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Drought 2020

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    #392
    Mortelaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭Mortelaro


    Plenty grass here in SE Wicklow thank God but we got out with a bag and a quarter of cut sward on may 4th and had over half an inch of rain that weekend
    So a nice spurt of growth followed once the cold went,we've a few paddocks ahead of the cows from that,like the one in the photo
    Ground is starting to burn a bit alright especially on the brows


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    #393
    Tileman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,148 ✭✭✭Tileman


    Mortelaro wrote: »
    Plenty grass here in SE Wicklow thank God but we got out with a bag and a quarter of cut sward on may 4th and had over half an inch of rain that weekend
    So a nice spurt of growth followed once the cold went,we've a few paddocks ahead of the cows from that,like the one in the photo
    Ground is starting to burn a bit alright especially on the brows

    My silage ground is hardly that good😪
    I think grass is starting to go back into the ground here.


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    #394
    Mortelaro
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭Mortelaro


    Tileman wrote: »
    My silage ground is hardly that good😪
    I think grass is starting to go back into the ground here.

    Yeah, the rain came here just at the right time,but going forward, we would want more
    2018 here was rough
    Burnt to a cinder from now to Late August
    2nd cut silage in October in bright sunshine,it was good stuff,so never be afraid of doing the unusual, it'll work out hopefully


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    #395
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Took off some surplus yday, fert out on silage ground today and yday, got slurry last week coming back strong after first cut. The rain we had last wkend really drove it on followed by a bit of heat Will keep some for grazing and close the rest for a second cut and try and cut some paddocks in the main grazingbblock to keep quality. Growth still good and utilization good, keeping the sr high to try and keep quality right for the next 2 week's anyway. Got caught on heifer ground with growth coming in together so have them strip grazing a bit as if I took out more there I'd be short next week. Should have acted faster there.


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    #396
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,219 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    Cant say I really see much there tbh say. We're just as green if not greener. Okay for grass until next week. We were stocked at 4.7 to 5.5 from mid april till 2 weeks ago. Back to 4 since

    Photos don't do it justice. And anyway you're using physolith.
    So you're on the kind of light side if you know it or not.
    You had cows coughing though too didn't you. It's all connected. Starts with the soil.
    You'll have to find ways sooner or later of alternative ways than the current fert, spray, dose stock regime. Even vaccinations shouldn't be needed and could be pulled by the authorities.
    And it all starts with the soil. The soil, to plant, to stock, to you.
    Don't get me started on dairy farmers and not consuming their own produce. Or any farmer.

    And very soon farmers might not have the option of upping nitrogen before a drought.
    And really tbh it's only ensuring you run into the drought faster. All you're doing is keeping your roots short and depleting your soil carbon (ala moisture).


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    #397
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TooOldBoots


    Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks


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    #398
    endainoz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,815 ✭✭✭endainoz


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

    I saw something similar around here the last couple of days, one lad sees his neighbour cutting so he has to do it himself. Now the big panic is on everywhere to get it done, regardless of the crop.


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    #399
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    A bit of sensible advice on managing grass during the drought.
    https://twitter.com/AHDB_Dairy/status/1266340334528856064?s=09


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    #400
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

    Another 3 weeks it'll be all seed and stem


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    #401
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,192 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Another 3 weeks it'll be all seed and stem

    There is that too,but jesus,some lads are cutting lawn clippings at this stage


    Id be suprised,if some of what i seen cut recently would even make a bale to the acre

    Surely theres better way for lads to burn diesel?


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    #402
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,236 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

    Jeez , you have to get it cut before your neighbour does


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    #403
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,463 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Cut yesterday, well back, if it was left another week it would make súgan chairs.

    Mostly not headed out but the change was accelerating at some pace. Hoping 10 to the acre.


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    #404
    80sDiesel
    Registered Users Posts: 1,331 ✭✭✭80sDiesel


    Weird windy and dry day. I had dust blinding me in the fields where I was getting stuck last November,

    A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.



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    #405
    Gods Gift
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Gods Gift


    Cutting grass here that was heavier last week.
    Withering back now. Getting picked up as soon as it drops out of the mower.


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    #406
    farming93
    Registered Users Posts: 367 ✭✭farming93


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    How much dung did it get?
    I would say not enough K with the cut sward, you probably took alot out with the 10 bales per a re last year
    K essential for the roots to absorb water

    I'm not sure exactly how much but it was fairly heavily covered in dung. I may start putting more k on so. The farm drys up so fast here.


