Future proofing against fodder shortage/ bad weather

Mooooo

Just said id start this to see what lads would/will do to prevent issues appearing again. Fortunately had enough myself but fed heavy all winter to milkers as was poor quality. 2013 was worse for me and in the years following I baled anything I could plenty was poor enough stuff but it was all used or sold this year.
Immediate term buying in maize again even tho am switching to spring, hope to get poorer performing ground going this year if I can and a roadway to access it. Long-term will look to put in another silage slab so in years of good growth instead of a lot of bales will pit as much as I can. Also may put a tank in another yard for slurry storage and to put young stock so as to keep space near the parlour for milkers. Again this may take a few years to achieve same as all of us tis rare we finish investing. Am ok for storage requirements at the minute and in derogation.
I won't reduce cow numbers but as tb has reared its head to often will have to have a plan if locked up during calving etc

Buford T. Justice XIX

I'll have to look at putting in another silage slab as the one I have is totally maxed out but that's a job for a bit further down the line. I have 2 40'x80' pits side by side with no division and I cut another effluent channel a further 15' into the tipping slab a few years ago and then covered the earth bank to the west with plastic and increased storage again. All one big pit so no access to first cut silage till a good chunk of second cut is gone so that's a bit limiting too.

All out of easy options now:(

So I'll try to increase the bales off paddocks, buy in some silage from nearby ground and reseed a chunk of silage ground as well to increase yields, once P&Ks and lime is sorted.

Keepgrowing

For us it's more lime and a new bin for Hulls and maize meal to be fed out in drought or shoulders. It just beats opening bales in summer and autumn. Clean and no waste

charolais0153

Keepgrowing wrote: »

For us it's more lime and a new bin for Hulls and maize meal to be fed out in drought or shoulders. It just beats opening bales in summer and autumn. Clean and no waste

Even if these go up to 260-270 a ton?

charolais0153

Make more silage and buy in more also.

_Brian

I was thinking about anthread like this earlier today while I was out walking.

We’re small fry, but having hay and straw in the barn definitely saved our bacon. Ant to be honest it was good luck rather than good judgement.

I was thinking round bales of hay, making extra baled silage is a bother as it’s never the same the second year, it might be good but never as good and increased waste.

Will replenish the stuff we used but plan to add extra whenever it’s readily available.

kevthegaff

Keepgrowing wrote:

For us it's more lime and a new bin for Hulls and maize meal to be fed out in drought or shoulders. It just beats opening bales in summer and autumn. Clean and no waste

Keepgrowing wrote:

For us it's more lime and a new bin for Hulls and maize meal to be fed out in drought or shoulders. It just beats opening bales in summer and autumn. Clean and no waste

How do u fill the feeder? Friend has a r high bin diet feeder can drive underneath some job

Mooooo

kevthegaff wrote: »

How do u fill the feeder? Friend has a r high bin diet feeder can drive underneath some job

When we had no feeders in the parlour we used an old beet chopper bucket on the loader with a little extension on the outlet to put out the ration at the barrier for the cows, course there was 15 years of buckets before that.... used the diet feeder in winter

Hard Knocks

Can you buy round bales of maize silage?

Mooooo

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Can you buy round bales of maize silage?

You can, there's a crowd in west cork that do it but very dear. Half looked into baling maize here for storage but it near on doubles the cost of the maize.

farisfat

Let someone else worrie about it.

Keepgrowing

charolais0153 wrote: »

Even if these go up to 260-270 a ton?

There's always alternatives and it usually a very short period of feeding required.

Keepgrowing

kevthegaff wrote: »

How do u fill the feeder? Friend has a r high bin diet feeder can drive underneath some job

Getting feeder bucket for loader that feeds left or right. Fed some amount with a shovel these last few weeks. Already have parlour feeders

blackdog1

Not caught myself but it's gonna be very close. I was thinking of doing a pit of maize (1 tonne per cow) and having it in reserve. If we don't have a bad spring I'll buffer feed it in the spring/summer and at least break even on increased milk yield.

Angus2018

I'm going to pack every space of shed I can spare with hay and straw. I'll be pushing hard for a good second cut if the Autumn allows, a repeat of last one would cause an even worse fodder crisis that this year.

3 the square

That's all well and good but farmers myself included have very short memories!!

