Forage stocks & grazing platforms in this drought?

Bald Rick · May 26, 2020

Already things are looking VERY tight.
2nd cut on the home farm is thin and almost non existent elsewhere.
Maize is out but struggling and the sand blew badly over the weekend
Neighbour who has 3 spring herds is putting out bales with a feeder wagon
Grass further up the Island on thin soil is burnt.

No doubt we are not alone so what strategies are you employing?

frederick · May 26, 2020

Currently feeding 6 kg cake a cow to a herd that only needs 2.
Silage will go in next week and culling will start
Thing is we can afford to feed cake but I'm not sure we can afford to feed silage. The bit we have will be needed for feeding autumn calvers through winter.

Tirglas · May 26, 2020

Growth down to 50kg dm per ha per day usually able to run with a demand of 70ish through spring summer, very dry now so expect growth to slow again quite quickly with the heat this week. Grass losing quality due to time of year and running to seed worse under stress.

Silage fields aftermath close enough will be grazed then cake will be increased as no rain in forecast probably up to about 5kg from average 1.5kg, spare silage from last year will fill belly if needed but milk will take a dive currently averaging 22litres all year calving.

Not panicking but would like a soak down Carmarthenshire like everyone else.

Headless chicken · May 26, 2020

Bought some bales to see us part of the way. Dried cows off early they will be living off straw for the foreseeable as they’re mostly fatties anyway.
When the rain does come there will be huge amounts of grass. Looking unsettled from early next month onwards.

lazy farmer · May 26, 2020

Headless chicken said:
Bought some bales to see us part of the way. Dried cows off early they will be living off straw for the foreseeable as they’re mostly fatties anyway.
When the rain does come there will be huge amounts of grass. Looking unsettled from early next month onwards.

What forecast is that ......???????

bobk · May 26, 2020

This year is the perfect storm for dairy farmers , hold your cash and hold on .

Bald Rick · May 26, 2020

Headless chicken said:
Bought some bales to see us part of the way. Dried cows off early they will be living off straw for the foreseeable as they’re mostly fatties anyway.
When the rain does come there will be huge amounts of grass. Looking unsettled from early next month onwards.

Don’t share your optimism @Headless chicken as nothing but sun on the 14 day forecast.

Forage, grains, alternatives and straw are going to be eye watering from September on unless there is a radical change of fortune weather wise
On small pinprick of light is that processors will have to respond price wise otherwise they could be chronically short of milk.
What’s the weather like on the continent?

bobk · May 26, 2020

Bald Rick said:
Don’t share your optimism @Headless chicken as nothing but sun on the 14 day forecast.

Forage, grains, alternatives and straw are going to be eye watering from September on unless there is a radical change of fortune weather wise
On small pinprick of light is that processors will have to respond price wise otherwise they could be chronically short of milk.
What’s the weather like on the continent?

France has had perfect growing weather .

dowcow · May 26, 2020

Got some very good hay made out of what was going to be second cut in the heatwave a couple of years ago, and been wanting to get to the back of it for a while. Cows and some youngstock are keeping themselves content with that and milking very well, never looked better. Averaging 27litres on all year round calving, and a 27litre cow be getting about 5kg cake, fed to yield. Ought to lower the cake a bit more I think. Very little grass growing, had a few showers that kept it green but it is still thirsty. Despite being only 10mile south of Lancaster where they got a real good dose a week or two back. Maize is 3-4 leaf and there's still some moisture underneath in that soil.

Tirglas · May 26, 2020

Bald Rick said:
Don’t share your optimism @Headless chicken as nothing but sun on the 14 day forecast.

Forage, grains, alternatives and straw are going to be eye watering from September on unless there is a radical change of fortune weather wise
On small pinprick of light is that processors will have to respond price wise otherwise they could be chronically short of milk.
What’s the weather like on the continent?

Didnt happen last drought 2018 milk production steady farmers fed more grain and cows responded, only thing went up really was price of silage round here.

Remember arable farmers were given hard time by stock farmers to bale everything then we had a bumper grassy autumn and made a lot of late silage

Headless chicken · May 26, 2020

lazy farmer said:
What forecast is that ......???????

multiple ones until I find one that doesn’t make me feel depressed and penniless

Mr Jones · May 26, 2020

Headless chicken said:
Bought some bales to see us part of the way. Dried cows off early they will be living off straw for the foreseeable as they’re mostly fatties anyway.
When the rain does come there will be huge amounts of grass. Looking unsettled from early next month onwards.

We must be looking at different long range forecasts. No rain scheduled for NCE area up to 15 June?

dowcow · May 26, 2020

There's a lot of people who make bales around here who have had a lot of carry over this year.

Bald Rick · May 26, 2020

dowcow said:
There's a lot of people who make bales around here who have had a lot of carry over this year.

We have carry over but quality isn’t brilliant.

thorpe · May 26, 2020

this year arable farmers will be told bale every thing again , problem is there will be nothing to bale.

som farmer · May 26, 2020

grass silage, cut 14 acres x2, nice cuts, we have 21 acres h/rye, cut 8 acres, 8 t/ac, the rest should do 15t/ac, have had to plough up 10 acres, failed ley, and with the 8 acres, of cut rye, and a further 10 rented, gone into maize, unless we have a serious amount of rain, there will be no grass to cut till the autumn. We always grow rape for summer feeding, that is there, but really slow. We have 150 dairy, and 120 young stock, not looking good, now buying hay, for now, or winter, when stock is on kale. This is looking like 3 dry summers in a row, and its hurting !

farmboy · May 26, 2020

som farmer said:
grass silage, cut 14 acres x2, nice cuts, we have 21 acres h/rye, cut 8 acres, 8 t/ac, the rest should do 15t/ac, have had to plough up 10 acres, failed ley, and with the 8 acres, of cut rye, and a further 10 rented, gone into maize, unless we have a serious amount of rain, there will be no grass to cut till the autumn. We always grow rape for summer feeding, that is there, but really slow. We have 150 dairy, and 120 young stock, not looking good, now buying hay, for now, or winter, when stock is on kale. This is looking like 3 dry summers in a row, and its hurting !

How many years before this is accepted as normal weather for this time of year?

vantage · May 26, 2020

farmboy said:
How many years before this is accepted as normal weather for this time of year?

100. Never has it been this dry for so long so early.

7610 super q · May 26, 2020

Ah yes, the NFU's bale every bale campaign......which f**ked up straw prices for the next 2 years.
Count me out.

Bald Rick · May 26, 2020

7610 super q said:
Ah yes, the NFU's bale every bale campaign......which fudgeed up straw prices for the next 2 years.
Count me out.

Just when I was going to offer to buy all your straw ...

Forage stocks & grazing platforms in this drought?

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