Silage 2023

roosterman71

Anyone make any yet? Very little done anywhere near me, bar a couple of paddocks gone for bales. However I did see a mower going past the gate earlier and a silage trailer go on the main road a while back.

Hoping myself to take out a few acres and have it going on again. I've had plenty of calls already looking for bales of which I won't have enough to fix everyone up. Seems to be a good demand at the minute for next winters fodder

Dunedin

Nothing round here at all yet. We had very heavy rain all week so it’ll take a bit of soaking yet. Next week is promised good so I’d expect take off by the end of the week.

Jb1989

2 farms here lifting and cutting today in monaghan, one lifting on Louth monaghan border too.

grange mac

Done silage test... Still 400n in grass and fit to be cut.... Didn't get proper sunshine till today... Will test again at wknd... Am told needs to be under 200 to cut... Fertiliser out almost 8 weeks

Siamsa Sessions

Seems to be a nice bit being knocked here in Waterford. Was talking to the contractor today and I'm aiming to cut a few paddocks on Tues/Wed. That will be what passes for a first cut for me. No grass heading out yet so I'm hoping it'll be fairly good stuff.

GrasstoMilk

Baled 19 acres today

5.5 bales /ac on one paddock that got grazed twice

3 bales /ac on one paddock that got grazed 3 times to date

10.7 bales /ac on 2 paddocks that got grazed once

All in all 134 bales gathered and nice stuff too

knocking proper 1st cut tomorrow, pitting it on Monday. It’s very heavy, not grazed

Reggie.

Fields still flooded around here

weatherbyfoxer

Cut the red clover here 10 days ago, great first cut at 83 bales off 8 acres. Going to mow 4 acres of paddocks tomorrow.Have 7 acres of first cut silage that's brutal heavy because it hasn't been grazed yet this year.Only thing is the nitrogen isn't due to be gone till the 19th,I have a sample in the freezer this minute to go for testing Monday morning.Grass is just starting to head out so I will probably cut it regardless and just wilt it longer if the nitrogen is still high

Dunedin

Pissing rain here again this morning 😡😡😡

893bet

Had nice showers here aswell and misty now down in the Midwest.

Promised dry for the week but a little cooler that you would like.

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120594613#Comment_120594613

Will be some Snapchats and tic tocs floating around next week if lads attempt to go at soft heavy ground spreading fertilizer on 2nd cut yesterday and it was barely trafficable on the wet spots with springs

Reggie.

Ground way too soft atm

Packrat

A good bit cut in S Kerry and W Cork. Mostly bales.

My organic hay for June is growing well and i put out watery slurry last evening on 12 acres where the ewes lambed for July silage.

Nice bit of rain last night to wash it down a bit. I was worried about that because I see 3 or more dry weeks coming.

It'll be great for people cutting but I hate drought in summer as I've no water in some fields.

Packrat

A good bit cut in S Kerry and W Cork. Mostly bales.

My organic hay for June is growing well and i put out watery slurry last evening on 12 acres where the ewes lambed for July silage.

Nice bit of rain last night to wash it down a bit. I was worried about that because I see 3 or more dry weeks coming.

It'll be great for people cutting but I hate drought in summer as I've no water in some fields.

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120594976#Comment_120594976

Have you had the mower out at all yet?

roosterman71

Since I posted the original thread starter I got a call to go knock a bit for a lad. About 9 acres. I'd say he's regretting it now. He was adament it wouldn't rain and the yard here has a bit of water flowing across it this morning

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120595002#Comment_120595002

Where do you see three or more dry weeks coming???? Are you drunk 😂😂😂

1373

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120595467#Comment_120595467

Looking like the last week in May will be proper dry

Reggie.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120595004#Comment_120595004

Nope. Be another week.

Only 12 acres of grass sown so far.

Next week is gonna be fun. Aiming for 100 acres in the ground by Friday

bogman_bass

Some amount of grass down between donoughmore and Bantry yesterday

Packrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120595467#Comment_120595467

Hello to you too.

No I'm not drunk.

Learn how to read a long range weather forecast sometime rather than heaping scorn at those who can.

Just because it's been raining recently doesn't mean it's going to continue.

Jesus Christ.. this place would fcuking wreck your head at times..

Hoping to be cutting this week. My silage fields are dry. Told my contractor well in advance so will be very disappointing if not done. I’d get Trump on the phone quicker than I would my contractor.

stanflt

Mowed today

horribly heavy and has started to head out and lodge- will be the worst quality for 20 years

at least meal prices are in free fall

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120601521#Comment_120601521

Did you get to graze it before closing off?

