Put half measures or no fert on silage ground???

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

im in a situation where due to poor grain prices I have been growing more silage and have a big excess the plan would be to make less next year and put more grain in if the price is looking better, if not though I may consider keeping the silage acreage the same but using less or no fert, has anyone else tried this?

ThatsSomeSheep · Jul 28, 2016

Grass Let??

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

The fields are not all fenced plus hassle

GTB · Jul 28, 2016

If you use a contractor and pay by the acre you won't save much by doing bigger acreage with reduced/no ferts?

onthehoof · Jul 28, 2016

Bossfarmer said:
im in a situation where due to poor grain prices I have been growing more silage and have a big excess the plan would be to make less next year and put more grain in if the price is looking better, if not though I may consider keeping the silage acreage the same but using less or no fert, has anyone else tried this?

Why did you grow more grass and put on lots of fert if you had no end use for it ?

dazza b · Jul 28, 2016

onthehoof said:
Why did you grow more grass and put on lots of fert if you had no end use for it ?

A lot can depend on the season Spring didn't set off very fast and now I would call it very growy if that makes sense

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

GTB said:
If you use a contractor and pay by the acre you won't save much by doing bigger acreage with reduced/no ferts?

We do it all ourselves and put the cows on the aftermath having the larger acreage is handy for this as it saves putting any fert on the grazing in the back end

Courier · Jul 28, 2016

Make as much as you can with no fert on into small bale hay for the horse trade if you have some dry storage

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

onthehoof said:
Why did you grow more grass and put on lots of fert if you had no end use for it ?

We had planned to cut it earlier in the season but weather has bulked it up a lot of bales now

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

Courier said:
Make as much as you can with no fert on into small bale hay for the horse trade if you have some dry storage

No storage and a lot of rainfall in this area not easy to make hay

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

How much fert N, p&k is everyone else putting on their silage ground?

Bossfarmer · Jul 28, 2016

dazza b said:
A lot can depend on the season Spring didn't set off very fast and now I would call it very growy if that makes sense

Very true

Lovegoodstock · Jul 29, 2016

Depends on area with prices for letting, we use contracters but even doing it yourself I would be sure less acres more volume via fert, would be far more economical and would produce far better analysis. Then remainder in our area I would have applied fert properly and sold, wont make you a fortune but profitable and keeps land in check, and farmed properly. Sure a safer bet than grain?

Bossfarmer · Jul 29, 2016

Lovegoodstock said:
Depends on area with prices for letting, we use contracters but even doing it yourself I would be sure less acres more volume via fert, would be far more economical and would produce far better analysis. Then remainder in our area I would have applied fert properly and sold, wont make you a fortune but profitable and keeps land in check, and farmed properly. Sure a safer bet than grain?

what sort of fert application do you apply? grains only £120/tonne, no profit in that surely?

Pennine Ploughing · Jul 29, 2016

If you cut the fert out, it will not do very well and weeds are more likely to grow, this could have a long term effect on the land,
Put the grain in, and if prices are good then combine it yourself, if prices look poor then sell it as a standing crop,
For some reason people will pay a good price for standing barley, and have to harvest it and bale straw on top,
Or someone will just whole crop it

Bossfarmer · Jul 29, 2016

Pennine Ploughing said:
If you cut the fert out, it will not do very well and weeds are more likely to grow, this could have a long term effect on the land,
Put the grain in, and if prices are good then combine it yourself, if prices look poor then sell it as a standing crop,
For some reason people will pay a good price for standard barley, and have to harvest it and bale straw on top,
Or someone will just whole crop it

an interesting suggestion although ive never heard of that happening in this area

Pennine Ploughing · Jul 29, 2016

Bossfarmer said:
an interesting suggestion although ive never heard of that happening in this area

It happens around here with some

Jonny B88 · Jul 29, 2016

You will still have to spread p and k regardless of how much acreage you have, so all you may be saving is a bit of nitrogen. Hardly worth it I'd have thought.

Happy at it · Jul 29, 2016

Keep more cattle, problem sorted.

Lovegoodstock · Jul 29, 2016

Bossfarmer said:
what sort of fert application do you apply? grains only £120/tonne, no profit in that surely?

Sorry I was saying whilst not making a fortune, better than growing grain. I use 27,5,5, reseed leys within 7 years of planting, well 1/2 crops of wheat then barley then back to grass, just suits system but corn loses us money, granted use contracters as stock farm not arable, not the time, knowledge or interest but like a bit of local straw than extra carting, have enough stock with only mum and dad, apply heavy manure without losing grazing and reap benefits in grass leys a couple of years later, and beyond I think

Put half measures or no fert on silage ground???

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