Silage 2016

bogman_bass

Some show o has rads down between portlaoise and Abbeyliex

Kovu

bogman_bass wrote: »

Some show o has rads down between portlaoise and Abbeyliex

My excellent translation skills must come into play...:D

Some shower has rows down between portlaoise and Abbeyleix?

Milked out

Kovu wrote: »

bogman_bass wrote: »

Some show o has rads down between portlaoise and Abbeyliex

My excellent translation skills must come into play...:D

Some shower has rows down between portlaoise and Abbeyleix?

Add your reply here.

I'd say some show off .... is what was meant

Kovu

Milked out wrote: »

Add your reply here.

I'd say some show off .... is what was meant

You could be right there!

Timmaay

Milked out wrote: »

Add your reply here.

I'd say some show off .... is what was meant

Probably more like some poor ****er is sick of looking at a wet paddock that hasn't been grazed since last October, and their only option is to cut it asap now that it's dry rather than send in animals to trample 1/2 the grass into the ground and make sh1te of the paddock for the rest of the year.

Dawggone

I'm mowing 2nd cut today.

I'll post some pics, if ye don't believe me...

Feckin passing shower just now.

Milked out

Timmaay wrote: »

Milked out wrote: »

Add your reply here.

I'd say some show off .... is what was meant

Probably more like some poor ****er is sick of looking at a wet paddock that hasn't been grazed since last October, and their only option is to cut it asap now that it's dry rather than send in animals to trample 1/2 the grass into the ground and make sh1te of the paddock for the rest of the year.

Add your reply here.

No problem with anyone cutting each to their own. May have to do some here too just the clear off ****ty old grass.

bogman_bass

Kovu wrote: »

My excellent translation skills must come into play...:D

Some shower has rows down between portlaoise and Abbeyleix?

The joys of posting on a cracked screen on the sly in a meeting

Some show off has grass down between Portlaoise and Abbeyleix

bogman_bass

Milked out wrote: »

Add your reply here.

No problem with anyone cutting each to their own. May have to do some here too just the clear off ****ty old grass.

Ah tongue was firmly in cheek when I posted it.

It looked like a decent crop

Kovu

bogman_bass wrote: »

The joys of posting on a cracked screen on the sly in a meeting

Some show off has grass down between Portlaoise and Abbeyleix

You also posted it in the Adoption forum. :D:D

_Brian

Fert out at weekend, temps look like increasing next weekend so hopefully some growth will start. Some coverage on ground but nothing like last year, won't graze.
Won't count as growth this week so give it seven weeks from next weekend as a rough estimate.

bogman_bass

Kovu wrote: »

You also posted it in the Adoption forum. :D:D

your point being?....:D

Kovu

bogman_bass wrote: »

your point being?....:D

Don't get a new phone because it makes for comedy fun!

Bullocks

Dawggone wrote: »

I'm mowing 2nd cut today.

I'll post some pics, if ye don't believe me...

Feckin passing shower just now.

Go on , depress us with pictures of blue skies and plentiful grass !

Dawggone

Bullocks wrote: »

Go on , depress us with pictures of blue skies and plentiful grass !

Apologies, no blue skies...
Good drying though.
Two 3.5m mowers traveling at 21kph got through a good few acres.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

Apologies, no blue skies...
Good drying though.
Two 3.5m mowers traveling at 21kph got through a good few acres.

Is that perennial ryegrass?

Dawggone

freedominacup wrote: »

Is that perennial ryegrass?

Italian planted after OSR. Second cut.
45 unitsN/acre for 2cuts. Happy enough. Quick application of fym and maize growing there next Monday.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

Italian planted after OSR. Second cut.
45 unitsN/acre for 2cuts. Happy enough. Quick application of fym and maize growing there next Monday.

Spray before ploughing or do you let the maize herbicides do the work?

Dawggone

freedominacup wrote: »

Spray before ploughing or do you let the maize herbicides do the work?

Fym then heavy disc to mix in the muck, (which is often overlooked), plough, plant, herbicide and water.

Hoping for 30tonDM/ha.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

Fym then heavy disc to mix in the muck, (which is often overlooked), plough, plant, herbicide and water.

Hoping for 30tonDM/ha.

We were told to target 15 which wasn't much more than double your DM target in FW.

Bullocks

Dawggone wrote: »

Apologies, no blue skies...
Good drying though.
Two 3.5m mowers traveling at 21kph got through a good few acres.

Lovely stuff , you couldn't travel that speed here between farms not to mind mowing !

Dawggone

freedominacup wrote: »

We were told to target 15 which wasn't much more than double your DM target in FW.

All you've got to do is make sure the electric fence is plugged in...lazy basta*ds!

bogman_bass

Dawggone wrote: »

Apologies, no blue skies...
Good drying though.
Two 3.5m mowers traveling at 21kph got through a good few acres.

what happened to the 2 Claas mowers?

