Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.
Hi all, please see this major site announcement: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058427594/boards-ie-2026

Silage 2024

Options
1…1314161819…39

Comments

  • Options
    #452
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,677 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310729#Comment_122310729

    After the second part I tell him no problem 500/acre cash up front.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Options
    #453
    mr.stonewall
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,297 ✭✭✭mr.stonewall


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311885#Comment_122311885

    It's fronting up the cash is going to be the issue this year.

    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311855#Comment_122311855

    Let them keep looking. Put a bit of money on the table now to hold the grass under the understanding that it will be squared up with the work done

    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310729#Comment_122310729

    Very simple tell him go hop and adjust his stocking rate to his farm. I would have said I will C you next Tuesday as my parting gift to that conversation.



  • Options
    #454
    Cavanjack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,905 ✭✭✭Cavanjack


    Local man here who had a tidy suckler operation big payments etc. quit this spring. Rented the place out to a few local dairy men. I heard two other dairy men saying that it’s the first year he ever made money 🙄. I wonder what he has lived on for the last 40 years.
    I’ve been asked myself why I don’t have the place rented out to my dairy neighbour. I just agreed with him that I was foolish.



  • Options
    #455
    green daries
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭green daries


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311996#Comment_122311996

    Christ aren't lads turning into bits ofpricks too.



  • Options
    #456
    TinyMuffin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,706 ✭✭✭TinyMuffin


    When the spring barley is cut in August, would it make any sense to go in straight away and sow westerwolds grass. Would I get a cut off it this year?



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #457
    green daries
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭green daries


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122311912#Comment_122311912

    Ya definitely the cash is going to be the issue alright all I'm hearing is cash is super tight



  • Options
    #458
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,677 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Peter Hynes was in an article in tge Farming Indo on Tuesday. It was about stress and farming. Not to belittle the thrust of the article but there was no question of why farmers and mainly dairy farmers were under pressure.

    Nobody wants to see anyone under pressure or caught in a corner and TBF I do not think many of the dairy farmers are caught as bad as other parts if the country.

    I would der is part if the grass growth issue the limits that the new fertlizer register has put on dairy farmers. Before they could buy extra N and three it out to solve a forage issue. Cash flow is probably an issue as well

    Grass growth is not great, its not a complete disaster either although I am getting a bit tight but it's 2-3 weeks away.

    This cane up un the discussion group in March and May about taking out excess grass as bales. I made the point in beef it was a zero sum game taking them out too early as if you got caught and had to feed bales you introduced extra cost into the system. I woukd only skip a paddock if covers tgat you were grazing were strating to go above 2000kgs.

    It's takes grass to grow grass and an excess in mid/late May can quickly turn to a shortage 3-4 weeks later and all you have to show is 20 bales sitting in the yard

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Options
    #459
    Danzy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,242 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Talking to a local contractor. Said the taking out strong paddocks part of his business is dead this year.



  • Options
    #460
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,960 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312783#Comment_122312783

    grazing dairy cows is a complete different ball game to dry stock. If you don’t have quality you’re goosed. Essential to take out paddocks if grass is gone too strong for dairy cows

    If it was me though I would run grassland on a dry stock enterprise the same as a dairy farm. You’ll get extra weight gain. Could be thrown difference of animals being ready to kill off grass and not imo



  • Options
    #461
    straight
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 6,906 ✭✭✭straight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312783#Comment_122312783

    I have learned to keep my mouth shut at these group think meetings. Lads don't take a different approach too well I find.

    Teagasc lads at my group were openly encouraging getting fertiliser anywhere you can get it. Anything but drop cow numbers. I'm a bit lost in the group stocked at 2/Ha and preparing for 170kg.

    Then he tells us at the end that dero is most likely gone in 2026. Not a clue like and the farmers seem to be hanging on his every word.



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #462
    Dunedin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭Dunedin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312783#Comment_122312783

    fully agree. Lads (and I include myself sometimes!!) see a chance to get an extra few bales and then end up chasing their tail for the rest of the summer as a result.



  • Options
    #463
    dohc turbo2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 848 ✭✭✭dohc turbo2


    I do a bit of raking for my contractor when. He caught for a driver, lads complaining about 10-15 per AC, raking dosent pay , going here there for small bit, fair enough go into big field , but running around for a few AC between diesel and driver , won't be on early retirement over it anyway



  • Options
    #464
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,700 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312783#Comment_122312783

    Their a gas family, they've went into breeding/showing high end dairy stock and have spent a huge amount of money on bought in stock, he's a poor advocate for your run of the mill dairy farmer trying to keep going, Peter's probably annoyed he hasnt got the money to drop a more few k on more fancy heifers, our fly off to a few more shows in the uk/europe for the summer/autumn months



  • Options
    #465
    Jb1989
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313504#Comment_122313504

    Fancy heifers not just a hobby part of it?



