Fodder Crisis

Bullocks wrote:

Two lads I met today are looking for hay /silage. Anything they had worth eating is ate and no big growth yet they reckon.

I've a load of bales here for sale south Clare

Timmaay wrote: »

Only talking to a neighbour about that there afew hrs ago. Last year we at least got a 1st cut in before the drought hit, here in East Wicklow where we regularly enough get large dips in growth during the mid summer and early autumn we really need to grow as much grass as we can during April and May, so bit of rain now definitely wouldn't go astray, but nothing on the forecast.

its supposed to get very cold next week particularly next weekend..... down to zero and possibly below it.....

blackdog1 wrote: »

As long as its dry and cows have a bit of grass I don't mind. Last year taught me cows still produce with good solids with lighter covers while buffered with quality silage

A lot of farmers learned that lesson aswell. Ground is in fabulous condition. I hope it remembers to rain between now and May

Markcheese wrote: »

I think the drought opened cracks down deep in soil, and really improved the drainage,

Ye noticed that here

davidk1394 wrote: »

A lot of farmers learned that lesson aswell. Ground is in fabulous condition. I hope it remembers to rain between now and May

Ah no, you're grand there! :pac:

Reggie. wrote: »

I concur

Was spreading silage ground that was swimming same time last year and not leaving a mark, if ground like that is dry I’d reckon lads on dry farms will be needing rain in the next 7-10 days to keep growth going, all this March silage been made could be feed out in April yet

charolais0153 wrote: »

Jesus christ. Its been a week,a week since it last rained. And its still march.

A week since it rained more than the rest of the wiinter

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

So far it’s been the worst year for grass since I came here. Cold at night with a NE wind during the day.
Gladly I’ve a spread of forage crops.
Will anyone bother to use crops other than 100% grass?
Spread the risk? Or depend on the Gov for a bailout if a poor grass year happens again...?
Genuine questions!

Any recommendations for something that can be grazed easily? Bumping up the maize area by 40/50% this year.

jaymla627 wrote: »

Was spreading silage ground that was swimming same time last year and not leaving a mark, if ground like that is dry I’d reckon lads on dry farms will be needing rain in the next 7-10 days to keep growth going, all this March silage been made could be feed out in April yet

No plenty of moisture still in the ground. Will be spraeding Urea as N for silage next week. Days are not long enough or heat too hot for moisture to be an issue for another 4-6 weeks

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

So far it’s been the worst year for grass since I came here. Cold at night with a NE wind during the day.
Gladly I’ve a spread of forage crops.
Will anyone bother to use crops other than 100% grass?
Spread the risk? Or depend on the Gov for a bailout if a poor grass year happens again...?
Genuine questions!

Your risk at evens, and our risk at 7/1 are 2 different propositions.

At our levels of risk, what's a useful forage crop to use, and if we get a normal year, how much yield will we be down on that Ha?

Timmaay wrote: »

Any recommendations for something that can be grazed easily? Bumping up the maize area by 40/50% this year.

Cocksfoot, plantains, fescue etc.?
Kale, rape?

As I’ve said here before, there was and is no fodder crisis. Farm organisations cry out and like sheep all follow suit. Imported forage last spring fed the national herd for 10 hours. Ifa cutting the airports for silage pure photo op.

I was accused on this thread of arrogance for posting that silage can be bought for less than cost of production. That was the case, is the case and will continue to be the case while we as farmers get paid to be gardeners ie. keep the place looking well to get our BPS.

We have 40% of next winters feedbought at 90% of the cost of production. There are fields of kale and other catch crops gone to seed. Fields of Westerwoulds being mown, bales and stacked on headlands with no buyers to get in grain crops.

Hardly remotely close to a crisis. A little less hysteria and following the crowd is called for.

The one exception is straw was expensive this year but has returned to more realistic price of late. Guys out for a killing with straw and silage not in as strong a position as they thought. Those who sold throughout winter, much cuter.

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Out of curiosity, Dawg, what crop would you sow that would be able to tolerate 6 months of rain and still be utilisable when the rain stopped and would tolerate 3 months of drought and still fully recover to produce a utilisable crop with excellent feed values in both cases?

I won't be hanging my system. I still have a month of silage left in the pit after buying early last year when my ground wouldn't grow much of anything never mind some exotic crops which I have no interest or experience in.

And that mystery crop would only complicate my simple system of grass+silage+ration and probably require more investment in machinery to grow, harvest and feed it.

No thanks, I'll be grand, tbh.

Close the thread Chief.

There never was a crisis...and never will be.

The good grazing conditions last Autumn/early Winter, dry winter and dry Spring saved the day.
It would have been a very different story if the weather had been bad last Autumn and/or this spring.
There was no fodder crisis but it could be said thats down to pure luck.

tanko wrote: »

The good grazing conditions last Autumn/early Winter, dry winter and dry Spring saved the day.
It would have been a very different story if the weather had been bad last Autumn and/or this spring.
There was no fodder crisis but it could be said thats down to pure luck.

It was, cattle in late, out early and some only in for 7 weeks.

Add in the weather so mild they didn't fly through feed.

A normal winter would have caused problems for people.