Dawggone

bogman_bass wrote: »

what happened to the 2 Claas mowers?

Can't use them when there's Crimson clover in the sward because the conditioner would skin the leaves from it.
Will be using them later.

On the rake today. Grand job for an old fella.

MfMan

Anyone intending to go along to Grass & Muck in Gurteen next month? Can't imagine at current growth rates the trial crops will be too heavy or lush.

Shannon757

MfMan wrote: »

Anyone intending to go along to Grass & Muck in Gurteen next month? Can't imagine at current growth rates the trial crops will be too heavy or lush.

I hope to go, would be first time.

Dawggone

Pit silage all day today, hoping to finish pit on sat.

Flag leaf spray on wheat...

And wrapping 1st cut lucerne...

Muckit

Is the an Audi A7 you are driving?

Dawggone

Muckit wrote: »

Is the an Audi A7 you are driving?

Ah no Muckit...no money in farming!

That's a very busy national road that cuts through my place. Real pita tbh.

tractorporn

Dawggone wrote:

And wrapping 1st cut lucerne...

What's the persistence of the lucerne like Dawg? Is it a better crop than the red clover?

Have a mate from college growing it in Cornwall and he's always raving about it.

Dawggone

tractorporn wrote: »

What's the persistence of the lucerne like Dawg? Is it a better crop than the red clover?

Have a mate from college growing it in Cornwall and he's always raving about it.

4 to 6 yrs.

I'm not convinced that Cornwall gets the temperatures to max yields....

tractorporn

Dawggone wrote:

I'm not convinced that Cornwall gets the temperatures to max yields....

Like I said he raves about it says the cows milk seriously well on it but I think he only gets two cuts out of it. I'm trying to convince him to put in red clover next but he won't listen.

Dawggone

tractorporn wrote: »

Like I said he raves about it says the cows milk seriously well on it but I think he only gets two cuts out of it. I'm trying to convince him to put in red clover next but he won't listen.

Yea it's outstanding for milk and youngstock.

Nothing comes near lucerne.
However red clover might produce more KgDm/ha in Cornwall.... I'm not certain on that because I've never farmed in the duchy.

tractorporn

Dawggone wrote:

Nothing comes near lucerne.

Pity it won't grow on our heavy soils here in the Midlands and I'd put it in after the red clover.

Timmaay

If I was brave I'd be calling the contractor to bale this next week. But relations with my dad are at a low at the minute as is...

freedominacup

Timmaay wrote: »

If I was brave I'd be calling the contractor to bale this next week. But relations with my dad are at a low at the minute as is...

It'll be fine. You can lift it with the main cut the following week. It won't go too far wrong in the meantime.

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

It'll be fine. You can lift it with the main cut the following week. It won't go too far wrong in the meantime.

Image won't upload, but anyways the main cut the "following week" will be an even bigger battle ha. I'm struggling to juggle pits here, one main big pit on the home yard, last 2years I've put 73dmd "milkers" silage in and 2/3ft of maize on top, this is disaster to balance both 2bh, and maize gets attacked by crows from Feb on. The only real ideal plan this year is to leave dry cow silage at the back of the pit, and maize all at the front, and make 150/200 leafy bales, the leafy bales and maize can get fed out from Nov to Feb, and dry cow stuff at the back of the pit fed out to late calvers if needs be (got a pit full and 30 dry cow bales left over as is from this winter for drys in dec/Jan). So I'm thinking cut 10acres of this pure leafy 1st cut now, that will be back in rotation earlier, so more excess paddocks, the rest of the 1st cut leave until 25th May and put I the back of the pit as dry cow feed.

freedominacup

Timmaay wrote: »

Image won't upload, but anyways the main cut the "following week" will be an even bigger battle ha. I'm struggling to juggle pits here, one main big pit on the home yard, last 2years I've put 73dmd "milkers" silage in and 2/3ft of maize on top, this is disaster to balance both 2bh, and maize gets attacked by crows from Feb on. The only real ideal plan this year is to leave dry cow silage at the back of the pit, and maize all at the front, and make 150/200 leafy bales, the leafy bales and maize can get fed out from Nov to Feb, and dry cow stuff at the back of the pit fed out to late calvers if needs be (got a pit full and 30 dry cow bales left over as is from this winter for drys in dec/Jan). So I'm thinking cut 10acres of this pure leafy 1st cut now, that will be back in rotation earlier, so more excess paddocks, the rest of the 1st cut leave until 25th May and put I the back of the pit as dry cow feed.

There's absolutely no argument economic or nutritional in favour of that course of action. When things went curly and cows had to be rehoused here in mid Mar yield and solids increased. At all times this spring good quality silage far outpercrmed grassEarly grass is next to crap silage in terms of suitability for fresh calved cows. You have to deal with it in much the same way as you are descibing dealing with crap silage cut on the 25th of May in that you work around it but you'd be better off without it. Top quality equals good production both in the back end and in the spring. It also means that youngstock can be kept thriving cheaply. It means that when you are dealing with poor quality grass early and late in the season you have some top quality forage to keep your cows producing.