  • Options
    #466
    Jack98
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 657 ✭✭✭Jack98


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313504#Comment_122313504

    I’d find it hard to find much sympathy for that man, mental health is a real issue in farming as we’re all fully aware but saying he was feeding and housing in the autumn last year and it’s ran into this year has him completely burnt out he’d want to spare a thought for the farmers on heavy land who that is a yearly occurrence he’d never survive on any kind of challenging ground. Is he not well back in cow numbers too this year you’d imagine he’d surely have sufficient grass if he was stocked 25% higher before?



  • Options
    #467
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,700 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122314031#Comment_122314031

    Looked up a few of their best cows in their own words from previous ramblings/articles and bar having savage type their milk recording figures are diabolical

    Screenshot_20240628_172050_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20240628_171607_Gallery.jpg

    The above kind of production figures wouldnt keep the lights on, in a high input herd, then youve a bought-in lisduff heifer probably cost 2k that has figures like this

    Screenshot_20240628_173454_Chrome.jpg

    Its comical



  • Options
    #468
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,677 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312829#Comment_122312829

    Even Teagasc have given up advising beef farmers to graze at 12-1400 covers. They are pushing 1600 covers. The cattle that are thriving best for me are on old pasture grazing 1800 think dense covers.

    I have reseeded ground 10 years old and it would not wipe the face of old pasture for beef cattle. Given like for like fertlizer it's outperforming reseeds.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Options
    #469
    Water John
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,997 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    I have both the red clover and MSS fields. The old grass will indeed give more bales/ac. That's in organic, but we'll see the quality in the winter. Indeed as Bass said, grass grows grass.



  • Options
    #470
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,677 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122316279#Comment_122316279

    Quality has a quality all of itself.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • Options
    #471
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 32,452 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122312007#Comment_122312007

    They were probably always pricks



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #472
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 32,452 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Texted contractor this morning to do 30 acres for the pit whenever, did bales on it in may. He rang me and he's mowing this afternoon. I thought I'd be waiting longer. Pit has to be reopened and unfortunately I'm away and will miss out on doing it



  • Options
    #473
    Reggie.
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,983 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122326028#Comment_122326028

    Im Sure your disappointed



  • Options
    #474
    green daries
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭green daries


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122325991#Comment_122325991

    TThey Were but they didn't put on display quite as bad before I think anyway



  • Options
    #475
    jaymla627
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,700 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122313528#Comment_122313528

    Seen a post this morning from the man re a swiss expo winning cow he had purchased a calf that was a grand-daughter, asked my ai rep whos involved in pedigree sales what she would of cost ballpark as a 2 month old heifer calf, a mimimum of 15k to a high of 30k



  • Options
    #476
    Seadin
    Site Banned Posts: 2,430 ✭✭✭Seadin


    If I throw out fertiliser next week, how long should I wait to cut for second cut silage? I want to leave it late as possible as I don't want the aftergrass shooting up too quickly before the winter months. I won't have animals in there to feed the grass after the field is cut.

    Thanks.



  • Options
    #477
    893bet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 10,857 ✭✭✭✭893bet


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331228#Comment_122331228

    as my father says….it all depends on the weather (and land underneath).



  • Options
    #478
    Water John
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,997 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Depends on the grass type as well. Maybe late August/Early Sept. Need to examine the butt and see is it ok. Won't be remarkable silage, animal maintenance level.



  • Options
    #479
    Seadin
    Site Banned Posts: 2,430 ✭✭✭Seadin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331248#Comment_122331248

    The first cut of the fields in question had about 8 bales to the acre, compared to some of the other fields I cut which had 10. The first cut wasn't awfully big. The field's are on high ground not the best you see but somewhere in the middle and not wet.



  • Options
    #480
    Seadin
    Site Banned Posts: 2,430 ✭✭✭Seadin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331454#Comment_122331454

    I was thinking the same but like to see what other lads think in here. The bales will be for sale so they won't be worth alot when pricing them.



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #481
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,677 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122331707#Comment_122331707

    Biggest Issue is you will be baling a lot of water. As you get into September you get a dew on the grass in the mornings that will not dry off unless you get an Indian summer. Its one of the reasons I dislike doing a three cut system.

    Can you get someone in to graze it in October ideally a lad with sheep

    Post edited by Bass Reeves on

    Slava Ukrainii



Advertisement
Advertisement