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Drought 2020

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    #302
    richie123
    Registered Users Posts: 790 ✭✭✭richie123


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Never too late for urea as long as there’s moisture

    Agree and same with slurry.


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    #303
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,262 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Maybe shake it at dusk, when there is a sue starting. Grass still gets wet, here anyway.


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    #304
    declanflynn
    Registered Users Posts: 1,159 ✭✭✭declanflynn


    Does anyone know the weight of a 150 gallon concrete water trough


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    #305
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    declanflynn wrote: »
    Does anyone know the weight of a 150 gallon concrete water trough

    A 300gls one weights about 1100kg anyways! Something like 600kg would be my guess.


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    #306
    declanflynn
    Registered Users Posts: 1,159 ✭✭✭declanflynn


    Timmaay wrote: »
    A 300gls one weights about 1100kg anyways! Something like 600kg would be my guess.
    Thanks, a Fleming bale lifter should be able for it?


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    #307
    Angus2018
    Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭Angus2018


    Bone dry here and no sign of rain for the next two weeks so we have no choice but to cut our meadows. Its started going towards stem and will lose quality rapidly now. Best bet is to hope for a better second cut now.

    I had to graze a meadow I had saved for hay this year. I was planning on selling it so I don't mind but I'm already back for the second grazing now. With no rain the dung from 3 weeks ago is still there so I've no choice but to graze it again. Not that I have a choice with grass barely growing.

    This is summer 2018 all over again but the potential to be a lot worse with poor silage yields and peak May grass nowhere to be seen. As if the price wasn't bad enough already the weather gives East coast farmers two fingers.


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    #308
    Still waters
    Registered Users Posts: 1,166 ✭✭✭Still waters


    Raining nicely here all day and still at it, i hope it doesn't forget to head off tonight


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    #309
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    Angus2018 wrote: »
    Bone dry here and no sign of rain for the next two weeks so we have no choice but to cut our meadows. Its started going towards stem and will lose quality rapidly now. Best bet is to hope for a better second cut now.

    I had to graze a meadow I had saved for hay this year. I was planning on selling it so I don't mind but I'm already back for the second grazing now. With no rain the dung from 3 weeks ago is still there so I've no choice but to graze it again. Not that I have a choice with grass barely growing.

    This is summer 2018 all over again but the potential to be a lot worse with poor silage yields and peak May grass nowhere to be seen. As if the price wasn't bad enough already the weather gives East coast farmers two fingers.

    Least ye have cattle out early in comparison, lot easier feed on solid ground than 6 inches of gutter, animals thrive better in dry weather imo


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    #310
    Tileman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,127 ✭✭✭Tileman


    Still waters wrote: »
    Raining nicely here all day and still at it, i hope it doesn't forget to head off tonight

    Where are you? No sign of rain here for next two weeks either


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    #311
    Dickie10
    Registered Users Posts: 3,864 ✭✭✭Dickie10


    how much are second cut meadows going for to lease? per acre? the leasee to put out fertilizer


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    #312
    Still waters
    Registered Users Posts: 1,166 ✭✭✭Still waters


    Tileman wrote: »
    Where are you? No sign of rain here for next two weeks either

    I'm in north clare, it has turned into a heavy mist now but loads of moisture in the ground after it, I've awful heavy meadows so a dry year is suiting me, poor comfort for a lot of men tho, a few miles up from me towards ballyvaughan and they're looking at the grass turn brown


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    #313
    addaword
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭addaword


    declanflynn wrote: »
    Does anyone know the weight of a 150 gallon concrete water trough

    About 800kg. The kilcarrig ones are about that anyway.


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    #314
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,456 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    Had a heavy mist all night till about 9 this morning.


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    #315
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    Angus2018 wrote: »
    Bone dry here and no sign of rain for the next two weeks so we have no choice but to cut our meadows. Its started going towards stem and will lose quality rapidly now. Best bet is to hope for a better second cut now.

    I had to graze a meadow I had saved for hay this year. I was planning on selling it so I don't mind but I'm already back for the second grazing now. With no rain the dung from 3 weeks ago is still there so I've no choice but to graze it again. Not that I have a choice with grass barely growing.

    This is summer 2018 all over again but the potential to be a lot worse with poor silage yields and peak May grass nowhere to be seen. As if the price wasn't bad enough already the weather gives East coast farmers two fingers.

    Is there any historical record as to the ground moisture deficit? It's hit earlier here this year than 2018, but I don't think by a huge amount, maybe 2wks, in 2018 I was feeding silage from early June onwards. I've reacted sooner here this year, let the afc build last few weeks, and took heifers off to reduce demand. There is also a reasonable bit of fodder left over from last winter, there was zero in 2018. 1st cuts in 2018 were desperate also. The saving grace in 2018 was the 2 inches of rain in early Aug (athlo that didn't quite take us out of the full drought here in East Wicklow, wasn't till October we escaped fully). In that sense this summer could well be worse than 2018, let's say we don't get anywhere near enough rain until Sept (and historically July and Aug have lower rainfall anyways). That will turn expensive quickly, and if the milk price stays where it is or lower, then it won't be worth feeding the cows the likes of 10kg+ bought in feed, what they do in nz in that case is cut back to oad or 16 hr milkings and take the hit in yield. However the equally likely scenario is the drought breaks properly at some stage over the summer, you get a serious bounce in growth then, basically a 2nd may in the year, even if it turns into a washout ground conditions hold up very well.

    Final thing I'd say is do out your fodder budget now and if your anyway short buy in 1st cut right now before it's too late, 2nd cuts aren't worth a sh1t in years of a drought and are a pure waste of money. I've bought in a 1st cut here, and picked up some hay from last summer back in May, so I'm setup alot better than 2018 as things stand now.


