Mouser
Member
- Location
- near Belfast
Seen worse many a time but usually after it's been lifted.
Generally can get mowers slyped through without too much mess.
Generally can get mowers slyped through without too much mess.
2019 Silage Season
- Thread starter Bald Rick
- Start date
Id have a breakdown if i seen a silage field like that. But yeah to him its normal enough. A baler on duals is also part of the armoury.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Yes. Leave it untouched. I know. Seems unthinkable to some folks. Why they'd rather mix clay and grass confuses me. The domestic grass in that tracked end dies out, and the tracks probably don't heal properly until next season. Next cut it's the same muck.
I've got some heavy ends like that, and if it's going to leave more than a tyre print, we mow around it. Either get it next time, or let some heifers top it for a few days. Heals faster, no compaction, no damage to drains, no mess on road, no clay in silage.
Like making silage in december in cornwall. Actually, i suspect we could pick better days even then.
Tough going
That said...Still easier than drought
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Well, I wouldn't say that. Sometimes a different problem is a refreshing change. For me, rock hard ground like last summer made a refreshing change. You get sick of getting out of the mowing tractor to walk the sticky spots. Also remember that some grazing here will by now be damaged enough to have killed it's productivity for the rest of the season. Not much yet, but its heading that way. Grass doesn't regrow on tramped, waterlogged ground. At least you can let your cattle lie out on a burnt up field and throw them a bale of hay or straw. Here, they have to come in.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Honestly would do me harm looking at that sort of mess. Dread to think what it would be like to be retired and renting the land out. The wrong tenant could ruin half the place in a bad season. And there's a plenty of wrong tenants about.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
It's not really the contractors fault. If the farmer/tenant doesn't give a rats, then why should the contractor. Farmer should surely know his ground, have walked it, and told the mower where he's not allowed to go. It needs to be not far from perfect behind the mower tractors wheel, because after another two passes it won't be.
- Location
- Yorkshire
Maybe if she sent me her details I could transfer her some money to catch the bus
Mouser
Member
- Location
- near Belfast
That's a good one. Walk the fields? Most of them don't even lift branches before spreading slurry over them in march. The wetter ground we do won't dry until the crop is cut off so ideally needs cut then dry between swards enough for rake to travel then another dry day for the rest to travel. Doesn't always work like that though.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
A guy not far from here grouped his first cut last week with a big M. . Lovely stuff.
. Lovely stuff.
Is that not the answer?A guy not far from here grouped his first cut last week with a big M.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
The answer was to cut it a month ago when the weather was good.
mixed farm
Member
Sure everyone knows not to make silage in the wet, what was he thinking? Oh I know, he couldn't predict the weather for the month, what a bad farmer.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
The grass was ready a month ago though.
- grass ready
- weather good
- forecast to break
Hardly rocket science?
- grass ready
- weather good
- forecast to break
Hardly rocket science?
Why do they not clear the headland first? At least then at least you’re not constantly running over the swath.
mixed farm
Member
But one could hardly have predicted that it would change as much as it did. Some of mine was ready at that stage but I held off for bulk/nitrogen/the remainder so as not to be opening the pit again, and also got caught with a few hours of rain. Luckily ground conditions were perfect but that's just the luck of location.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Why do they not clear the headland first? At least then at least you’re not constantly running over the swath.
We would move the headland in a situation where ground is cuttable but tricky.
The contractor wasn’t exactly sitting in my yard in that good weather waiting to put in my grass. I was booked last week of May..it pished for three weeks. Not his fault, not mine.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Maybe your grass wasn't ready four weeks ago. This grass was.