would sheep eat it

adamhughes

got 4 acres here of rough grass, two growths in it, cattle not too hot on it but if I strip fenced it would sheep clean it up

Nekarsulm

Not in a million years.
They'd nearly starve first.

If there's a few dry days next week, mow it and bale it in silage.
Someone will be glad of it next winter, and it'll clean up your field.

eorna

Fence it in 3-4 paddocks with electric fence and keep moving them around...
come Feb will b clean..

_Brian

Few weeks ago neighbor cut ground that had gotten fertiliser last summer then 12 months growing due to bad weather last summer.

Was awfully brown when cut and mad number of bales on it.
But he wrapped it and will feed it first.

Last spring re taught the lesson that any feed is better than no feed.

emaherx

_Brian wrote: »

Few weeks ago neighbor cut ground that had gotten fertiliser last summer then 12 months growing due to bad weather last summer.

Was awfully brown when cut and mad number of bales on it.
But he wrapped it and will feed it first.

Last spring re taught the lesson that any feed is better than no feed.

Baled/wrapped some like that myself last year. I fed it first too and cattle ate every bit with no waste at all. Can't imagine it was good quality feed but was damn glad of it considering the year. Biggest issue was mowing it very slowly.

adamhughes

to bale it, the feeding quality would be poor

White Clover

adamhughes wrote: »

to bale it, the feeding quality would be poor

That's why the cattle won't eat it. The sheep will only trample it and roar.

emaherx

adamhughes wrote: »

to bale it, the feeding quality would be poor

yes, it will be poor. But it will get the land back useful the quickest.
It is still feed that is in short supply and will feed better as silage than it will letting animals out to graze it.

Nekarsulm

adamhughes wrote: »

to bale it, the feeding quality would be poor

It would of course, but be as good as some of the shyte that was imported a few years ago.
Some man with a mixer wagon might be glad of it in February as roughage.

ganmo

The only way sheep will eat it down is over winter, at this stage of the year they’ll pick at the fresh growth rather than eating the dead stuff.

adamhughes

its nearly 15euro to make a bale now including cutting here so there may be a small profit in it

KatyMac

Have fields like that too - contractor is coming first dry days to come. Will feed it first and as I'm running behind on my fodder budget will be damn glad of it.

adamhughes

KatyMac wrote: »

Have fields like that too - contractor is coming first dry days to come. Will feed it first and as I'm running behind on my fodder budget will be damn glad of it.

you putting it in pit or round baling it?

Sheepman2

adamhughes wrote: »

its nearly 15euro to make a bale now including cutting here so there may be a small profit in it

That seems very expensive

adamhughes

Sheepman2 wrote: »

That seems very expensive

yes 14euro something it is moved and raked into big row

Nekarsulm

Still, it'd mean you have a nice bit of aftergrass coming on.
And the butt cleaned out to encourage tillering.

Feck the raking, 10 foot mower and bale it.
6 to 6.50 to bale and wrap, 2 euro for wrap, plus mowing.

Sheepman2

adamhughes wrote: »

yes 14euro something it is moved and raked into big row

You shouldn't have to pay for the raking it does not benefit you,only speeds up the contractor

KatyMac

adamhughes wrote: »

you putting it in pit or round baling it?

Round bales - should be somewhere in the region of 30/35. I did a fodder budget for 6 months and only came up 50 short, so this might be the difference in keeping what stock I have or offloading some earlier than I want.

adamhughes

Sheepman2 wrote: »

That seems very expensive

whats the average price with you there, prices went up abit with them using the fusion baler

charolais0153

adamhughes wrote: »

whats the average price with you there, prices went up abit with them using the fusion baler

10.50 cut baled wrapped

Green farmer

charolais0153 wrote: »

10.50 cut baled wrapped

Anybody double wrap ? Always do it here. Feel it’s money well spent.

Lambman

€13 cut baled raked and double wrapped was also a fusion baler on JD 6930.

Sheepman2

We charge €10 a bale mowed baled and wrapped with a mchale5500