- Location
- North devon
I'm looking at round baling and wrapping my wholecrop and stacking in my field any advise will be greatfull. Thanks
Barley and pea wholecrop
- Thread starter Smokey16
- Start date
Clamp it! If you have to bale it make sure the bales are spread out and stacked on their own or in lines that are far apart or the rats will ruin everyone, don't stack near hedges or anywhere near straw on buildings
- Location
- North devon
Thanks I was going to stack them on top of my silage bales
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Don't
- Location
- North devon
I can't clamp it because I haven't got a pit
Renee Bells
New Member
Hi I will love to know more details
- Location
- Ceredigion
What more can he say . Rats will come for miles .they can smell them . It's like a drug to them .put them in a big stack and you will end up with a stack of compost .
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Silage pit if you can or they will be a rat restaurant.
We’ve baled wholecrop for years and haven’t had problems yet. The odd bale or two but not the stack full.
We think by putting at least 8 layers on and throw sand on the floor and between the bales it keeps the critters away.
An old boy told me years ago that rats don’t like sand in their ears.
We think by putting at least 8 layers on and throw sand on the floor and between the bales it keeps the critters away.
An old boy told me years ago that rats don’t like sand in their ears.
Pistonbroke
Member
Western Seeds advice is to cut when green and before the grains are formed. Starch is lower but sugar far higher and not so nice for rats. I haven't had a problem since following that,but there's always next time.
- Location
- Herefordshire
Baled whole crop for a few years, baited around the stack well, got away with it, if you have a rat issue, ul have a bigger one.
Also dont leave late in season to use, usually bit mold creeping in.
Also dont leave late in season to use, usually bit mold creeping in.
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
That's my problem as well so I usually end up selling it.
We always did a bit of peas and stacked it separate to the grass one year had a bad crop so ends up with 30 bales so just put them on the side of the grass stack ........ Never seen a rat on the farm but they did all the pea bales and had a nibble at the 500 grass bales just to check there wasn't any more !!!
Personally I'd just clamp it in the field in a mound and put a good foot of grass over the top to hide the smell
Ag bag will do it but they're an arse of a thing to empty and tidy up and if the vermin find it they could potentially split it from end to end I've seen one done by peacocks pecking it along the top
Personally I'd just clamp it in the field in a mound and put a good foot of grass over the top to hide the smell
Ag bag will do it but they're an arse of a thing to empty and tidy up and if the vermin find it they could potentially split it from end to end I've seen one done by peacocks pecking it along the top
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Same here, baled 90 bales one year and fed 15 before they were unusable
- Location
- North devon
Thanks it's my first time doing wholecrop myself I heard the same about putting sand around the bales how do you stack them and where
- Location
- North devon
I was gunna feed my wholecrop first to all my stock first soon as the come in
I have just made a stack of 150 undersown barley whole crop bales last week. The stack is 80 metres from any wall, fence or cover. Sheep and cattle will graze around it but it will be well fenced with turned out rabbit netting and c8/80 stockfence and electric “standoff wire.” Also numerous rat bait points and sachets within stack.
I grow baled barley whole crop every year for last ten years and it’s excellent way to reseed and bonus of lot of baled silage.
Rats will be a problem if you ignore them and let them colonise uninterrupted, but I’m a sportsman and gamekeeper and vermin can be successfully combated.
I grow baled barley whole crop every year for last ten years and it’s excellent way to reseed and bonus of lot of baled silage.
Rats will be a problem if you ignore them and let them colonise uninterrupted, but I’m a sportsman and gamekeeper and vermin can be successfully combated.