Bullocks

We are not too bad but are feeding an extra 100ish Euro a week for the last few weeks on nuts to stretch the silage . It's money we probably won't see back out of the few sucklers we have .
I think more lime on the grazing ground- big difference in the little bit of growth we got between where is limed and not .
Maybe keep a few less cows and buy light weanlins before Christmas to sell in spring - might leave as much money as feeding sucklers cows all winter to get a calf to sell anyhow .
Look into getting something that could be thrown into the pit with the first or second cut to up feed value - any ideas on that ???
A blast more fertilizer after the first cut - we didn't go mad last year and might have been glad of the extra yield if we had it instead of being mean with the fert

TITANIUM.

Angus2018 wrote: »

I'm going to pack every space of shed I can spare with hay and straw. I'll be pushing hard for a good second cut if the Autumn allows, a repeat of last one would cause an even worse fodder crisis that this year.

When you say Autumn for your second cut, when are you planning for?

K.G.

I suppose not fodder related but is related to weather.going to roof that outdoor cubicles as when we were caught for getting spread this year it was fustrating to see tanks jump up during heavy rainfall.also going to throw in mats in the rest of the house-they dry up faster and easier to ckean when you are milking in doors

Bass Reeves

charolais0153 wrote: »

Even if these go up to 260-270 a ton?

If straights like Hulls or Palm Kernal go to that price we may all in trouble or may not, rations will be 400/ton and you would need a beef price of 5.5/kg and milk at 60c/L in Ireland not to mi9nd in high input systems like in the US or the Netherlands.

blackdog1 wrote: »

Not caught myself but it's gonna be very close. I was thinking of doing a pit of maize (1 tonne per cow) and having it in reserve. If we don't have a bad spring I'll buffer feed it in the spring/summer and at least break even on increased milk yield.

It is adding cost into you yearly system jsut to solve an issue that happen every five years. Yes if the weather changes we need to change the system but for a 1 in 5 event. I be looking at other options such as a hay or straw reserve and adding straights to them.

Angus2018 wrote: »

I'm going to pack every space of shed I can spare with hay and straw. I'll be pushing hard for a good second cut if the Autumn allows, a repeat of last one would cause an even worse fodder crisis that this year.

It would depend on the price of hay or straw. If straw is above 15/bale and hay above 25 you are at nothing. You will need energy sources as well. Suckler cows will manage on hay but minimun fibre and a ration are the way for the smaller lad. A small meal bin taking 5ish tons might be an option as it opens up access to bulk rations and straights.

I will carry on as normal. May make a few bales. If thsi summer come wrong I have a field that I am reseeding in July/August. I will put in Rape and use it in tghe autums to shorten the winter. The last thing I want is 40-50 round bales sitting in the yard having to feed first the following year. I will look more at straighst next time. I will try to access hay or straw and put in a reserve of 20 bales. But the systems works with out trying to reinvent the wheel.

The lads taht have the real issue are lads that are short in a normal year. These need to reaccess there system

yewtree

Ran tight here, so going to but in a silage slab to hold a reserve of silage. Have been using all bales and happy with it, but it's very difficult to bring feed from one year to the next and they take a lot of space.
Will also but another meal bin to hold 3 way mixes, very happy with cow condition when I stretched silage with it this year.
Will also have to get a more efficient way of feeding it, barrows and buckets aren't ideal.

Timmaay

One thing I do have to say here (and yes as one of the luckier farms who could graze), if I had made no attempt to on off graze and get some early nitrogen out, then I would of ran out of fodder weeks ago! Not too mind how much lower the protein and yields would of been. Yes there has been some damage done and as a result I'll probably grow less grass in May, but overall it's kept the show on the road.

Buford T. Justice XIX

yewtree wrote: »

Ran tight here, so going to but in a silage slab to hold a reserve of silage. Have been using all bales and happy with it, but it's very difficult to bring feed from one year to the next and they take a lot of space.
Will also but another meal bin to hold 3 way mixes, very happy with cow condition when I stretched silage with it this year.
Will also have to get a more efficient way of feeding it, barrows and buckets aren't ideal.

I was looking at bins a few years ago but put them on the long finger, have a 6T bin here with 25 years so may be time to upgrade and hold onto the 6T for beef and stretcher rations.

Anyone any opinions on 12T split bins, have the option for filling with 12T or 2 6T of different mixes? Don't know anyone with them round here.

