Townie wondering whats going on outdoors

Roadtoad

Ladies and Gentlemen of the countryside, perhaps one of you can sate my curiosity, aroused during recent cycle trips.

1: Two big farms near me (east Kildare) have considerable quantities of silage bales visible from the road, tens of artic truck loads each. I thought the whole country was on its last legs a few weeks ago. (one is a serious international stud farm, the other a 'strong' farmer). Are these people being poor neighbours?

2: Recent trips around Wicklow show all the ewes with twins in the fields. All the ewes on the Curragh have only one. Is it a grazing rights issue, different breeds, or what?

As always, Boards can be trusted to explain, thanks in advance, and if you only have time for one answer, let it be the twins!

ganmo

The sheep on the curragh id guess are only a portion of their flock with those with twins(and triplets) being in their own enclosed fields. Why do they only let the singles to the curragh? Because the ewes find it much easier to look after one(making sure it stays with them and defending from dogs/foxes) than 2.

Unfortunately there aren’t any curragh farmers here to tell ya for certain

Never wrestle with pigs

Also I'd imagine less grass on the curragh so easy to feed one lamb instead of two.

Could the bales be straw wrapped?

Angus2018

If they didn't sell any bales then yes they are being poor neighbours.

BUT it they sold some and kept most back then they are just anticipating for next Winter. With the late Spring, poor growth and complete clear out of most sheds and silage stacks there is potential for an even worse fodder crisis next year.

Wildsurfer

Could they be freshly made bales? A lot of baling done around this area 2 days ago.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Roadtoad wrote: »

Ladies and Gentlemen of the countryside, perhaps one of you can sate my curiosity, aroused during recent cycle trips.

1: Two big farms near me (east Kildare) have considerable quantities of silage bales visible from the road, tens of artic truck loads each. I thought the whole country was on its last legs a few weeks ago. (one is a serious international stud farm, the other a 'strong' farmer). Are these people being poor neighbours?

2: Recent trips around Wicklow show all the ewes with twins in the fields. All the ewes on the Curragh have only one. Is it a grazing rights issue, different breeds, or what?

As always, Boards can be trusted to explain, thanks in advance, and if you only have time for one answer, let it be the twins!

The feed being kept by the stud might be the very best quality feed needed by their horses. Cattle and sheep would rarely get feed of that quality. It has to be extremely high quality for horses and no dust or tiny bits of spoilage you might get on normal farm animal feed. Horses worth that much money get pampered.

As ganmo said on the sheep, the sheep feeding twins could be kept back for extra feeding or better feeding. A ewe feeding two lambs would need to produce about 50% extra milk to keep both growing so the farmer would keep those on better grass or feed extra ration to provide energy.

The ewes with singles would be well able to get enough grass in the Curragh for feeding one lamb but would be under a lot of pressure to feed two there.

Cavanjack

Roadtoad wrote: »

Ladies and Gentlemen of the countryside, perhaps one of you can sate my curiosity, aroused during recent cycle trips.

1: Two big farms near me (east Kildare) have considerable quantities of silage bales visible from the road, tens of artic truck loads each. I thought the whole country was on its last legs a few weeks ago. (one is a serious international stud farm, the other a 'strong' farmer). Are these people being poor neighbours?

2: Recent trips around Wicklow show all the ewes with twins in the fields. All the ewes on the Curragh have only one. Is it a grazing rights issue, different breeds, or what?

As always, Boards can be trusted to explain, thanks in advance, and if you only have time for one answer, let it be the twins!

Are You sure they are bales of silage? Are they bales of straw by any chance?

Dog walker 1234

Another townie question. How do you know if you have enough bales of silage? I see different size ones. Some look sagged while others are round and firm looking. Surely they have different quality of feed in them.

Lady Haywire

Dog walker 1234 wrote: »

Another townie question. How do you know if you have enough bales of silage? I see different size ones. Some look sagged while others are round and firm looking. Surely they have different quality of feed in them.

You don't really know unless you see they being made or open a bale. You can pack bales tight or middling, depending on whether it's for your own use or selling Different types of balers will make bigger bales then other too.
Sagged ones tend to be on the bottom of bale 'heaps' so get a bit squished. Still the same amount in them, but compressed.

wexie

I'm not even a townie but I'd like to ask one as well if you don't mind?

