Silage quality, cutting date

morphy87

Have silage to cut next week and it is back a lot in yield compared to last year even though it got the same fertilizer and slurry as last year

I am just wondering because the growth is back on last year a lot will the grass head out later than last year? If I was to wait two more weeks would the quality detriate much? This time last year it was lodged in the fields,

Say my name

If grass is comfortable and relaxed it won't head out, go to seed. It'll stay in the vegetative stage.

If it feels under pressure like a drought is imminent or it hears you threatening it with a mower it'll put it's last remaining energy into going to seed to ensure the species lives on.

Different varieties have different heading out dates too. Some early some late. And that has to be taken into account too.

So to answer the question it won't delay heading out date if it's under pressure or it has reached the heading out date for that variety.

The golden rule of silage between quantity and quality was to cut just as a head was appearing.

morphy87

Say my name wrote: »

If grass is comfortable and relaxed it won't head out, go to seed. It'll stay in the vegetative stage.

If it feels under pressure like a drought is imminent or it hears you threatening it with a mower it'll put it's last remaining energy into going to seed to ensure the species lives on.

Different varieties have different heading out dates too. Some early some late. And that has to be taken into account too.

So to answer the question it won't delay heading out date if it's under pressure or it has reached the heading out date for that variety.

The golden rule of silage between quantity and quality was to cut just as a head was appearing.

So when you mean go to seed you mean get steamy? Their is not a seed head in sight in my meadows, if this dry spell continues could it head out early? Also what’s your opinion on wilting for pit silage? You wouldn’t have an image of grass on the brink of heading out?

Mooooo

When did you fertilise and how much did you put out? If the fertiliser is used up I'd cut away. It'll be back earlier and you can take a second cut off some if you want

Say my name

morphy87 wrote: »

So when you mean go to seed you mean get steamy? Their is not a seed head in sight in my meadows, if this dry spell continues could it head out early? Also what’s your opinion on wilting for pit silage? You wouldn’t have an image of grass on the brink of heading out?

Basically with grass. It always has three leaves. As it grows it'll always have three leaves. But as a new leaf emerges on the top of the plant the leaf below the two leaves below that leaf dies off. These are all connected on a stem.
When the plant gets so far up a seed head starts to emerge on the top of the stem just beside a leaf that's called a flag leaf.
I don't have a picture but ^^^.

Wilting is a yes. But you don't want to go too far either. You need some moisture for bacteria in clamp or bale.

morphy87

Mooooo wrote: »

When did you fertilise and how much did you put out? If the fertiliser is used up I'd cut away. It'll be back earlier and you can take a second cut off some if you want

I spread 4 bags of cut award to the acre the first week of April, how long do you wilt your silage for if you have good weather?

morphy87

Say my name wrote: »

Basically with grass. It always has three leaves. As it grows it'll always have three leaves. But as a new leaf emerges on the top of the plant the leaf below the two leaves below that leaf dies off. These are all connected on a stem.
When the plant gets so far up a seed head starts to emerge on the top of the stem just beside a leaf that's called a flag leaf.
I don't have a picture but ^^^.

Wilting is a yes. But you don't want to go too far either. You need some moisture for bacteria in clamp or bale.

Sound for that,I’m hoping it won’t start to head out for a while yet, do you check the butt of the grass much?

Say my name

morphy87 wrote: »

Sound for that,I’m hoping it won’t start to head out for a while yet, do you check the butt of the grass much?

I do. Check to see it's not flat to the ground and rotting.
I'd be old school here but I only want dry cow silage.

Mooooo

morphy87 wrote: »

I spread 4 bags of cut award to the acre the first week of April, how long do you wilt your silage for if you have good weather?

The weather is due to break Wed but the following week is to be good I think so I'd cut away when weather settles. At 4 bags of cut sward it'll take about 50 days to use it so should be safe enough next week. If going into a pit 24 to 36 hours is enough particularly if tedding. Anymore and protein levels drop and it can be too dry in a pit scenario. If bales you may go drier but you'll still drop protein a bit.

morphy87

Say my name wrote: »

I do. Check to see it's not flat to the ground and rotting.
I'd be old school here but I only want dry cow silage.

What would the signs be or how would you know it was starting to rot at the butt? I presume it would be a little yellow?

morphy87

Mooooo wrote: »

The weather is due to break Wed but the following week is to be good I think so I'd cut away when weather settles. At 4 bags of cut sward it'll take about 50 days to use it so should be safe enough next week. If going into a pit 24 to 36 hours is enough particularly if tedding. Anymore and protein levels drop and it can be too dry in a pit scenario. If bales you may go drier but you'll still drop protein a bit.

I won’t be tedding and it’s for the pit so I will try and leave it down for a good day

Say my name

morphy87 wrote: »

What would the signs be or how would you know it was starting to rot at the butt? I presume it would be a little yellow?

