Fertiliser vs buying in feed

Username John

Hello all,

I am looking at the planf ro feeding the few sheep and lambs I have left and am wondering about fertiliser...

Second cut silage will be taken off some fields this week (forecast is good enough I think)

So what would be better :

- Putting out fertliser to drive on the grass a bit
- Not putting out fertiliser. Leave the grass come as it will, and instead putting the money towards ration / other feed.

I was thinking of going with a small bit of CAN at the weekend, once the silage is taken. Its getting late is the thing... and fertiliser is expensive...

But interested in hearing what peoples opinions are.

The grass would be used to keep the ewes, and some remaining lambs over the winter.

Thoughts... ?

Cran

September coming into October, if lambs are in ewes way here we feed. Not over stocked so not usually an issue, but if bad year and grass wasnt looking good for ewes I'd feed the lambs.

Green farmer

Forecast is for weather to break Thursday evening, so your want to get a move on john.

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

Hello all,

I am looking at the planf ro feeding the few sheep and lambs I have left and am wondering about fertiliser...

Second cut silage will be taken off some fields this week (forecast is good enough I think)

So what would be better :

- Putting out fertliser to drive on the grass a bit
- Not putting out fertiliser. Leave the grass come as it will, and instead putting the money towards ration / other feed.

I was thinking of going with a small bit of CAN at the weekend, once the silage is taken. Its getting late is the thing... and fertiliser is expensive...

But interested in hearing what peoples opinions are.

The grass would be used to keep the ewes, and some remaining lambs over the winter.

Thoughts... ?

I'm supposed to be getting 50kg/ac CAN spread here this evening or tomorrow, so that's the decision I'm going with

Green farmer

It's funny when the grass starts to dry up later in the year, how fast it actually disappears. Got quoted €312 for can here and €419 for 18 6 12. I thought the price was meant to be coming down ?

farawaygrass

Green farmer wrote: »

It's funny when the grass starts to dry up later in the year, how fast it actually disappears. Got quoted €312 for can here and €419 for 18 6 12. I thought the price was meant to be coming down ?

450e for 10-10-20. Hard to build up soil fertility at that price.
It's a tough one op, Will the proof soon be gone out of grass? But then you'd like to replace p and k taking by silage, but are you only spreading can? I suppose you get lambs gone they'll want meal

Birdnuts

Username John wrote: »

- Putting out fertliser to drive on the grass a bit
- Not putting out fertiliser. Leave the grass come as it will, and instead putting the money towards ration / other feed.

I was thinking of going with a small bit of CAN at the weekend, once the silage is taken. Its getting late is the thing... and fertiliser is expensive...

But interested in hearing what peoples opinions are.

The grass would be used to keep the ewes, and some remaining lambs over the winter.

Thoughts... ?

Bought in fodder looks cheap this year so would go with that. Grass growth slows big time as we exit September and in any case it looks like a major break in the weather by the end of the week with cool/wet conditions setting in so grass utilization could be poor too

orm0nd

was short of grass ourselves but have our nitrates allocation used up , considered buying feed,

phoned the shearer re shearing ewe lambs & mentioned I might store the last lot

within half an hour a guy rang & arrived the following day pulled 44 @ €77,

maybe they were worth more but I was happy out, mostly doubles from hoggets & weaned since July

just a small bunch left now & few light cull ewes

2015 has been a good year for the sheep farmer .. bumper crops, good thrive & prices not too bad although they fell a bit earlier than I've liked

Username John

Silage cut Thursday, debating whether to put out fertiliser now or chance waiting til Tuesday as forecast isn't super... (Well, will put it after dinner if it stays dry here)

My concern is forecast is poor, but it's mid Sept too, and deadline of 15th isn't too far away

More madness?

Bullocks

Username John wrote: »

Silage cut Thursday, debating whether to put out fertiliser now or chance waiting til Tuesday as forecast isn't super... (Well, will put it after dinner if it stays dry here)

My concern is forecast is poor, but it's mid Sept too, and deadline of 15th isn't too far away

More madness?

Ive a bit of 10-10-20 to go out aswell , the place is wet after yesterday but the sun is shining now so I'd say I'll lash it out and take my chances this evening

Username John

Bullocks wrote: »

Ive a bit of 10-10-20 to go out aswell , the place is wet after yesterday but the sun is shining now so I'd say I'll lash it out and take my chances this evening

I've most of mine done there now, just as I was finishing up, there was a thundershower, so tis washed in now I'd say...
As long as we dont get more heavy rain, we should be ok...

Bullocks

Username John wrote: »

I've most of mine done there now, just as I was finishing up, there was a thundershower, so tis washed in now I'd say...
As long as we dont get more heavy rain, we should be ok...

Have mine out now aswell , one of the neighbours borrowed the spreader and when I went to collect it he had lent it to another lad about 10 miles away ! Spreading it was the easy bit !

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

I've most of mine done there now, just as I was finishing up, there was a thundershower, so tis washed in now I'd say...
As long as we dont get more heavy rain, we should be ok...

You were right, the later you leave it now to spread, the less benefit you'll get from it, the rain yesterday appeared to bring a spurt in grass growth ......:)

Username John

rangler1 wrote: »

You were right, the later you leave it now to spread, the less benefit you'll get from it, the rain yesterday appeared to bring a spurt in grass growth ......:)

Yeah - the silage was only cut here on Thursday, and spreading the field you could see the little shoots of green coming on, and that was only 2 days... :eek:

Bullocks

rangler1 wrote: »

You were right, the later you leave it now to spread, the less benefit you'll get from it, the rain yesterday appeared to bring a spurt in grass growth ......:)

I noticed the place is greener than I expected when I was spreading yesterday . I won't complain at that so long as it stays dry enough to get it grazed now !

Bullocks

Bullocks wrote: »

I noticed the place is greener than I expected when I was spreading yesterday . I won't complain at that so long as it stays dry enough to get it grazed now !

Thinking about that there , some of the farm won't take cattle if it stays wet or it will poach easily and I was sayin to the father if I had it fenced right sheep will be grand to get it clipped over the winter (there would often be strong covers left uneaten over the winter that would be gone to crap by the time it was fit to carry cattle in spring ) He reckons sheep won't last well on softish ground either . What do ye reckon of that ?

Username John

Bullocks wrote: »

Thinking about that there , some of the farm won't take cattle if it stays wet or it will poach easily and I was sayin to the father if I had it fenced right sheep will be grand to get it clipped over the winter (there would often be strong covers left uneaten over the winter that would be gone to crap by the time it was fit to carry cattle in spring ) He reckons sheep won't last well on softish ground either . What do ye reckon of that ?

Wouldn't see why not - you'd need sheep with good feet tho. I assume the galway would be fine? (It is galway you have isn't it)

You'd be surprised how the smallest pick of grass would keep em going over the winter.

Edit : on the fertiliser front, it's lashing here today, and was raining a good bit last night too... Not sure much of my fertiliser will be used, as I'd say a lot might be leeched away by the rain...