I don't like groupers on mowers. You won't get any wilt. My preference is a mower spreading grass full width and then rake up before picking up. What you are looking for is a fast wilt. The wider the grass is spread, the quicker the wilt. But in wet weather, spreading will be of no use at all.

Matty6270

Tail painter wrote: »

I don't like groupers on mowers. You won't get any wilt. My preference is a mower spreading grass full width and then rake up before picking up. What you are looking for is a fast wilt. The wider the grass is spread, the quicker the wilt. But in wet weather, spreading will be of no use at all.

D problem is my contractor doesn't have a rake. He groups it into 20ft rows. He does have a swarth wilter or something like that. Would it make a difference

tanko

Matty6270 wrote: »

D problem is my contractor doesn't have a rake. He groups it into 20ft rows. He does have a swarth wilter or something like that. Would it make a difference

You mean he has a wuffler for turning the rows I presume?
It would help to dry out and wilt the rows before the silage is lifted as long as it doesn't rain. For silage bales wilting and drying the grass is important to reduce the number of bales per acre, is it as important with pit silage to do this?

Matty6270

tanko wrote: »

You mean he has a wuffler for turning the rows I presume?
It would help to dry out and wilt the rows before the silage is lifted as long as it doesn't rain. For silage bales wilting and drying the grass is important to reduce the number of bales per acre, is it as important with pit silage to do this?

When would be d best time to use the waffler. A few hours b4 lifting it or a few hours after cutting

Reggie.

Matty6270 wrote: »

When would be d best time to use the waffler. A few hours b4 lifting it or a few hours after cutting

Somewhere in the middle I'd say as in if mowed thus morning I'd shake it up this evening ready to bale the next afternoon

tanko

Matty6270 wrote: »

When would be d best time to use the waffler. A few hours b4 lifting it or a few hours after cutting

Half way between cutting and lifting I suppose. If you could get it cut dry and lifted before it rains that would be ideal. There's only one wagon in my area, he has two mowers on the tractor and rakes three swaths into one before he lifts the silage.

Jb1989

This year I wuffled 10 foot swathes with the hay bob on the second day.
Correct speed and dead centre, she fluffed it lovely for extra drying.

selectamatic

To be honest groupers have a bad rep which really isn't completely warranted. Half the bucks round here don't wilt silage at all really unless it's after lashing rain down on top of fresh cut stuff. As long as you're crop is grand and dry before it's cut and doesn't see rain before it's lifted you'll be sound. I'm actually surprised more fella's round here don't use them as rakes have really gotten popular the last couple of years or so and with the cost of running another tractor on the rake surely it makes far more economical sense for contractors to be using groupers. Now that said if the weather goes against ya you're left with good wet stuff alright but shur the same can happen to a man who's wilted for 24-36 hours. Just last week the neighbor had a field knocked and nicely wilted for a day and a half, and about an hour before the baler landed a thunder shower came that'd wash the cross off an ass so really no matter what method ya employ to make silage if the weather goes against ya there ain't alot ya can do!