Silage thread

Bleating Lamb · 02-07-2013 10:29PM

f140 wrote: »

I could have done with that down here in cork. all we had was a bit of drizzle and the ground is as dry now again after the wind as it ever was.

Will post some down:)

Conmaicne Mara · 02-07-2013 10:32PM

Time to build a pipeline from the West to all ye drought stricken lads on land in danger of desertification

bob charles · 03-07-2013 01:18AM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Time to build a pipeline from the West to all ye drought stricken lads on land in danger of desertification

and a big fan also to blow down some of the nice hot air, dont set it too strong as I dont need anymore wind than a gently breeze. cold and wet here tonight @10c

Viewtodiefor · 03-07-2013 11:36AM

f140 wrote: »

I could have done with that down here in cork. all we had was a bit of drizzle and the ground is as dry now again after the wind as it ever was.

Nothing wrong with dry ground be glad u have it!

Conmaicne Mara · 03-07-2013 11:39AM

bob charles wrote: »

and a big fan also to blow down some of the nice hot air, dont set it too strong as I dont need anymore wind than a gently breeze. cold and wet here tonight @10c

I think the fan would need to be located in or around Leinster House Bob

tabby aspreme · 03-07-2013 09:29PM

A fan from leinster house would blow more than hot air ,I reckon there would be a lot of solid matter that would put you over the nitrates level.
Topped and spread fert on 20 acres today, for my first cut:D , sheep farming calander a bit different to cattle

Bleating Lamb · 04-07-2013 11:00PM

Was talking to a lad today....now lets just say he is known for waffling.... Told me he heard off some expert 'that best time to cut meadow for round bales or pit silage that will be wilted is between 10am and 2 pm'......as sun takes sugar out of grass.
How true/relevant is this?.....would seem a lot of contractors who would start at 6am must be doing something wrong for their clients.

darragh_haven · 04-07-2013 11:05PM

Bleating Lamb wrote: »

Was talking to a lad today....now lets just say he is for waffling.... Told me he heard off some expert 'that best time to cut meadow for round bales or pit silage that will be wilted is between 10am and 2 pm'......as sun takes sugar out of grass.
How true/relevant is this?.....would seem a lot of contractors who would start at 6am must be doing something wrong for their clients.

I was always told that it's between 10am and 4pm for mowing the grass. The contractor doesn.t care, he wants to cut acres....

just do it · 04-07-2013 11:10PM

Yup, sugar levels in grass are at their highest around mid-day. Also better to cut after dew has fully dried off.

Dampintheattic · 04-07-2013 11:36PM

darragh_haven wrote: »

I was always told that it's between 10am and 4pm for mowing the grass. The contractor doesn.t care, he wants to cut acres....

If all contractors were restricted to cutting within that time window, fug all silage would get done!! Costs would also go up.

darragh_haven · 04-07-2013 11:47PM

Dampintheattic wrote: »

If all contractors were restricted to cutting within that time window, fug all silage would get done!! Costs would also go up.

Thats what I'm saying too. The contractor has to be able to make a profit too. So he has to mow 16 jours a days to do the volume needed to pay for machinery.
This is the main reason we have our own mower and the contractor does the rest.

mf240 · 04-07-2013 11:52PM

just do it wrote: »

Yup, sugar levels in grass are at their highest around mid-day. Also better to cut after dew has fully dried off.

There was nothing about a dew this time last year.

just do it · 05-07-2013 12:46AM

darragh_haven wrote: »

This is the main reason we have our own mower and the contractor does the rest.

Coming to that conclusion myself, despite being an advocate of having a minimal amount of machinery. Also if you're starting to look at taking out surplus covers as bales.

just do it · 05-07-2013 12:58AM

Walked silage field today now 28days after getting 3 bags of CAN & S. I soil tested it this Spring and pH is good and it's Index 4 for both P & K. Very disappointed with yield and need as many bales as I can get for this winter. Had originally planned to cut at ~7wks but now looking at leaving it for 10 weeks (on holidays week 8 & 9).

Was 95% decided on reseeding it before today's walk but now 100%. It's basically knackered! Looking at a 3 way mix of Tyrella, Aberchoice and Aston energy. 12kg/ac?

hugo29 · 05-07-2013 08:21AM

Going to chance silage today, it's all falling over at this stage,

freedominacup · 05-07-2013 11:13AM

3 paddocks in the next few mins hopefully. Plan was yesterday but the day never really got going, just a bit overcast all the time. Today very good though.

hugo29 · 05-07-2013 03:22PM

half the silage ground downed there today at lunchtime, perfect day, warm and nice gentle breeze, will bale tommorow evening, not a heavy as would have liked but good stuff and should get a good wilt, ground as dry as a cork even after all the rain

towzer2010 · 05-07-2013 03:52PM

hugo29 wrote: »

half the silage ground downed there today at lunchtime, perfect day, warm and nice gentle breeze, will bale tommorow evening, not a heavy as would have liked but good stuff and should get a good wilt, ground as dry as a cork even after all the rain

Ya the sun is really out here now. It'll be good stuff.

darragh_haven · 05-07-2013 04:21PM

Mowed 2 paddocks, totalling about 4 acres yesterday. Baled and stacked now. 19 bales. Same as about 10 days ago.

quadboy · 05-07-2013 05:06PM

Cut silage there a while ago, neighbour says leave till sunday to bale contractor says he'll have to do it tomorrow, would late tomorrow be good enough

Milton09 · 05-07-2013 07:53PM

According to the forecast not great weather here in the NW till Monday, so I'll leave mowing till then. Will take most for silage and maybe a few hundred hay bales of the lighter stuff if the weather holds long enough.

1chippy · 05-07-2013 09:29PM

Third first cut down today. I lost the bloody diesel cap at some stage and there must have been a lot of dirt that made its way into the tank cause the bloody tractor kept air-locking and i was too stubborn to stop and clean all out. i got it done finally with the corners wore off the injector nuts a pair of vie grips and a sweet humm of green diesel.

samlyos34 · 05-07-2013 09:48PM

Cut it last week 25 degrees today

hugo29 · 06-07-2013 02:06PM

Ok, going to take second cut off today's silage ground, it's due to be hot and dry next week so with that in mind and chances of getting contractor back next week to spread slurry also slim, how much fert should I go with on Monday,

red bull · 06-07-2013 05:43PM

hugo29 wrote: »

Ok, going to take second cut off today's silage ground, it's due to be hot and dry next week so with that in mind and chances of getting contractor back next week to spread slurry also slim, how much fert should I go with on Monday,

3 bags of can

stanflt · 06-07-2013 07:14PM

knocked another 35 acres of second cut today=gonna try and make some green hay in some of it

mahoney_j · 08-07-2013 11:12PM

Going to knock second cut tomorrow,Serious looking crop on it both from yield and quality prespective.Was going to leave it till nexy week but with weather so dry i think it may come under moisture stress and start heading out.Anyway cut tomorrow afternoon,Tedd out ,turn again wednesday and pick up thursady.Then i hope it bulls rain all night thursday as ive grass seed going in thursday as well!!