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Silage Fertilizer Starting With Heavy Covers

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  • 25-03-2019 8:25pm
    #1
    Welding Rod
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭


    Walked silage ground today. Very heavy grass on there after the winter we have had.
    Not reseeded ground.
    Normally go with 80 to 90 units of N plus P&K early April and cut last week May.
    Just a bit concerned that due to the heavy covers starting out, the crop won’t have enough growing to do, to use up all the N. Does that make sense or am I over complicating things?
    Thinking of maybe cutting back to maybe 60 units N and possibly cutting middle of May.
    Confused????


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    #2
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,124 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    The whole point of applying artificial nitrogen is to grow the grass.

    If the grass has already grown with biological or background nitrogen over the winter then dead right you don't need as much as you'd normally apply.
    Reduce by as much as you'd like. If you have half the amount of grass already, reduce by half etc,etc,etc. Take current colour into account too.


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    #3
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Walked silage ground today. Very heavy grass on there after the winter we have had.
    Not reseeded ground.
    Normally go with 80 to 90 units of N plus P&K early April and cut last week May.
    Just a bit concerned that due to the heavy covers starting out, the crop won’t have enough growing to do, to use up all the N. Does that make sense or am I over complicating things?
    Thinking of maybe cutting back to maybe 60 units N and possibly cutting middle of May.
    Confused????
    What kind of covers are there on it now?

    You might be better off cutting it now for bales, great week ahead for wilting, and carry on as normal for fertiliser and slurry. There's not a lot of time for any fertiliser to be used up before cutting if it's as far along as I think you're saying?


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    #4
    older by the day
    Registered Users Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭older by the day


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Walked silage ground today. Very heavy grass on there after the winter we have had.
    Not reseeded ground.
    Normally go with 80 to 90 units of N plus P&K early April and cut last week May.
    Just a bit concerned that due to the heavy covers starting out, the crop won’t have enough growing to do, to use up all the N. Does that make sense or am I over complicating things?
    Thinking of maybe cutting back to maybe 60 units N and possibly cutting middle of May.
    Confused????
    I'm the same, grass half way to silage, i think it will just lodge in a few weeks if it gets the normal fertilizer and I don't want to cut with high nitrogen levels. So I am going with about 50N and half the P and k. But don't go by me


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    #5
    Welding Rod
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭Welding Rod


    Buford T. Justice V wrote: »
    What kind of covers are there on it now?

    You might be better off cutting it now for bales, great week ahead for wilting, and carry on as normal for fertiliser and slurry. There's not a lot of time for any fertiliser to be used up before cutting if it's as far along as I think you're saying?

    Covers like this.


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    #6
    freedominacup
    Registered Users Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Covers like this.

    Book the contractor now. As in ring him straightaway. Cut it and get it saved. Then start again with fert for second cut. Aim for 2 units N per day max with a cutting date of May 10th in mind.


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    #7
    memorystick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭memorystick


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Covers like this.

    That's the worst start your silage can have. Clean it off. Best of luck


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    #8
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,124 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Not to take away from the thread but imagine if there will ever be a time when a farmer can grow silage without resorting to the bag.

    Wouldn't that be something to envy.

    I suppose if the op cuts tomorrow it has already happened..

    Nitrogen is a funny old tool. It's a thing the farmer is eager to spread on grass but is concerned that it doesn't get into the silage.

    Anyhoo ramblings. Continue with the thread.


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    #9
    leoch
    Registered Users Posts: 891 ✭✭✭leoch


    I have a field with good cover aswell not the same as his but not bad....now mine is not thick at the butt at all its a field that had corn and undersown with grass 2 years ago but the grass is thin and stocky is there anyway of thickening it up ....the baled silage taken off it last year was like wrapped straw it was like a rye grass


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    #10
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,486 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Covers like this.

    Has to be a worry that it would be gone at the butt if you fertilise now and wait weeks to mow.
    Might be as well save that as is and then start fresh.


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    #11
    Welding Rod
    Registered Users Posts: 244 ✭✭Welding Rod


    freedominacup wrote: »
    Book the contractor now. As in ring him straightaway. Cut it and get it saved. Then start again with fert for second cut. Aim for 2 units N per day max with a cutting date of May 10th in mind.

