- Location
- M6 Hard shoulder
Probably a little more milk on a straw yard system. My 3-4 litres was referring to the extra bedding costs of straw yard vs cubiclesDo you mean that there is more milk on cubicles or on straw?
Probably a little more milk on a straw yard system. My 3-4 litres was referring to the extra bedding costs of straw yard vs cubiclesDo you mean that there is more milk on cubicles or on straw?
Looks great, maybe too much winter growth? Or mega early cut?Just checked some silage ground whilst checking some ewe lambs, its looking good! Jumped in the past couple of weeks for definite. We direct drilled some hybrid ryegrass and red clover into a tired ley after 3rd cut last year should hopefully make some good silage!
Definitely too much winter growth. I've got a problem with this land, it has no water so cant graze cattle there (sheep are fine as I can ibc water to them and they drink bugger all) but sheep are only able to go on about 12 acres of it as the other 25+ is next to an illegal gypsy camp and there dogs are used for hunting so would end in disaster Was thinking along the line of an early cut but how early is early? Mid april? I wouldnt want to lose too much yield if i can, but it would allow a fifth cut in theoryLooks great, maybe too much winter growth? Or mega early cut?
Just checked some silage ground whilst checking some ewe lambs, its looking good! Jumped in the past couple of weeks for definite. We direct drilled some hybrid ryegrass and red clover into a tired ley after 3rd cut last year should hopefully make some good silage!
1st April if we had some sunshine in March I guess. Stick 90 units of urea on it in feb, be a cracking shear there then.Definitely too much winter growth. I've got a problem with this land, it has no water so cant graze cattle there (sheep are fine as I can ibc water to them and they drink bugger all) but sheep are only able to go on about 12 acres of it as the other 25+ is next to an illegal gypsy camp and there dogs are used for hunting so would end in disaster Was thinking along the line of an early cut but how early is early? Mid april? I wouldnt want to lose too much yield if i can, but it would allow a fifth cut in theory
I did try doing some grass in march last year, it sort of worked but the quantity just made it non viable, but that was gs4 ground that hadn't had any fetiliser so might be different. Guess I'll have to see what it looks like at the end of March, if its struggling a bit could whack some more nitrogen on and leave until mid/end of april. I have a feeling that it will rocket on now though, especially as I'm telling myself its nearly spring and it's getting warmer by the minute!1st April if we had some sunshine in March I guess. Stick 90 units of urea on it in feb, be a cracking shear there then.
Any possibility of leaving it for hay this year as dry cow feed and get tack sheep this winter to sort it out for next year? Alternatively cut asap accept your yield will be down but quality should be good and then take a cut from it every 4-6 weeks from then on to try and maximise yield? Those are the options I'm toying between, but given how it's looking now I'm leaning towards the early cut as if it Carrie's on growing as it is now it probably wont be that much lighter than if left to mid Mayreally interested as to what you do here. Due to fences, wet ground and water supply we’ve got 100 odd Aves that haven’t seen sheep all winter and I can’t put heifers onto due to the previous owners “difficult situation with animals” meaning putting animals there wouldn’t be suitable. What would others do?Cut end of March/ early April? We normally go for 20th of April anyway just worried it will be sh!t? Or grass Harrow it in the spring to pull out the dead grass? My least favourite option but better than sh!t silage!
The difference between Cornwall & Northumberland ! - with snow forcast for tonightJust checked some silage ground whilst checking some ewe lambs, its looking good! Jumped in the past couple of weeks for definite. We direct drilled some hybrid ryegrass and red clover into a tired ley after 3rd cut last year should hopefully make some good silage!
I would say it's quite wet for us but I think I'll refrainThe difference between Cornwall & Northumberland ! - with snow forcast for tonight
Don`t think our little hedge plants will suffer from drought any time soon
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I would say it's quite wet for us but I think I'll refrain
Not on ours, fortunately, but neighbours looking a bit wet...The difference between Cornwall & Northumberland ! - with snow forcast for tonight
Don`t think our little hedge plants will suffer from drought stress any time soon
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But you probably won,t sell anymore as there is that much mastitis on strawProbably a little more milk on a straw yard system. My 3-4 litres was referring to the extra bedding costs of straw yard vs cubicles
River Trent ?Not on ours, fortunately, but neighbours looking a bit wet...View attachment 935280
Any possibility of leaving it for hay this year as dry cow feed and get tack sheep this winter to sort it out for next year? Alternatively cut asap accept your yield will be down but quality should be good and then take a cut from it every 4-6 weeks from then on to try and maximise yield? Those are the options I'm toying between, but given how it's looking now I'm leaning towards the early cut as if it Carrie's on growing as it is now it probably wont be that much lighter than if left to mid May
In that case if it were me, I'd go with cutting asap and then every month from then on, you'll never let the grass get to head and by the end of September you might have the same amount of grass if you had left it bulk until the end of April/mid may but it will hopefully be rocket fuel!would be too larger an area for hay unless we try and clamp it alongside our forage rye as dry cow food and then pray to god it rains For a decent second cut
really interested as to what you do here. Due to fences, wet ground and water supply we’ve got 100 odd Aves that haven’t seen sheep all winter and I can’t put heifers onto due to the previous owners “difficult situation with animals” meaning putting animals there wouldn’t be suitable. What would others do?Cut end of March/ early April? We normally go for 20th of April anyway just worried it will be sh!t? Or grass Harrow it in the spring to pull out the dead grass? My least favourite option but better than sh!t silage!
1st cut always feeds best here too.Our wintered grass always looks a bit yellow and oldish in March. But honestly by early May when we cut it looks good. Most of our silage ground is let to rest from 4th cut around Mid September to 1st cut. Slurry after christmas and fert on in Mid March. Did have sheep for years, however the fields were bare in spring and took ages to grow, and with wet winters were always waterlogged. Our soil structure now is much better, worms galore.
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Here is the 1st cut analysis. Cut 8th may. Not your 12me rocket fuel, but does our cows well. And always more milk than 2nd cut somehow, even if cut again in 30 days ish.
Used the heifers to clear up after 4th cut, probably about ideal to carry over until silage mid May. Tack sheep going end Jan on some, will kick them into touch in years to come.Our wintered grass always looks a bit yellow and oldish in March. But honestly by early May when we cut it looks good. Most of our silage ground is let to rest from 4th cut around Mid September to 1st cut. Slurry after christmas and fert on in Mid March. Did have sheep for years, however the fields were bare in spring and took ages to grow, and with wet winters were always waterlogged. Our soil structure now is much better, worms galore.
View attachment 935292
Here is the 1st cut analysis. Cut 8th may. Not your 12me rocket fuel, but does our cows well. And always more milk than 2nd cut somehow, even if cut again in 30 days ish.