How's the silage ground traveling this year?
Grazed off? Slurry out? Fert spread?
Or is it like a bog at the moment, a good year for rewetting.
Saturday was an absolute washout. I was at a blitz and a soccer match-
We had to use the Astro as it would have cut up the pitch.
Soaked to the bone twice it was so wet.
there’s still water in puddles around the land. Even after a great day today.
not that far from you in the Midwest, we have wet land but don’t think there is a field we couldn’t put a harvester on at the moment. Amazing the difference this year, seems to be a line accross the country.
the hill would be worst, it was drained fully about 30 years ago but needs to be redone again.
But most years id get to cut all of it and get about 70 bales.
Hard to justify re draining it with my current stocking rate,
Do you have these issues every year?
west Clare. Problem is the meadows are muddy and when you go down a foot, it’s blue clay that just holds water.
He even recommended it would be easier to bale boggy ground than muddy.
but I was talking to a Tipp man at the weekend and he said it was a fine day Saturday but at home, it bucketted rain non stop all day.
What part of the country are you? Down here in the south east ground conditions are perfect but last spring I never saw fields so wet in my lifetime nearly impossible to travel someand other posters here up north had no such issues, big difference for such a small country
bad day at the office. Have a 7/8 acre muddy field- so wet- my contractor could only cut about a third.
He has about another 7 ish for me second cut,
he suggested I buy bales- it works out cheaper than trying to make them on my land. Or go to 7 month farming.
Never good when your silage contractor is suggesting that. 🙈
Will there be mush of a demand for bales this winter?
I've to mow 17 acres that got no fertilizer since last May. Got hay off it, not very much on it but needs to be cleaned off. I'm horrified at how little grass has grown all summer. I'm under-stocked so not spreading for the sake of spreading but I can't understand how the organic lads legally work.
30 acres going in the pit today 3rd cut. Bales to do later in the week
You’re lucky to have a choice, my contractor is down a man on holidays this week, the rake is in the field straight after the mower and baled the following day, any discussions about this are extremely short.
Ah some people overthink the whole silage process
All ya can do is use the cards your dealt and make the best of the situation
some say you do but i have often had it down for 2-3days just the way it worked out didn’t notice much of a difference was still good silage. But I could be wrong some say it loses quality after 24hours
The day isn’t great here so I might hold off bailing till tomorrow, would you lose quality by willing to long? It’s not going to get to dry anyway
2nd, rain has been relentless here.
is that a 2nd or 3rd cut ?
Such a day
yea lovely leafy crop, very clean too
that looks like top quality stuff
Last outing of the mower for the year. Light second cut crop that just got slurry.
Ideally I would like two days like yourself
Like i said it’s new grass so very green but not too heavy but this time of the year you need to take every chance that comes!
Cut a few acres yesterday. It's not very heavy and not very light. Was going to ted out but contractor said maybe just put two rows into one today and then bale tomorrow. With this weather it seems like a good option. Should be nice stuff.
How long is a piece of string! Last weekend I cut Friday, tedded behind the mower and baled Saturday evening. Probably 24 hours down and it was in good order. The shorter sun length and dew at night is going to impact it. Type of grass (lush green or stemmy) will impact too.
At this time of the year how long would you recommend wilting it for?
I always ted it out. Our mower has no conditioner and the tedding helps "fluff" it up. It also means the rake clears the ground better
If I cut this afternoon and bailed tomorrow evening would this be sufficient enough wilting? It’s a second cut from a field that was reseeded last year
Thinking of cutting a bit over the weekend,if weather permits,would most people ted stuff this time of the year or just leave it in the sward?
It does seem like the main thing he wants to achieve every time he goes mowing is to drive at a higher speed
Wouldnt be fields big enough or level enough around here to hit them speeds. Usually be around the 12 - 13 kph but ground conditions had it back to about 10 kph last week or it just got messy.
Still grand to cut