Timmaay

freedominacup wrote: »

There's absolutely no argument economic or nutritional in favour of that course of action. When things went curly and cows had to be rehoused here in mid Mar yield and solids increased. At all times this spring good quality silage far outpercrmed grassEarly grass is next to crap silage in terms of suitability for fresh calved cows. You have to deal with it in much the same way as you are descibing dealing with crap silage cut on the 25th of May in that you work around it but you'd be better off without it. Top quality equals good production both in the back end and in the spring. It also means that youngstock can be kept thriving cheaply. It means that when you are dealing with poor quality grass early and late in the season you have some top quality forage to keep your cows producing.

So you'd suggest cut the whole lot in mid May? What sort of dmd would I expect then? 76ish? It would be too good for drycows but not the same as leafy excess paddock rocketfuel, and my contractor would probably still charge me 105/acre for PC with no raking/teddering etc. The ideal ideal case is use a different contractor with a wagon who charges per hr, but that opens a whole other can of worms with my dad haha.

freedominacup

Timmaay wrote: »

So you'd suggest cut the whole lot in mid May? What sort of dmd would I expect then? 76ish? It would be too good for drycows but not the same as leafy excess paddock rocketfuel, and my contractor would probably still charge me 105/acre for PC with no raking/teddering etc. The ideal ideal case is use a different contractor with a wagon who charges per hr, but that opens a whole other can of worms with my dad haha.

Cut before the 15th and you should be in the low eighties, 15%+pr and over 12me. It won't be too good for dry cows and even if it is which would you rather be doing, adding straw to reduce feeding value or adding meal to supplement sh1te. You're right about it not being the same as your excess paddock stuff. In general it will be far better. Huge improvement in solids here last Autumn once I bit the bullet and started the feeder and got rid of the bales. Much too inconsistent. You're generally baling it because the quality has deteriorated and it's not good enough for grazing. Therefore each name is a mini pit and some of them will have a lot of hairy stuff in them. This doesn't matter so much in dry weather/drought because the rest of their forage will be pretty good. It really hammers performance on the shoulders though.

mahoney_j

35 acres been knocked here end of next week for bales ,combination of surplus paddocks and Italian/red clover .no proper silage been made this year as big surplus been carried over .regular light crops of silage will be constantly knocked from now on with aim of as much quality silage as possible .will use straw to dilute feed value through next winter

case885

mahoney_j wrote:

35 acres been knocked here end of next week for bales ,combination of surplus paddocks and Italian/red clover .no proper silage been made this year as big surplus been carried over .regular light crops of silage will be constantly knocked from now on with aim of as much quality silage as possible .will use straw to dilute feed value through next winter

Presume you have a Keenan/Tub for mixing silage and straw?

mahoney_j

case885 wrote: »

Presume you have a Keenan/Tub for mixing silage and straw?

Nope ,tractor ,grab and 3 Sprong fork
.throw our straw along passage first then load in bales .cows are the diet feeders .usually feed beteween 2/4 kg straw

Farrell

Being debating with a relative, he's silage ground that got 2-3k cattle slurry /ac in March, has been grazed by sheep since. He's mentioning close up & 2b/ac urea, while I think 2 18.6.12 & 1 urea per ac.
Any recommendations?

CloughCasey1

Farrell wrote: »

Being debating with a relative, he's silage ground that got 2-3k cattle slurry /ac in March, has been grazed by sheep since. He's mentioning close up & 2b/ac urea, while I think 2 18.6.12 & 1 urea per ac.
Any recommendations?

All depends what p&k in ground is currently at. Think it's a bit late for urea.
2 bags 0-7-30 and 3.5 bags CAN to the acre would be more suited for silage. If slurry was very watery id go with another 0-7-30.

Farrell

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

All depends what p&k in ground is currently at. Think it's a bit late for urea.
2 bags 0-7-30 and 3.5 bags CAN to the acre would be more suited for silage. If slurry was very watery id go with another 0-7-30.

It has got lots of slurry & FYM over the last few years & only being grazed so I'd say could be index 3 levels

mahoney_j

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

All depends what p&k in ground is currently at. Think it's a bit late for urea.
2 bags 0-7-30 and 3.5 bags CAN to the acre would be more suited for silage. If slurry was very watery id go with another 0-7-30.

Never too late for urea as long as not baking hot .mild moist weather perfect

st1979

How many bales/acre could I expect next week. Ground not grazed italian and has nitrogen 6 wks.

I said

Silage knocked ready for baling outside ballinasloe today

Muckit

)Anyone know offhand the dmd of dead leaves and twigs?

Brown Podzol

Muckit wrote: »

)Anyone know offhand the dmd of dead leaves and twigs?

I don't. But they can't roar at you while they are eating them.