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    #407
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,219 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    farming93 wrote: »
    I'm not sure exactly how much but it was fairly heavily covered in dung. I may start putting more k on so. The farm drys up so fast here.

    What's your soils magnesium status?

    If your calcium (68%): magnesium (12%) ratio is wrong and too much calcium. Your soil will be more open and dry faster.
    The magnesium tightens it up a bit and makes it slower draining.

    Edit: Just seen your original post. It got lime over the winter. Was that calcium lime?


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    #408
    farming93
    Registered Users Posts: 367 ✭✭farming93


    Say my name wrote: »
    What's your soils magnesium status?

    If your calcium (68%): magnesium (12%) ratio is wrong and too much calcium. Your soil will be more open and dry faster.
    The magnesium tightens it up a bit and makes it slower draining.

    Edit: Just seen your original post. It got lime over the winter. Was that calcium lime?
    I hadn't done a soil test in the last 3 years since I resseded it. I was deficient of lime by 5 tonne to the acre then. I put 3 tonne to the acre on it during the winter and when it was resseded three years ago it got three tonne. A soil test might be the way to go with it again?


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    #409
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,219 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    farming93 wrote: »
    I hadn't done a soil test in the last 3 years since I resseded it. I was deficient of lime by 5 tonne to the acre then. I put 3 tonne to the acre on it during the winter and when it was resseded three years ago it got three tonne. A soil test might be the way to go with it again?

    It would be no harm anyway.

    That's a lot of lime in a short space of time.
    Do one that has mag on the test. It'll also obviously have the pH as well.
    Dung raises soil pH as well as lime.


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    #410
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,385 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Say my name wrote: »
    It would be no harm anyway.

    That's a lot of lime in a short space of time.
    Do one that has mag on the test. It'll also obviously have the pH as well.
    Dung raises soil pH as well as lime.

    I would have thought dung would have lowered PH due to dying organic matter


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    #411
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,219 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Reggie. wrote: »
    I would have thought dung would have lowered PH due to dying organic matter

    It raises it up to neutral pH due to increased biology.

    Jim Cronin, veg grower from Clare had soil pH down in the 5's. He raised it up in the 6's with silage on the soil.
    pH of silage is in the 4's.


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    #412
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,236 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Are many supplementing grass atm?


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    #413
    Gods Gift
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Gods Gift


    When herding now I have to leave jeep at the top of the lane and sneak down to see them. Get into position and use binoculars.
    One false move and I’m spotted. All hell breaks loose. Crawling on my hands and knees camouflaged with grass and a few bushes to check the water trough.


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    #414
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,764 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    Gods Gift wrote: »
    When herding now I have to leave jeep at the top of the lane and sneak down to see them. Get into position and use binoculars.
    One false move and I’m spotted. All hell breaks loose. Crawling on my hands and knees camouflaged with grass and a few bushes to check the water trough.

    😀😀😀


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    #415
    richie123
    Registered Users Posts: 790 ✭✭✭richie123


    TooOldBoots wrote: »
    Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

    3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun


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    #416
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,511 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Are many supplementing grass atm?

    Always buffer here anyways but the mix has been upped from 6kgs dm a head to 10kgs dm a head, not short on grass and have a nice bit in-front of them but would hope it rains and can grab 30-40 acres of the milking platform for silage to tidy up ground that hasn’t seen the mower yet


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    #417
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,868 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    Always buffer here anyways but the mix has been upped from 6kgs dm a head to 10kgs dm a head, not short on grass and have a nice bit in-front of them but would hope it rains and can grab 30-40 acres of the milking platform for silage to tidy up ground that hasn’t seen the mower yet

    What's in the buffer?


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    #418
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,764 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    richie123 wrote: »
    3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun

    Plus the fact that you are sacrificing quality for quantity that will have to be made up with ration during the winter.


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    #419
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,511 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    What's in the buffer?

    8kgs beet/ 2kgs of oat hulls mix, 10kgs of last years first cut silage 80dmd% 16%p silage , 3kgs of a 14%maize/barley/hulls/soya bean ration, 50g of lactaid and 100g of a high phos mineral


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    #420
    memorystick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭memorystick


    richie123 wrote: »
    3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun

    What about the nitrogen


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    #421
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    memorystick wrote: »
    What about the nitrogen

    Nitrogen wouldn't be a problem once the sugars are high enough. 24 hour wilt or less in this weather and it's good to go.


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