    Yeah. I did think about that. Trouble is ground is a bit on the soft side to carry the baler.....


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    #12
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,143 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Welding Rod wrote: »
    Yeah. I did think about that. Trouble is ground is a bit on the soft side to carry the baler.....

    Get it mowed any way. There will be plenty of drying in the next few days. Very heavy land here and the difference in a day is unreal at the moment


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    #13
    kingdom fan
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭kingdom fan


    Why don't you let young stock out on it. I've 25 acres as heavy as that and another 5 even worse. Ive started grazing the 25 acres last week with 30 yearnings.mm The 5 acres real heavy I'm tempted to put out 1or2 bag this week 18.6.12. And cut 1st may.


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    #14
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,308 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Cover not as heavy as yours but heavy enough, 50 units of nitrogen going out and will cut mid May. The butt is fierce clean, it was seeded in 17.

    As is, you crop will be close enough to knock in a month either way.


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    #15
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    kingdom fan wrote: »
    Why don't you let young stock out on it. I've 25 acres as heavy as that and another 5 even worse. Ive started grazing the 25 acres last week with 30 yearnings.mm The 5 acres real heavy I'm tempted to put out 1or2 bag this week 18.6.12. And cut 1st may.

    Thats quite an old pasture. Theyre would be very poor utilsation and would make a balls of the next crop


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    #16
    Never wrestle with pigs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭Never wrestle with pigs


    Cut and bale it, it sounds mad but allot of it happening this year. The last 12 months have been a bit mad and you just have to take the chance when it's there. It could be snowing in a few weeks lol.


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    #17
    pat73
    Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭pat73


    Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »
    Cut and bale it, it sounds mad but allot of it happening this year. The last 12 months have been a bit mad and you just have to take the chance when it's there. It could be snowing in a few weeks lol.
    Baling it now even with good weather at this time of year would there be sugars in it for it to fermint


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    #18
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    I'm in same boat with field reseeded last year. Grazed tight and closed mid December and im going to give it 2 bags of can and 2 bags 0-7-30.
    I've made rocket fuel the last few years and not making it back the other end. I'll let it bulk up and cut a decent crop of good quality silage mid May.


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    #19
    dohc turbo2
    Registered Users Posts: 838 ✭✭✭dohc turbo2


    Walked trough fields yesterday, haven’t the cattle to get all the grass around at the moment , seen the contractor passing Witt the rake and he said he has a heap of jobs like that, heavy covers and lads have no place to get slurry out , mower coming today to knock , never it the history of the place did grass be knocked this early , I was surprised how heavy the grass got without fertiliser in th last week or so


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    #20
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TooOldBoots


    CloughCasey1 wrote: »
    I'm in same boat with field reseeded last year. Grazed tight and closed mid December and im going to give it 2 bags of can and 2 bags 0-7-30.
    I've made rocket fuel the last few years and not making it back the other end. I'll let it bulk up and cut a decent crop of good quality silage mid May.
    Rocket costs in reality. That will be fair expensive silage by the time you pay for the manure and silage making. All when we have had a load of free growth this winter


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    #21
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    CloughCasey1 wrote: »
    I'm in same boat with field reseeded last year. Grazed tight and closed mid December and im going to give it 2 bags of can and 2 bags 0-7-30.
    I've made rocket fuel the last few years and not making it back the other end. I'll let it bulk up and cut a decent crop of good quality silage mid May.