Where abouts in the country?

Siamsa Sessions

Going to cut here today. Headed over this morning and the cattle had broken into it overnight. They broke a stake and then just stepped in over the wire.

You can see they weren't in it long thankfully.

Went into the calves then and two had got out of the pens and were lying in the hay. You won't see it on YouTube but I admit I gave them a good chase around the yard and there may have been some bad language used.

I'd be crying if the sun wasn't shining and it wasn't such a good day 😀

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120594976#Comment_120594976

it is still soft. Tried putting out fertiliser on silage ground this morning and it was a rescue mission. Cows grazed this a few weeks ago. I have 30 acres for bales. Grazed in February. Driest field I have. Hope to get them done in next few days

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120595726#Comment_120595726

Ah the annual drought....

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120602620#Comment_120602620

This year seems to be tracking 2018 weather-wise, if the good weather does stick around for the next few weeks, you'll have lads screaming for rain next week on drier ground

Tonynewholland

The last of the first cut for this year. Great condition

GrasstoMilk

All in in nice order. 2nd cut and 20 acres of whole crop to go in at the front

will be a tight fit 😬

wrangler

My tenant cut my land yesterday, looks a great crop, he'll have a lot cut, my forty acres would be a small part of it, he tedded it out today

Lads should take advantage if their silage is nearly fit for cutting whatever chance they have instead of relying of the forecast which can mess up your head. Met Éireann giving a good outlook yesterday and today a completely different story. Not much rain forecasted but could get caught with those dirty light showers or drizzle. Got caught last year with a confidently predicted high pressure in the farming weather on Sunday that disappeared within 24 hours.

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120608784#Comment_120608784

Same here. Got rode backways last June with a 3 day window which turned in 24 hours and 48 hours of rain.

I was going to knock some Friday and bale Saturday evening before the forecasted showers come along. Those showers no showing to start from midday, and rain tmorrow which wasn't there earlier in the week. I might hold off until next week

trabpc

https://www.bbc.com/weather/map

I find the BBC rainfall radar very good.Only slight chance of rain around 2 to 5 tomorrow but looking like v light rain if any

MfMan

Any pit-makers use the newish hybrid covers, i.e. Agrisafe Hybrid Classic covers? Seems to be a combo of top black cover and cling film underneath - not sure how that is manufactured or works. The Visqueen Clingseal covers don't appear to be available on the Irish market any more. Thoughts?

blackdog1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120611813#Comment_120611813

got a cover from maizetech last year no problem 18*50 meter so i get 2 years out of it. Try them. problem with delivery is those visqueen damage easy in transport.

Conversations 3

Hi,

I spread approx 90 units of nitrogen 30 days ago.

Would I be mad to knock my silage over the weekend or would nitrogen levels be mad high?

Where can I get it tested on a Saturday around Laois or Tipp?

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617899#Comment_120617899

In theory there could be 30 units left which is a lot. Probably less tbf given the growth lately. Is your co op open tomorrow morning?

Conversations 3

Yea Tirlán is open.

Do they do the test?

I know a lab in Carlow but don't think they open on a Saturday.

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617899#Comment_120617899

Normally 2 units/day I think. Sounds like it's too early to cut

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617947#Comment_120617947

Yea, I'll get it tested to be sure.

Starting to head out so am anxious to get it cut.

roosterman71

All next week is giving fine. Ya'd likely get a good wilt on it if you left a couple of days

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617959#Comment_120617959

If the nitrogen level is going by the 2 units a day I'll have to leave it 2 weeks before I mow.

Does wilting bring down the nitrogen levels?

Silly question maybe, but how do you work out how many units you've applied. I just always spread what my father spread.

charolais0153

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618429#Comment_120618429

50 kg bag of 18:6:12 has 18 units of nitrogen

50kg bag of urea 46 units

50kg of can 27 units

EIapprentice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618429#Comment_120618429

No such thing, What did you spread?

Terracan, 1500kg on 11 acres and 1750kg on 13ish acres.

EIapprentice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618625#Comment_120618625

So approx 60 units of N on both

dmakc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617945#Comment_120617945

It's been a few years since I tested, sorry I can't recall if they do it there or send it away to their own labs

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120618429#Comment_120618429

I found this handy to get my head around it.

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/crops/soil-and-soil-fertility/17.-Weights--Measures.pdf

dmakc

TAMS silage walls 4 weeks on - what could be causing this dampness in parts? Mainly 1ft from the top and no rain has fallen the past 4 days. Feels crustier to touch compared to how smooth the rest is. Can I trust grass against it?