Hay meadow - cut for silage?

roosterman71

Howdy
I've a grand big meadow (~40 acres) that was ready for hay about 3 weeks ago. Obviously, the weather hasn't come as I'd hoped, so I'm thinking of turning it into silage bales. The grass has well gone to seed now, and new grass growing up through it now too. Will this be good enough for bales? Anything extra I need to do to get the best quality I can? The forecast next week is giving 3 days fine (at the moment) so I'm hoping to wrap it all up then if I can

selectamatic

whatever you do with it it's not going to be top quality stuff but at least if got it in hay its worth far more than average silage. it'd need to be saved properly though i.e dry and seasoned not like some of the stuff ya see saved which would heat at the sight of a round baler :rolleyes: I wouldn't write the year off just yet! however it'll be mid august before there will be any hope of proper weather coming. Since it's already gone to seed there's no real panic in getting it saved just yet oldish meadows can still produce grand hay and if all comes to all just bale it up into haylage/average silage. At this stage I'm sure you've realised it's not going to be prime stuff but shur what about, at the end of the day it'll still be eaten and the cost some fella's go to getting fertilizers and slurry out super early is sometimes as great if not greater than the cost of buying in a bit of meal in the winter to keep nutritional levels peachy. We're in the same position as yourself with the final quarter of our silage ground but it's not the end of the world and there's no point bursting into a meadow that's not properly traffic-able as a man would only do more harm than good.

sea12

In the same boat myself. Think I'll wrap a bit next week and still hope for a bit of weather towards the end of the month. Don't need it all. Usually sell surplus hay off. No real market for silage bales and don't want to go to the cost of making silage bales of it uses really have to.

Weather has to change yet. Made hay in September in 09 or 10. Was nice enough stuff surprisingly in the end.
Keep the faithðŸ˜

Miname

I knocked nine acres for hay this evening, some will say I'm cracked. Going by yr weather I've a small drop Saturday and clear for the following week, not mad warm but dry so here's hoping I don't have a heap of muck.

Sam Kade

Miname wrote: »

I knocked nine acres for hay this evening, some will say I'm cracked. Going by yr weather I've a small drop Saturday and clear for the following week, not mad warm but dry so here's hoping I don't have a heap of muck.

As the saying goes the day you cut it isn't the day you save it

Reggie.

Miname wrote: »

I knocked nine acres for hay this evening, some will say I'm cracked. Going by yr weather I've a small drop Saturday and clear for the following week, not mad warm but dry so here's hoping I don't have a heap of muck.

Keep going lad. We were told the same but we got it.

Miname

Reggie. wrote: »

Keep going lad. We were told the same but we got it.

I've half balls out, I rowed up some to wrap tomorrow.

roosterman71

Well after my OP, I decided to take the plunge today and if I see rain, it's gonna be wrapped.
Started into it (~40 acres remember) at 11ish this morning. 8ft mower couldn't hack it. Crop too heavy and the conditioner couldn't get it out, instead it preferred to choke itself. After 4 rounds, and the blood boiling, I packed it in and rolled out a 30 year old bamford 5'6" and a 272 Leyland. Finished up there around half 10. Hard auld slog for the day but its knocked now so it's time for a rosary

Willfarman

Ah that was a good days work.

Jb1989

Started into it (~40 acres remember)

, I packed it in and rolled out a 30 year old bamford 5'6" and a 272 Leyland.

That is dedication right there
Best of luck

Sacrolyte

Brilliant stuff rooster. I love a never give up attitude.

Reggie.

Miname wrote: »

I've half balls out, I rowed up some to wrap tomorrow.

Hope it was only the headlands

White Clover

Fair play rooster, a marathon ! Good output for a 5'6. Had you a relief driver while you were having the tae ?!!

selectamatic

Sacrolyte wrote: »

Brilliant stuff rooster. I love a never give up attitude.

More so I love to see a "Classic" earning its keep! :cool:

roosterman71

Day 2 update

Lovely sunny day, and my field of unbelievably heavy grass was in fine shape this morning, even turning into hay after only a few hours cut. 3 forecasts predicted rain for this evening, so I decided to go for silage bales. Rang the contractor, and told him to get his green tractor and lighter green baler into the field by 3 bells.