If it's flat and brown and there's slugs the size of a Jack Russell.

I haven't a clue where you are but I'd say there's no chance of it in this country now with this weather.
All you'll be concerned about is quality and having enough of it (quantity).

Whenever the seedheads start to show get the mower out. Unless it's silage for finishing cattle and you've had enough rain that you're not concerned about a second crop growing back then go whenever.

There's lads around here have taken very light crops atm and it doesn't look like there's a good chance of getting much of a second crop. There's the argument of quality but there's the argument of bare concrete for the sake of a week or 10 days extra growth too. It's everyone's own preference and decisions at the end of the day.
Cue the posters posting we'll buy straw to spread out the silage..

It'll be a coming thing but with a foliar feed of minerals to grass you can get the bulk and quality at the same time.

Waffletraktor

Say my name wrote: »

If it's flat and brown and there's slugs the size of a Jack Russell.

I haven't a clue where you are but I'd say there's no chance of it in this country now with this weather.
All you'll be concerned about is quality and having enough of it (quantity).

Whenever the seedheads start to show get the mower out. Unless it's silage for finishing cattle and you've had enough rain that you're not concerned about a second crop growing back then go whenever.

There's lads around here have taken very light crops atm and it doesn't look like there's a good chance of getting much of a second crop. There's the argument of quality but there's the argument of bare concrete for the sake of a week or 10 days extra growth too. It's everyone's own preference and decisions at the end of the day.
Cue the posters posting we'll buy straw to spread out the silage..

It'll be a coming thing but with a foliar feed of minerals to grass you can get the bulk and quality at the same time.

If you want to get real fancy go out and pull 20 or 30 stems and grab a stanley blade slit it open along the stem to see where the seed head is. Im sure there’d be a diagram online for each growth stage to tell you how far up the seed head is

morphy87

Say my name wrote: »

If it's flat and brown and there's slugs the size of a Jack Russell.

I haven't a clue where you are but I'd say there's no chance of it in this country now with this weather.
All you'll be concerned about is quality and having enough of it (quantity).

Whenever the seedheads start to show get the mower out. Unless it's silage for finishing cattle and you've had enough rain that’ll you're not concerned about a second crop growing back then go whenever.

There's lads around here have taken very light crops atm and it doesn't look like there's a good chance of getting much of a second crop. There's the argument of quality but there's the argument of bare concrete for the sake of a week or 10 days extra growth too. It's everyone's own preference and decisions at the end of the day.
Cue the posters posting we'll buy straw to spread out the silage..

It'll be a coming thing but with a foliar feed of minerals to grass you can get the bulk and quality at the same time.

Sound for that

Bleating Lamb

Say my name wrote: »

If it's flat and brown and there's slugs the size of a Jack Russell.

I haven't a clue where you are but I'd say there's no chance of it in this country now with this weather.
All you'll be concerned about is quality and having enough of it (quantity).

Whenever the seedheads start to show get the mower out. Unless it's silage for finishing cattle and you've had enough rain that you're not concerned about a second crop growing back then go whenever.

There's lads around here have taken very light crops atm and it doesn't look like there's a good chance of getting much of a second crop. There's the argument of quality but there's the argument of bare concrete for the sake of a week or 10 days extra growth too. It's everyone's own preference and decisions at the end of the day.
Cue the posters posting we'll buy straw to spread out the silage..

It'll be a coming thing but with a foliar feed of minerals to grass you can get the bulk and quality at the same time.

Have to say as a general comment I would agree with an awful lot of your thinking Say my name.Would be making silage for dry stock and sheep here do try to go for quality over quantity.Of course there is a balance to be struck and every year brings its own conundrums but have a nice neighbour farmer who is the salt of the earth but religiously cuts his silage (one cut) in Mid May.He does things by the book regarding nitrogen uptake etc but passed his place yday.....was drizzling nicely and he was mowing the meadow.We had heavy rain last night.....an overcast dry day today ....all baled up this evening.Bear in mind we have had nearly two months without rain of any kind here (Leitrim)
Each to their own but the stuff was a long way off heading out and crop wasn’t very heavy so he didn’t need to cut it.
Some people get caught up in farming by the calendar or copying their neighbours etc.
To the OP I would say it sounds like your Silage is still only growing healthily and you are time enough until well after the mini rainstorm coming in Thursday night has passed over before going cutting it.
Remember you only get the one chance at cutting it

Robson99

2 problems I think are present at the moment
Firstly some farmers still only go with 60 or 70 units of nitrogen which isnt enough and causes the sward to head out early.
Secondly imo the drought like conditions we have had put pressure on the award also causing it to head out.
Beginning to head out here now....more the second cause than the first

Hard Knocks

Robson99 wrote: »