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    #316
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Timmaay wrote: »
    Is there any historical record as to the ground moisture deficit? It's hit earlier here this year than 2018, but I don't think by a huge amount, maybe 2wks, in 2018 I was feeding silage from early June onwards. I've reacted sooner here this year, let the afc build last few weeks, and took heifers off to reduce demand. There is also a reasonable bit of fodder left over from last winter, there was zero in 2018. 1st cuts in 2018 were desperate also. The saving grace in 2018 was the 2 inches of rain in early Aug (athlo that didn't quite take us out of the full drought here in East Wicklow, wasn't till October we escaped fully). In that sense this summer could well be worse than 2018, let's say we don't get anywhere near enough rain until Sept (and historically July and Aug have lower rainfall anyways). That will turn expensive quickly, and if the milk price stays where it is or lower, then it won't be worth feeding the cows the likes of 10kg+ bought in feed, what they do in nz in that case is cut back to oad or 16 hr milkings and take the hit in yield. However the equally likely scenario is the drought breaks properly at some stage over the summer, you get a serious bounce in growth then, basically a 2nd may in the year, even if it turns into a washout ground conditions hold up very well.

    Final thing I'd say is do out your fodder budget now and if your anyway short buy in 1st cut right now before it's too late, 2nd cuts aren't worth a sh1t in years of a drought and are a pure waste of money. I've bought in a 1st cut here, and picked up some hay from last summer back in May, so I'm setup alot better than 2018 as things stand now.

    I bought 14 acres of first cut earlier this spring. I wasn't keen on taking more than 8 or 9 but he sorted me out with a good bit the last few years so I took the rest of fields he had. Pretty glad I did now.

    I was hoping to cut next week but I have a medical appointment so that would complicate the cut a bit but I'll have to see what can be worked around. Shearing on Monday as well so be a busy week either way.


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    #317
    wrangler
    Registered Users Posts: 11,058 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    Dickie10 wrote: »
    how much are second cut meadows going for to lease? per acre? the leasee to put out fertilizer

    No one will rent second cut while this drought persists. it'll take substantial amount of rain to grow a second cut now


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    #318
    theaceofspies
    Registered Users Posts: 577 ✭✭✭theaceofspies


    wrangler wrote: »
    No one will rent second cut while this drought persists. it'll take substantial amount of rain to grow a second cut now


    Not quoting you but replying to this thread in general.

    Funny how everyone moans when a real/potential fodder shortage is looming on the horizon and then are crying when they have to pay base prices (that's €25 to you and me) to farmers who rely on silage to clear their own books/fields.


    Lots of silage left over from last year and there is still lots of opportunities to buy same from fellas at discount pices.


    "the more things change the more they stay the same". Please (fellow Boards Farmers) don't complain if it turns nasty and you have to pay €50 a bale because the man who may have to accept €10 a bale right now wont bother others with his woes in 6 months if it works out for you.


    Farming is so low margin now that we have all become Gamblers.


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    #319
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,081 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Straw will be expensive apparently.


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    #320
    memorystick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,578 ✭✭✭memorystick


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Straw will be expensive apparently.

    Did your supplier say that? There be loads of feed come November 1.


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    #321
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,081 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    memorystick wrote: »
    Did your supplier say that? There be loads of feed come November 1.

    Yes.


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    #322
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,051 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    There's the possibility of thunderstorms breaking out in the coming days.

    Midlands could be tomorrow.
    West and north west then in the days after.
    East on Sunday and then maybe southeast on Monday.

    A very slight possibility but there's a chance.


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    #323
    Gods Gift
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Gods Gift


    Very nice dairy man offered me €12 a bale for last years left over silage. He has also bought beet last week. He’s under pressure. 30 acres of reseeded ground is looking like a failer. Silage is way back on last year. Cows everywhere. Wants a field of barley off me to whole crop or sow redstart in it. I told him he wants wants wants the whole time.


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    #324
    Gods Gift
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Gods Gift


    Flag leaf will be appearing soon on spring sown crops. So very little straw.


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    #325
    lab man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,830 ✭✭✭lab man


    Wat is flag leaf, ive seen maize sown a month ago here in west clare saw it yesterdayit looks to me its dying


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    #326
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,364 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Gods Gift wrote: »
    Very nice dairy man offered me €12 a bale for last years left over silage. He has also bought beet last week. He’s under pressure. 30 acres of reseeded ground is looking like a failer. Silage is way back on last year. Cows everywhere. Wants a field of barley off me to whole crop or sow redstart in it. I told him he wants wants wants the whole time.

    Alot of reseeds are under pressure but will come in time


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    #327
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,519 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    Still waters wrote: »
    I'm in north clare, it has turned into a heavy mist now but loads of moisture in the ground after it, I've awful heavy meadows so a dry year is suiting me, poor comfort for a lot of men tho, a few miles up from me towards ballyvaughan and they're looking at the grass turn brown

    Brown is right, the bit of drizzle yesterday evening wasn't long burning off today either.


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    #328
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,043 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Grass is slow to come back around here, the rain that fell last week was blown away by the wind we got over the weekend.


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    #329
    Gods Gift
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,713 ✭✭✭Gods Gift


    A wet and windy May, fills the barns full of hay.


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    #330
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,364 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    MT saying chance of thunderstorms sunday and monday but possibly could be looking at 2 or 3 weeks of this hot weather


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    #331
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,073 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Reggie. wrote: »
    MT saying chance of thunderstorms sunday and monday but possibly could be looking at 2 or 3 weeks of this hot weather

    With corona virus on top and how it’s affected milk beef sheep etc 2/3 more weeks of this and it only may will be a disaster .at least there’s lots feed around but you’d gladly take a nice weeks rain now


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