I juiced up the Leyland and put on the rake and headed off around 2 to start rowing it up. Holy jaysus, what a crop!! The rake was even blocking up trying to drag it into rows (here's a pic of a rake like mine). I hear ye asking, how would that block up. Well, the crop was so heavy it wasn't able to keep it fired into the middle and it would build up in front of the spinners. Mad stuff!

On top of that, the clutch in the leyland started acting the maggot. Its one of those stupid setups where ya put fluid in for it to work. Whoever came up with that idea needs to be castrated. Give me a piece of metal connecting the pedal and the clutch any day. Anyway, I persevered on.

At 2.30, the contractor was on and he put up smoke to the heavens trying to get the baler through the crop. He was baling at slow walking speed and spitting out bales galore. The grass was in great knick. I did the wringing-of-grass-in-hand test to see what flowed out, and the answer was very little juice. Happy days.

Around 5, I realised there was no way all this would be baled today, so I stopped rowing and started stacking the bales just outside the field by the lane. They'll be grand there.

Rain started with about 20 bales left to bale, so we did that and left the rest. I might run the turner through it tomorrow if its fine and bale up once its dry.

So about 20 acres done, 318 bales made and 112 of those stacked up. I'll continue in the morning before the crows and those fecking seagulls have them in bits.

Reggie.

roosterman71 wrote: »

Day 3 update

Lovely sunny day, and my field of unbelievably heavy grass was in fine shape this morning, even turning into hay after only a few hours cut. 3 forecasts predicted rain for this evening, so I decided to go for silage bales. Rang the contractor, and told him to get his green tractor and lighter green baler into the field by 3 bells.

I juiced up the Leyland and put on the rake and headed off around 2 to start rowing it up. Holy jaysus, what a crop!! The rake was even blocking up trying to drag it into rows (here's a pic of a rake like mine). I hear ye asking, how would that block up. Well, the crop was so heavy it wasn't able to keep it fired into the middle and it would build up in front of the spinners. Mad stuff!

On top of that, the clutch in the leyland started acting the maggot. Its one of those stupid setups where ya put fluid in for it to work. However came up with that idea needs to be castrated. Give me a piece of metal connecting the pedal and the clutch any day. Anyway, I persevered on.

At 2.30, the contractor was on and he put up smoke to the heavens trying to get the baler through the crop. He was baling at slow walking speed and spitting out bales galore. The grass was in great knick. I did the wringing-of-grass-in-hand test to see what flowed out, and the answer was very little juice. Happy days.

Around 5, I realised there was no way all this would be baled today, so I stopped rowing and started stacking the bales just outside the field by the lane. They'll be grand there.

Rain started with about 20 bales left to bale, so we did that and left the rest. I might run the turner through it tomorrow if its fine and bale up once its dry.

So about 20 acres done, 318 bales made and 112 of those stacked up. I'll continue in the morning before the crows and those fecking seagulls have them in bits.

About 16 bales to the acre

Miname

Reggie. wrote: »

About 16 bales to the acre

I got 5 and a half on my own although I've left four acres down with what I reckon should bring eight bales of hay to the acre. 16 is some crop whether it's good feed value is another call.

Reggie.

Miname wrote: »

I got 5 and a half on my own although I've left four acres down with what I reckon should bring eight bales of hay to the acre. 16 is some crop whether it's good feed value is another call.

Fingers crossed

Base price

Miname wrote: »

I got 5 and a half on my own although I've left four acres down with what I reckon should bring eight bales of hay to the acre. 16 is some crop whether it's good feed value is another call.

I reckon that it is better to make up the difference in feed value with meal. Expensive but you know what they are getting.
I am in a simular situation to OP as I have 22 acres that I would normally knock for hay but due to the weather it didn't get cut and it is now gone beyond reasonable quality hay. According to the forecast, this coming week looks like dry weather. I am stuck in work (Dublin) until Wednesday afternoon so I am hoping that OH or my brother can mow it for me on Monday weather permitting.
I would prefer to rear it as hay but more difficult to make at this time of year. If that does not work I will wrap it for haylage.

