Second cut silage /weather

Waternotsoda

I know everyone got great first cut silage, but given the deterioration in our weather over the last month. How is the second cut progressing?

Track9

Our second cut growing slowly & finding its bulking up rate slow also.
Need another two weeks of reasoable weather before cutting .

Timmaay

Anyone here still at silage are onto their 3rd or even 4th cuts by now ha.

The Nutty M

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone here still at silage are onto their 3rd or even 4th cuts by now ha.

3rd cut is a month growing at the moment. Not looking overly heavy but it's gonna have to be baled within two weeks anyways before it turns into complete muck altogether.

_Brian

Stuff is ready, Just waiting on contractor.
Really hoping to get it baled somewhat dry or I’d be worried for it’s feeding value.

How long to people have to wait after contacting contractor?? I was on last Tuesday and he said he mightn’t make it during this week either as so much stuff to knock

Reggie.

_Brian wrote: »

Stuff is ready, Just waiting on contractor.
Really hoping to get it baled somewhat dry or I’d be worried for it’s feeding value.

How long to people have to wait after contacting contractor?? I was on last Tuesday and he said he mightn’t make it during this week either as so much stuff to knock

That's seems a ridiculous length of time

Who2

I give my contractor a couple of weeks notice that I have x amount coming on and I’ll be ringing him just before I’m going to cut, then he gets a max of two days notice and if he can’t do it I get someone else. There’s loads of good lads around you Brian, mad looking for work. My lad has never really let me down and there’s twowaiting to take his place but I’ve been straight with them that I won’t be changing unless the current lad f’s up but he’s around here nearly twenty years and doesn’t leave me hanging.

Cavanjack

Reggie. wrote: »

That's seems a ridiculous length of time

Our man gets paid leaving the yard after every cut. He usually comes to cut within a few hours of ringing him.

Reggie.

Cavanjack wrote: »

Our man gets paid leaving the yard after every cut. He usually comes to cut within a few hours of ringing him.

I'm lucky enough that I'm the same with my customers.

Mooooo

Would give 2 weeks notice of date I'm planning to cut and then would ring 4 to 5 days before hand to see how they are fixed and set a day weather dependant. That for the self propelled crew. Lads at bales I'd ring and ask when they can come generally within a day or two, altho they may come in the evenings or whatever unless there is a good bit of ground to do as it's generally strong paddocks they'd do, rarely would it be anything more than a month growing.

_Brian

Reggie. wrote: »

That's seems a ridiculous length of time

Yea. That’s my feeling.

Peeved a bit TBH, nobody else has cut a stalk of silage here since mid 70’s.
Might be time for a change.

Reggie.

_Brian wrote: »

Yea. That’s my feeling.

Peeved a bit TBH, nobody else has cut a stalk of silage here since mid 70’s.
Might be time for a change.

If you were closer

Timmaay

The Nutty M wrote: »

3rd cut is a month growing at the moment. Not looking overly heavy but it's gonna have to be baled within two weeks anyways before it turns into complete muck altogether.

I got an out block that I can only cut silage on, took the 3rd cut off it last week, I'd be happy if it stopped growing until next Feb if possible lol, but instead it's greening up already, despite the ground being rock hard from lack of rain. Hard to know what to do with it, if ground conditions were good at any stage over the winter then I'd smash and grab it, or maybe sell it as a standing crop to be zero grazed.

Reggie.

Timmaay wrote: »

I got an out block that I can only cut silage on, took the 3rd cut off it last week, I'd be happy if it stopped growing until next Feb if possible lol, but instead it's greening up already, despite the ground being rock hard from lack of rain. Hard to know what to do with it, if ground conditions were good at any stage over the winter then I'd smash and grab it, or maybe sell it as a standing crop to be zero grazed.

Cut it in dec and get in the journal

Dunedin

Cavanjack wrote: »

Our man gets paid leaving the yard after every cut.

I tried to do that with my lad but I’m lucky if I get a bill within the year. Fecking disaster really as I like to pay pretty quickly so as I know where I stand but it’s like pulling teeth to get a bill off him.

That said, he never leaves me waiting when I want him. I generally ring him maybe two weeks in advance of main cut to provisionally book a date and then follow up a few days before re weather etc. never a problem with him. He’s probably a little dearer than others around but the realiability is well worth it.

Reggie.

Dunedin wrote: »

I tried to do that with my lad but I’m lucky if I get a bill within the year. Fecking disaster really as I like to pay pretty quickly so as I know where I stand but it’s like pulling teeth to get a bill off him.

That said, he never leaves me waiting when I want him. I generally ring him maybe two weeks in advance of main cut to provisionally book a date and then follow up a few days before re weather etc. never a problem with him. He’s probably a little dearer than others around but the realiability is well worth it.

Why does he hold back I wonder?

whelan2

Dunedin wrote: »

I tried to do that with my lad but I’m lucky if I get a bill within the year. Fecking disaster really as I like to pay pretty quickly so as I know where I stand but it’s like pulling teeth to get a bill off him.

