Silage 2026

Not at the grass anyway. Has been out for a few other jobs but nothing much.

Yea I do see a 10 bale per acre crop will turn into a 9 bale an acre crop with tedding so 10% would be right.

I’d never complain about having too much silage, I’ve yet to see anyone have to dump silage, it’ll always be wanted, if not this year then next year. I’ve often fed bales that were 3 years old and they’d be perfect still.

I wouldn’t recommend tedding twice, I know there’s plenty on here won’t agree with me but from personal experience of making and feeding out silage every which way it can be made over the years silage thats too dry is a disaster. Cattle only eat it when they’re starved and have no other choice and they won’t be happy or thrive anywhere near as good as they should. Around 30-35% dm is the optimum for bales.

Yea tedding once and 24-36 hours max on the ground is your best combination for wilt and quality. The longer grass is on the ground the less feed value it has.

We always try leave it 24 hours max if we can. It would want to be drenched when mowing to leave any more. In that 24 hours it be mowed, tedded once the mower leaves and start raking about 2 hours before the baler is due

I agree entirely especially if it being drawn a distance. Big difference between what can be packed into a 40-50%DM bale and a 25-30%DM bale. Have 17-18 acres down and it has to be drawn 10 miles. Never ted, the contractor mows and rakes it up. If it raked up 6+ hours or more before baling it makes some job if it in weather like this. Never had an issue with cattle eating dry silage, you might think they do because the bales last so long but in reality there can be 50-70% more dry matter in the bales.

A 900kg bale @28% DM has 250kgs of DM

A 750 kg bale @50% DM has 375kgs of DM, 50% more feeding

You might have 3+ bales per acres less.

Savings, contractor here is 14/ bale to cut rake and bale. At 3 bales that is 42 euro an acre or 714 euro for 17 acres

Plastic is 4/ bale or 12 per acre or 204 total. At a 6/ bale to draw 51 bales less is 306 euo

Total savings is 1225 euro on 119 V 170 bales.

The contractor says its much faster to bale dry silage compared to stuff that is down only 24 hours. He hit 110 bales an hour some place lately baling silage

A bale feeds 32 400kg + stores for a day. This lad makes great bales changes the baler every 2-3 of years. Is on at least his third Kverneland now. Was one of the first in the country to buy one. The only reason he loses customers is if they do not pay him. He hit that with dry silage and a heavy crop. Machine is only a few months old.

My contractor was too busy to be stuck at that bollaxing. He is nearly a one man operation. Has a couple of part time lads that come to drive the rake and some of the mowing but he dose all the baling.

I have no issue looking him in the eye or my other contractor either. In there eyes we have an overriding factor. The ability to pay going out the gate. Normally pay within the week. He rang after the first cut around the 25th of May. Its was a Thursday I think he has payments to make that weekend. Monry was transfered within an hour.

Business is business. A lot of thicko's do not understand that.

Some farmers locally myself included have handy tractors. If silage is wet he can reduce bale size so you can handle easier. That however is not an issue with dry silage he can keep the bale size large and pack away. Only time we had an issue was 3-4 years ago the knives went faulty and the bales were not chopped. However after he was raised the following May he gauranteed it would not happen again. I was not the only one that highlighted it to him.

Luc

Luckily for us, you’re not a thicko and can educate us so well. Thank you so much.

The bales were made around lunchtime and I'd a lad organised to come after work to help us bring them in. A neighbour rang just as i was starting milking to say there's alot of crows in the field I should be bringing the bales in. No offer of help. Felt like telling him to fook right off. ...