Gawddawggonnit

Twice in five years....

Wasn’t 2017 one of the best years on record for grass production?

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a glitch in the system?

If nothing changes (save making a few extra bales/acres silage) can it be presumed that the same could happen within three years?
I’d suggest that some fundamental changes need to be made. Winters are becoming longer...slurry storage and housing needs to be looked at also.
Big questions to be tackled.


If a company ceo expected two bailouts from the Gov in five years he would have some bother to hold his position.

yewtree

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I was looking at bins a few years ago but put them on the long finger, have a 6T bin here with 25 years so may be time to upgrade and hold onto the 6T for beef and stretcher rations.

Anyone any opinions on 12T split bins, have the option for filling with 12T or 2 6T of different mixes? Don't know anyone with them round here.

Wouldn't have the driest farm but tried every trick to keep them out for a few hours every day. Only for th at would have been completely screwed.
Still believe in early grass and Nitrogen just need to put in place a bigger fodder reserve.

Bullocks

"Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

If a company ceo expected two bailouts from the Gov in five years he would have some bother to hold his position.

This govt would probably promote him and get someone else to sort the mess ! You must be gone from the country too long haha

K.G.

Timmaay wrote: »

One thing I do have to say here (and yes as one of the luckier farms who could graze), if I had made no attempt to on off graze and get some early nitrogen out, then I would of ran out of fodder weeks ago! Not too mind how much lower the protein and yields would of been. Yes there has been some damage done and as a result I'll probably grow less grass in May, but overall it's kept the show on the road.

What i learnt is letting out by night early in the season is hardy worth the trouble butgetting them out everyday is crucial.

Muckit

yewtree wrote: »

Still believe in early grass and Nitrogen

Great in theory but not workable in practice on a lot of farms here in the west anyaays. l went to check silage ground on Saturday and damn near lost the tractor!

I know lads only trying to help but a few weeks ago there was advice to get fertiliser and stock out. where would it be after all the rain and more promised and what would ground be like?

jaymla627

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Twice in five years....

Wasn’t 2017 one of the best years on record for grass production?

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a glitch in the system?

If nothing changes (save making a few extra bales/acres silage) can it be presumed that the same could happen within three years?
I’d suggest that some fundamental changes need to be made. Winters are becoming longer...slurry storage and housing needs to be looked at also.
Big questions to be tackled.


If a company ceo expected two bailouts from the Gov in five years he would have some bother to hold his position.

I'd bet money next spring their will be the same craic happening, the concrete is poured and money spent on a lot of farms and x amount of cows have to be milked to keep it payed for, its secondary weather these cows can actually be kept feed, in 2018 it's pretty worrying animals are starving to death on farms and the sweet sum of f--all will be done to rectify this by the department

Mooooo

jaymla627 wrote: »

I'd bet money next spring their will be the same craic happening, the concrete is poured and money spent on a lot of farms and x amount of cows have to be milked to keep it payed for, its secondary weather these cows can actually be kept feed, in 2018 it's pretty worrying animals are starving to death on farms and the sweet sum of f--all will be done to rectify this by the department

You seem to think it's only dairy farms have gotten caught? Every group has been effected by this spring. According to your own statements you are higher stocked than the majority in the country. Started this thread to see what lads would do to prevent this type of threat to themselves going forward. Many in the east didn't experience this in 2013, so lesson hopefully learned

yewtree

Muckit wrote: »

Great in theory but not workable in practice on a lot of farms here in the west anyaays. l went to check silage ground on Saturday and damn near lost the tractor!

I know lads only trying to help but a few weeks ago there was advice to get fertiliser and stock out. where would it be after all the rain and more promised and what would ground be like?

Farming in mayo so well aware of issues had to abandon spreading some silage ground on saturday.
what has saved me is early fertiliser and getting ground grazed. There is 1100-1200 on what's was grazed at the start, grass really won't get going until you graze it.
It's been tough here no doubt, I just don't see a viable alternative to a grass based system.
Grass is flying here now, ground conditions are tricky. If I had decided to not graze and spread no fertiliser I would have no grass, no silage and an even bigger feed bill.

Bass Reeves

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I was looking at bins a few years ago but put them on the long finger, have a 6T bin here with 25 years so may be time to upgrade and hold onto the 6T for beef and stretcher rations.