That said, he never leaves me waiting when I want him. I generally ring him maybe two weeks in advance of main cut to provisionally book a date and then follow up a few days before re weather etc. never a problem with him. He’s probably a little dearer than others around but the realiability is well worth it.

I put money into contractors account most months. Then work out what's the balance st the end of the year

alps

Timmaay wrote: »

I got an out block that I can only cut silage on, took the 3rd cut off it last week, I'd be happy if it stopped growing until next Feb if possible lol, but instead it's greening up already, despite the ground being rock hard from lack of rain. Hard to know what to do with it, if ground conditions were good at any stage over the winter then I'd smash and grab it, or maybe sell it as a standing crop to be zero grazed.

Don't zero graze it. You'll end up with a wedge of grass that will mess up your own silage cutting dates next May. Also if you zero graze that ground in late Nov or December, you'll have no regrowth until March. Only zero graze when you will have aggressive and immediate regrowth

Dunedin

Reggie. wrote: »

Why does he hold back I wonder?

He wouldn’t be stuck for it and knows he will get paid. He’s a neighbor also as much as anything but I’d still rather pay early.

Timmaay

alps wrote: »

Don't zero graze it. You'll end up with a wedge of grass that will mess up your own silage cutting dates next May. Also if you zero graze that ground in late Nov or December, you'll have no regrowth until March. Only zero graze when you will have aggressive and immediate regrowth

The biggest problem with it if I don't cut it until say next April (assuming I can get a weather window) is the quality of the grass will be crap because it will of been growing for 6months+, also I found the April cut of silage off it this year was too hard to dry out because just not enough hours of sunlight. At least if I cut or zg over the winter it can be fed straight to cows without the worry about preserving. No regrowth until March would suit me grand, I'd at least have reasonable quality 1st cut in May then off it. These options are purely weather dependent, for all I know it will turn cold and wet from Oct until next may and I won't be able to leave a machine near the field, but the flip side could also happen, nice mild dry winter like the winter just has gone by.

Mooooo

Timmaay wrote: »

The biggest problem with it if I don't cut it until say next April (assuming I can get a weather window) is the quality of the grass will be crap because it will of been growing for 6months+, also I found the April cut of silage off it this year was too hard to dry out because just not enough hours of sunlight. At least if I cut or zg over the winter it can be fed straight to cows without the worry about preserving. No regrowth until March would suit me grand, I'd at least have reasonable quality 1st cut in May then off it. These options are purely weather dependent, for all I know it will turn cold and wet from Oct until next may and I won't be able to leave a machine near the field, but the flip side could also happen, nice mild dry winter like the winter just has gone by.

Would it be awkward to land heifers or yearlings out there for any length of time in Oct?

Timmaay

Landlord doesn't want this ugh.

Muckit

_Brian wrote: »

Yea. That’s my feeling.

Peeved a bit TBH, nobody else has cut a stalk of silage here since mid 70’s.
Might be time for a change.

Do you not usually make silage _Brian??

pburns

_Brian wrote: »

Yea. That’s my feeling.

Peeved a bit TBH, nobody else has cut a stalk of silage here since mid 70’s.
Might be time for a change.

Complacent. Needs the boot...

_Brian

Muckit wrote: »

Do you not usually make silage _Brian??

We do, I was saying only this guy has done it since I think either ‘76 or ‘77.

memorystick

What’s the max amount of pig slurry I can put out? Was told it can burn the ground

Bass Reeves

memorystick wrote: »

What’s the max amount of pig slurry I can put out? Was told it can burn the ground

With this weather you can get caking of slurry on the ground. Generally it tends to be more liquidy than cattle slurry. I see no reason you could not go 3K gallons/acre.

K.G.

whelan2 wrote: »

I put money into contractors account most months. Then work out what's the balance st the end of the year

Thats the way i do it too.i put a rough estimate on it and pay a bit short maybe a couple hundred short.when the job is done.dont need a bill really

Reggie.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

With this weather you can get caking of slurry on the ground. Generally it tends to be more liquidy than cattle slurry. I see no reason you could not go 3K gallons/acre.

Go LESS if ya can. Less chance of plastering the grass

Mooooo

Reggie. wrote: »

Go LESS if ya can. Less chance of plastering the grass

Will be grazing after grass start of the week that got slurry by dribble bar will be interesting to see if any sign of it is still there

Reggie.

Mooooo wrote: »

Will be grazing after grass start of the week that got slurry by dribble bar will be interesting to see if any sign of it is still there

Is say it's still there unless it was very watery

GrasstoMilk

Pig slurry very watery stuff and goes into the ground well.
3k gallons no problem.

memorystick

Parking up the chequebook so only going with 3k per acre only. No N as I’m skint.

Sugarbowl

Got slurry out on silage ground this evening. Went very likely as no sign of rain coming. It should do it some good anyway.