    Have you saved on ration making better silage.? If you can I would always go for the best stuff you can. Bad silage will need supplementing and good stuff won't, a protracted spell inside and performance suffers then


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    #22
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,483 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Have you saved on ration making better silage.? If you can I would always go for the best stuff you can. Bad silage will need supplementing and good stuff won't, a protracted spell inside and performance suffers then

    When making rocket fuel bales I find you run into the issue of cows getting very loose in the dung and you end up having to go in with hulls/nis to dry them up, which defeats the purpose of making this stuff if you have to add lots of fibre to dilute it, moving away from bales here that we used to make for Milkers to nearly all pit, as the costs have gotten out of control with plastic/contractors etc spent five k on wrap last year here and said never again, going to be a huge problems down the line getting rid of plastic to


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    #23
    Bullocks
    Registered Users Posts: 5,890 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    When making rocket fuel bales I find you run into the issue of cows getting very loose in the dung and you end up having to go in with hulls/nis to dry them up, which defeats the purpose of making this stuff if you have to add lots of fibre to dilute it, moving away from bales here that we used to make for Milkers to nearly all pit, as the costs have gotten out of control with plastic/contractors etc spent five k on wrap last year here and said never again, going to be a huge problems down the line getting rid of plastic to

    Some difference in the roll of plastic for a few bales and plastic for the pit price wise. I was surprised how many bigger farmers switched over to bales in the last few years.
    I suppose the price difference must be worth it in the trade off to being able to graze or sneak bales whenever suits and silage quality


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    #24
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,483 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Bullocks wrote: »
    Some difference in the roll of plastic for a few bales and plastic for the pit price wise. I was surprised how many bigger farmers switched over to bales in the last few years.
    I suppose the price difference must be worth it in the trade off to being able to graze or sneak bales whenever suits and silage quality

    3300 for plastic to do 800 bales plus 700 for net, the plastic to cover a pit of 70 acres of silage would be less then 400 for two new sheets, fair difference alright haha


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    #25
    freedominacup
    Registered Users Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    Mower half way through what's to be knocked here now. Tedder coming shortly. TRD again once dew gone in the morning. Rake and bale tomorrow evening. Looks like a 5 or 6 bale/acre crop.


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    #26
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    freedominacup wrote: »
    Mower half way through what's to be knocked here now. Tedder coming shortly. TRD again once dew gone in the morning. Rake and bale tomorrow evening. Looks like a 5 or 6 bale/acre crop.

    Rookie question...is that the big bales?

    Trying to gauge what I could expect off my few acres.


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    #27
    freedominacup
    Registered Users Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    Laney Hallowed Needlepoint wrote: »
    Rookie question...is that the big bales?

    Trying to gauge what I could expect off my few acres.

    Round bales. I'd be sorely disappointed if it was small squaresðŸ˜ðŸ˜


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    #28
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Guys, can I ask.how much are round bales being sold for?


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    #29
    charolais0153
    Registered Users Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    Laney Hallowed Needlepoint wrote: »
    Guys, can I ask.how much are round bales being sold for?

    25 euros each locally


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    #30
    Dunedin
    Registered Users Posts: 2,230 ✭✭✭Dunedin


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    3300 for plastic to do 800 bales plus 700 for net, the plastic to cover a pit of 70 acres of silage would be less then 400 for two new sheets, fair difference alright haha

    Ah, does the contractor not charge for gettthe grass from the field to pit????

    Firstly I don’t think you’d have 800 bales from 70 acres, more like 600.

    €9 a bale x 600 bales = €5400 + €2400 on plastic = €8000 rounded up. 70 acres at €110 acre + €400 on plastic €8170

    All of the above subject to many assumptions such as local contractor baling and pit/acre prices, how many bales per acre, farmer time and cost drawing in 600 beautiful bales, etc. etc.

    Point is, there ain’t a whole of difference and can often come down to heavy crop - pit best value, lighter crop = bales, not too mention that a long draw is a nightmare drawing in bales. But much greater flexibility on bales to take a paddock here and there.


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    #31
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    When making rocket fuel bales I find you run into the issue of cows getting very loose in the dung and you end up having to go in with hulls/nis to dry them up, which defeats the purpose of making this stuff if you have to add lots of fibre to dilute it, moving away from bales here that we used to make for Milkers to nearly all pit, as the costs have gotten out of control with plastic/contractors etc spent five k on wrap last year here and said never again, going to be a huge problems down the line getting rid of plastic to

    I've a straw bed shed and the leafy soft grass costs me more in straw also. Will still be cutting mid May so will still be excellent silage for beef cattle. All they get is some soya mixed with minerals for winter. Ok for ye dairy boys and white gold making 4 bales an acre early in year.


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