What is it that is being grown under the plastic rows you see in the fields? Back home I'd have only ever seen that for asparagus and I'm pretty sure the asparagus market in Wexford (sadly) isn't great.

Is it maize?

greysides

wexie wrote: »

Is it maize?

Yes.

wexie

greysides wrote: »

Yes.

ta!

gozunda

This may help with some of the more intersting farm related idioms...

Merriam Webster Farm Expression Quiz

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-games/farm-words

The quiz is timed as well. Score of 42600! Woohoo!

_Brian

It’s possible they needed shed space and wrapped whatever hay/straw they had indoors.
Or it could be freshly made stuff just done in the last week.

Cattlepen

Roadtoad wrote: »

Ladies and Gentlemen of the countryside, perhaps one of you can sate my curiosity, aroused during recent cycle trips.

1: Two big farms near me (east Kildare) have considerable quantities of silage bales visible from the road, tens of artic truck loads each. I thought the whole country was on its last legs a few weeks ago. (one is a serious international stud farm, the other a 'strong' farmer). Are these people being poor neighbours?

2: Recent trips around Wicklow show all the ewes with twins in the fields. All the ewes on the Curragh have only one. Is it a grazing rights issue, different breeds, or what?

As always, Boards can be trusted to explain, thanks in advance, and if you only have time for one answer, let it be the twins!

Not very fair to question whether people are poor neighbors because they have plenty of fodder. They are obviously doing their job properly

bogman_bass

Let's not go down this road again!

TheBoyConor

If a stud farm have feed on hand it is likely of a very high quality. They are not going to sell it to a beef or dairy farm for a huge loss.

It's not a case of being a good or bad neighbour. It's business.

They are being responsible by ensuring that they have enough fodder in stock so that they don't run into the same problems as others have if the weather doesn't go well.

greysides

bogman_bass wrote: »

Let's not go down this road again!

Mod:I think we've had the spectrum of answers on the fodder question, so let's not rehash that argument again. Thanks.

Roadtoad

Cavanjack wrote: »

Are You sure they are bales of silage? Are they bales of straw by any chance?

OP here again:
Haven't a clue, above my pay grade. The stud farm doesn't generate straw, the other does. Its 2017 stuff, not 2018. Happy to park it if its a sensitive issue.

So the twin lambs are kept on private land for easier minding/watching/feeding. I still think there's something 'extra' going on, isn't ewe fertilisation enough of a science that the they will nearly all have twins?

Thanks again for your help, I'll casually raise the subject over the w/end, and then provide some thoughtful insights!

Buford T. Justice XIX

Roadtoad wrote: »

OP here again:
Haven't a clue, above my pay grade. The stud farm doesn't generate straw, the other does. Its 2017 stuff, not 2018. Happy to park it if its a sensitive issue.

So the twin lambs are kept on private land for easier minding/watching/feeding. I still think there's something 'extra' going on, isn't ewe fertilisation enough of a science that the they will nearly all have twins?

Thanks again for your help, I'll casually raise the subject over the w/end, and then provide some thoughtful insights!

Great research done but putting it into practice is a bit more difficult. A lot will depend on ewe breed and how early in the breeding season you want them to lamb.

For example, mountainy ewes till tend to have nearer to 1 lamb than 2 while lowland ewes will tend to have nearer 2 than 1. Even the different breeds will differ with some naturally having more lambs than others. Breeding early season will have lower numbers than breeding a bit later in the breeding season.

If on good grass then they will tend to have more than on poorer grass. Normal weather will have higher numbers than too wet/too dry. A ewe with a good condition score (having been well fed before breeding) will tend to have more than a thinner ewe.

Like I say, tying it all together at one time can be a challenge in itself.

And that's before you look at the ram himself:)

Willfarman

A farmer in north wexford payed a contractor to move 150+ bales out of sight of the road a few weeks back. He was being moidered!! And he was right as he has a lot of stock and needed them all.

The Rabbi

Cattle exporters could need a couple of hundred bales of silage when they are gathering the cattle for the boat.Shippers sometimes supply cattle to studs to help keep the horse paddocks tidy.