Anyone any opinions on 12T split bins, have the option for filling with 12T or 2 6T of different mixes? Don't know anyone with them round here.

I have a split bin but would be slow to go for a split bin again. Issue with them is if eith part of bin gets blocked it is a mess unblocking it. They are very high so you need hoist to open top bin to clean it. If it si the bottom bin you need to drop the chute and have a ton of ration drop on you.

I go sperate bins unless price difference is huge. Ration are more prone to block than nuts.

Muckit

yewtree wrote: »

Farming in mayo so well aware of issues had to abandon spreading some silage ground on saturday.
what has saved me is early fertiliser and getting ground grazed. There is 1100-1200 on what's was grazed at the start, grass really won't get going until you graze it.
It's been tough here no doubt, I just don't see a viable alternative to a grass based system.
Grass is flying here now, ground conditions are tricky. If I had decided to not graze and spread no fertiliser I would have no grass, no silage and an even bigger feed bill.

You are probably fulltime dairying? Sheep and an odd calved cow is all you'd see out around here

I says

Two ibc tanks with the tops opened and hinged and fill with meal the stretch silage next winter.

atlantic mist

extra 30 acres being being rented here, didnt get caught in fodder crisis, wet farm so we dont ever expect to be out full time till 1st april, sold silage to a fair share of neighboring farms who were in bother

grandfather used always said to make sure to have and extra hay stack in the yard come spring, easy use it first the following year if not used, the winters are long and unpredictable

debating whole crop barley or grass at the minute, land not suitable for maize

few of those winters and the irish low cost model will be washed away, alfa bales imported by glanbia costing 220 a bale

yewtree

Muckit wrote: »

You are probably fulltime dairying? Sheep and an odd calved cow is all you'd see out around here

Yes full time dairy farming here. Is a fair point that drystock are harder managed in wet conditions but still think a lot of ground could do with a bit more fertiliser early in the year provided you can travel on the ground

Dakota Dan

Mooooo wrote: »

You can, there's a crowd in west cork that do it but very dear. Half looked into baling maize here for storage but it near on doubles the cost of the maize.

You'd want the bales well protected from rats and crows.

Bo dearg

Timmaay wrote: »

One thing I do have to say here (and yes as one of the luckier farms who could graze), if I had made no attempt to on off graze and get some early nitrogen out, then I would of ran out of fodder weeks ago! Not too mind how much lower the protein and yields would of been. Yes there has been some damage done and as a result I'll probably grow less grass in May, but overall it's kept the show on the road.

Six dairy farms surrounding me over 800 cows all together have so far got zero days at grass. No fertilizer out bar some with quads and some silage ground. We're not all bad farmers just too bloody wet. And even with take up Wednesday it'll take another 4 or 5 days to soak out. No cattle out either. But were not complaining😂😂

charolais0153

yewtree wrote: »

Yes full time dairy farming here. Is a fair point that drystock are harder managed in wet conditions but still think a lot of ground could do with a bit more fertiliser early in the year provided you can travel on the ground

Fertiliser on 20th feb worked beter this yaer than the same fertiliser on 20th january imo

Mooooo

Dakota Dan wrote: »

You'd want the bales well protected from rats and crows.

If being transported they need double the wrap of silage bales if not 1.5 times the wrap. Rats and crow protection a given with maize. Have lorry curtains and zil covers on the pit here

yellow50HX

Got caught a few years back with the snow in that we used up all the silage as we couldn't let the cows into the beet for nearly 2 months. So always cut what I can as Silage. Use last years 1st and then see how the following year goes. Also try to have plenty of straw bales too.

Had 100 bales of silage left over from last year and fed out the last bale today :eek:.

Had about 120 bales of straw some 4-5 years old and have 15 left. Calved cows out over the last few days and the dry ones still on beet and straw.

Will fill the shed with straw again this year if I can. If demand and price of straw is high any year I look to get what I need but if there surplus is straw around I will take as much as I can fit in the shed, really helps stretch the silage and once it's dry will hold for ages (once the mice haven't destroyed the bales too much)

Muckit

Bo dearg wrote: »

Six dairy farms surrounding me over 800 cows all together have so far got zero days at grass. No fertilizer out bar some with quads and some silage ground. We're not all bad farmers just too bloody wet. And even with take up Wednesday it'll take another 4 or 5 days to soak out. No cattle out either. But were not complaining😂😂

Yer all mad in the head. Mad mad mad!! Shocking bad farmers altogether, did ye not get a calendar at Christmas or what? I won't even ask ye for yer spring rotation planner!!!!!