2 problems I think are present at the moment
Firstly some farmers still only go with 60 or 70 units of nitrogen which isnt enough and causes the sward to head out early.
Secondly imo the drought like conditions we have had put pressure on the award also causing it to head out.
Beginning to head out here now....more the second cause than the first

Same here
Noticing weather holding up meadows here over last 2-3 springs

morphy87

I am planning on cutting Thursday, what should my dmd be do ye reckon? I know it depends on if it is starting to head out but let’s say on average what would people be expecting for the 28th of May? I will also wilt it for 24 hours

charolais0153

morphy87 wrote: »

I am planning on cutting Thursday, what should my dmd be do ye reckon? I know it depends on if it is starting to head out but let’s say on average what would people be expecting for the 28th of May? I will also wilt it for 24 hours

Around 70, it drops 0 5dmd day after heading out

leoch

My silage seems very short this year its due date is this weekend and its all gone flat after the stormy weather we had on fri and Sat will get it tested for nitrogen and hopefully cut at weekend weather permitting want to wilt it for at least a day also....

On the testing how much grass do i need to bring in and do i pull it from the root

Mooooo

Pit management can determine off as well so plenty rolling and good covering

morphy87

charolais0153 wrote: »

Around 70, it drops 0 5dmd day after heading out

Sound

RobinBanks

Anyone ever cut and bale the same day? i have a field thats gone to strong for grazing now and i have baler man coming this evening to bale meadow. I have a notion of cutting the other field and bailing it later when hes hear. The grass is bone dry but would be soft enough grass i suppose. Would bales be very juicy and sour for feeding next winter? no expert on silage but i normally leave grass down a couple of days before bailing.

Bass Reeves

RobinBanks wrote: »

Anyone ever cut and bale the same day? i have a field thats gone to strong for grazing now and i have baler man coming this evening to bale meadow. I have a notion of cutting the other field and bailing it later when hes hear. The grass is bone dry but would be soft enough grass i suppose. Would bales be very juicy and sour for feeding next winter? no expert on silage but i normally leave grass down a couple of days before bailing.

Grass will be over 20DM with present weather cut away. Only issue would be if there is N in it

RobinBanks

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Grass will be over 20DM with present weather cut away. Only issue would be if there is N in it

Thanks Bass. we are fairly old school around here and like the dry silage for feeding in winter so we dont know any better! i remember years ago we cut a 2nd cut, christ it was very juicy and the smell off your hands after feeding it was chronic.

CloughCasey1

RobinBanks wrote: »

Anyone ever cut and bale the same day? i have a field thats gone to strong for grazing now and i have baler man coming this evening to bale meadow. I have a notion of cutting the other field and bailing it later when hes hear. The grass is bone dry but would be soft enough grass i suppose. Would bales be very juicy and sour for feeding next winter? no expert on silage but i normally leave grass down a couple of days before bailing.

2nd cut in 2018 was mowed, raked and baled within 4 hours here. Bales never sagged, was very dry sweet smelling silage.

GrasstoMilk

RobinBanks wrote: »

Thanks Bass. we are fairly old school around here and like the dry silage for feeding in winter so we dont know any better! i remember years ago we cut a 2nd cut, christ it was very juicy and the smell off your hands after feeding it was chronic.

I'd cut away Robin. Itll only be it's own sap.
The silage you describe there was probably baled during a broken period and had low DM to start with?
They will sag a little bit but they'll be fine.
All our silage this year has been down for less than a day and zero run off from the pit

patsy_mccabe

I cut and baled on the one day yesterday. Never did it before but judging by the weight of the bales, moisture not too high. I don't like silage too dry as any hole in the plastic leads to a lot of that dreaded blue mould.

RobinBanks

Feck it anyway! i cut that field yesterday but contractor got held up and didnt get to me. Raining all morning here now. Would have been nice stuff to bale yesterday straight after been mowed. This rain wasnt forecasted around here.

Lime Tree Farm

RobinBanks wrote: »

Feck it anyway! i cut that field yesterday but contractor got held up and didnt get to me. Raining all morning here now. Would have been nice stuff to bale yesterday straight after been mowed. This rain wasnt forecasted around here.

I find weather.com, for your own locality, very good. Say My Name, may have other suggestions, he named some useful websites last year.

whelan2

We mowed and picked up on Tuesday. Juice coming out of it today. Contractor said it was green compared to the hay type stuff he has been at recently. Cows had grazed it for a month before closing it.

Bass Reeves

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

I find weather.com, for your own locality, very good. Say My Name, may have other suggestions, he named some useful websites last year.

BBC weather have an active weather video put in a city near you and you can see the predicted weather movements

Say my name

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

I find weather.com, for your own locality, very good. Say My Name, may have other suggestions, he named some useful websites last year.

Ah for rain I always look on theweatheroutlook.com for the Arpege rainfall model https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twodata/arpege.aspx

Then the met office clips on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/edJ4eCm_s9E

I doubt you'll go wrong after them.