Mad4simmental

I think I saw you today rooster, I was going over the flyover and saw a layland rowing up at the bottom of the field and it looked like a dot. I felt sorry for ya. By feck you have sum grass down if that's you.

PMU

any one cutting now should cut high,above the brown stuff at the butt of the sward. that stuff is rotten and will rot the bales. bought 6 bales last year of that kind of 2nd cut, brought 5 back

sea12

Have a couple of acres down myself. Took some time to mow aswell. Unreal heavy. Will let it dry out tip Monday and decide then whether to bake up or try for hay.

roosterman71

Mad4simmental wrote: »

I think I saw you today rooster, I was going over the flyover and saw a layland rowing up at the bottom of the field and it looked like a dot. I felt sorry for ya. By feck you have sum grass down if that's you.

That be me alright.
556 bales made now right or wrong. Too late to undo it.
Was very surprised with the bit we had left to do today. Was wet on top, but underneath was fairly OK. Ran the turner through it at lunch time when the day brightened up, and rowed it this evening. Used a different moisture test today - "how wet are me tyres". Not very is the answer. More damp than wet. There was super drying out in the wind. As I say, very surprised with the grass left from yesterday.

Finished baling at 10pm there. Have well over half it moved now and stacked at my own spot and at another lads who bought some.

Not sure how it will turn out now when the bales are opened. Time will tell.

Reggie.

roosterman71 wrote: »

That be me alright.
556 bales made now right or wrong. Too late to undo it.
Was very surprised with the bit we had left to do today. Was wet on top, but underneath was fairly OK. Ran the turner through it at lunch time when the day brightened up, and rowed it this evening. Used a different moisture test today - "how wet are me tyres". Not very is the answer. More damp than wet. There was super drying out in the wind. As I say, very surprised with the grass left from yesterday.

Finished baling at 10pm there. Have well over half it moved now and stacked at my own spot and at another lads who bought some.

Not sure how it will turn out now when the bales are opened. Time will tell.

You'll be grand

CloughCasey1

With the week that is promised it would have made hay for ya :rolleyes::rolleyes:

P_Cash

How many days drying would you need,

Wet today, but fine then until Friday afternoon, .

That's what it looks like now anyway.

I cut a small section to clean up a field, but could i get it for hay i wonder,

What time of the day would ye turn it lads? Was thinking 12 and 3.30 ?.
Twice a day?

P_Cash

Meant to say, saw the week was promised good, so i cut last night.

CloughCasey1

P_Cash wrote: »

How many days drying would you need,

Wet today, but fine then until Friday afternoon, .

That's what it looks like now anyway.

I cut a small section to clean up a field, but could i get it for hay i wonder,

What time of the day would ye turn it lads? Was thinking 12 and 3.30 ?.
Twice a day?

Twice a day until its dry once a day after. FIL cut 3 acres light and greenish butt yesterday morning so fingers crossed. If not saved by fri it will be cracking haylage.

bogman_bass

Lot of haybobs on the road this morning

P_Cash

Looking tight lads, down since Sunday eve, rained Monday, shake twice yesterday and went thru it with a fork also. Not much sun, bit breezy, hoping for same today, tomorrow to be warmer., was hoping to get it in tomorrow eve., hard to know what it's going to do in the west for Friday.

So much cloud around, i see on met.ie the other side is baked in sun,

The fact that ive just half an acre and throw it in lose, should this be in my favor? I'll leave door open and maybe even move it in shed every day.

Just worried about it heating..

Birdnuts

Holding out for an Indian summer my end - looks like the only way I'm going to save any fodder this year

sea12

Birdnuts wrote: »

Holding out for an Indian summer my end - looks like the only way I'm going to save any fodder this year

I got some baled today. Was cut last Friday. Is nice hay. Have a bit more on ground that I cut Wednesday. Is light so should get it once showrs keep away as promised.

Like bird its above have more to make but will need a good heat wave to make it into hay. Still think we will get a week of good weather around the end of August beginning of September.

bogman_bass

I knocked 7 acres early on Tuesday and had it baled it last night. Wednesday and Thursday were savage hay days here