I says

Getting a big fcuking umbrella fcuk this rain

Gawddawggonnit

jaymla627 wrote: »

I'd bet money next spring their will be the same craic happening, the concrete is poured and money spent on a lot of farms and x amount of cows have to be milked to keep it payed for, its secondary weather these cows can actually be kept feed, in 2018 it's pretty worrying animals are starving to death on farms and the sweet sum of f--all will be done to rectify this by the department

Strong post there Jay, and I couldn’t possibly comment because I have no idea what happens on Irish farms...







Have you ever watched any of the trilogy of films called ‘Taken’?

Angus2018

TITANIUM. wrote: »

When you say Autumn for your second cut, when are you planning for?

That I'm not sure, it's going to be a late first cut but maybe mid-late September. All depends on weather and growth.

Bass Reeves

Angus2018 wrote: »

That I'm not sure, it's going to be a late first cut but maybe mid-late September. All depends on weather and growth.

I would not delay first cut beyond the end of the first week in June. At that grass is heading out all energy will go towards producing seed heads. By cutting in first week in June and fiving fields adequate fertlizer another good cut can be got in late July early August. If silage ground is not already fertlized it shour be given 2 units of N/ are from now to first of june or about 90 units along with P&K if no slurry applied.

4-5 bags of 18-6-12/acre will give a decent crop in early June and the same applied again will give a good crop in late july early August. The idea should be to fertlize to the max to produve the maximum crop if you need a lot of silage. No point in chancing making low DM bales in September and get caught like last year.

TITANIUM.

Angus2018 wrote: »

That I'm not sure, it's going to be a late first cut but maybe mid-late September. All depends on weather and growth.

Im guessing that you need your silage ground early on for grazing? Bass pretty much beat me to it but i was going to say your playing a risky game hoping you'll get a chance to cut silage in September with the way this fecking weather's going. 2 cuts may and July job done.

Buford T. Justice XIX

TITANIUM. wrote: »

Im guessing that you need your silage ground early on for grazing? Bass pretty much beat me to it but i was going to say your playing a risky game hoping you'll get a chance to cut silage in September with the way this fecking weather's going. 2 cuts may and July job done.

I'd agree with TITANIUM and Bass here. It's a bite the bullet scenario, cut early this year and eliminate the 2 or 3 years pulling back the date and get yourself sorted for next year early. And the next few years too.

With the way the weather is going, it looks risky to be depending on a September cut this year to get you through.

I realise it's easy on the outside to be giving advise without knowing the effects that decision will have on farm cashflow but it does seem to minimise risks and maximise safety for next year?

Who2

The only thing is this winter has put the nail in the coffin for a lot of lads. I know of a lot of lads who’ve already pulled pin on farming any way intensely. Numbers being cut to the bare minimum, I’d say there’ll be plenty of fodder available but I’ll still try drive on my own in case I’m wrong.

Hard Knocks

Who2 wrote: »

The only thing is this winter has put the nail in the coffin for a lot of lads. I know of a lot of lads who’ve already pulled pin on farming any way intensely. Numbers being cut to the bare minimum, I’d say there’ll be plenty of fodder available but I’ll still try drive on my own in case I’m wrong.

I know a few at that / saying keep min stock & sell bales. But the bales are dry cow stuff (nor fertilizer & low dmd) & they’ll be selling as top quality for €30

Angus2018

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I would not delay first cut beyond the end of the first week in June. At that grass is heading out all energy will go towards producing seed heads. By cutting in first week in June and fiving fields adequate fertlizer another good cut can be got in late July early August. If silage ground is not already fertlized it shour be given 2 units of N/ are from now to first of june or about 90 units along with P&K if no slurry applied.

4-5 bags of 18-6-12/acre will give a decent crop in early June and the same applied again will give a good crop in late july early August. The idea should be to fertlize to the max to produve the maximum crop if you need a lot of silage. No point in chancing making low DM bales in September and get caught like last year.

Thanks for the info, will put that into practice. Silage ground has been too wet to get into until this week.

It all depends on the weather august onwards.