Cost to produce silage/acre

[Kiwi Pete]

How do you cost creating a drought from the inevitable dry spells over the course of the growing season, it seems like an expensive and fragile approach .
Is increasing your reliance on good weather the way you want to go, and can your business afford it?

I think your upfront costings are close BTW, maybe a little conservative in some respects

 

[Fendt516profi]

I think some would pay good money for s drought right now

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I think some would pay good money for s drought right now

That's the one.... and not long ago there was a rain-dance, and just before that there was hope for things might dry out a tad

fair enough working hard for not enough, but to design more cost and stress into a system that doesn't need it.. what exactly will 6 cuts do for you that 4 cuts will not

 

[jondear]

The early cutters around here will do 4 easily .Good crops as well .But 6 !Can't be cost effective.

 

[Henarar]

fair enough working hard for not enough, but to design more cost and stress into a system that doesn't need it.. what exactly will 6 cuts do for you that 4 cuts will not

Go through the cow quicker

 

[Beef farmer]

The early cutters around here will do 4 easily .Good crops as well .But 6 !Can't be cost effective.

Our 4th was cut in July
4 great little cuts of rocket fuel.
5th has not seen rain and wont amount to much. 6th might be given to the sheep

 

[Henarar]

It's probably cause suckler guys normally make some sh!t silage, unlikely the sheep boys who normally make lovely bales.

I watch some of the dairy farmers making this multi cut silage and I think what we make in one cut is better for our sucker cows, I definitely wouldn't want what they are making and I am not going to ask but I have a fair idea our costs will be lower but on the other hand they may well not want what I make to feed to their dairy cows.
Some of the costs on here per bale, just as well phone the market as feed that to a suck cow IMHO

 

[Beef farmer]

I watch some of the dairy farmers making this multi cut silage and I think what we make in one cut is better for our sucker cows, I definitely wouldn't want what they are making and I am not going to ask but I have a fair idea our costs will be lower but on the other hand they may well not want what I make to feed to their dairy cows.
Some of the costs on here per bale, just as well phone the market as feed that to a suck cow IMHO

For sure it is better for your sucklers.
But the question was from a dairy farmer trying to produce milk.

 

[Jdunn55]

I'll elaborate on my plans, planning on an early first cut at the end of april, second cut end of may (obviously this is subject to weather as is life!) To feed the milkers and yearling heifers over winter.

Then if I have enough good silage I would leave the silage ground until August and cut as a hay crop to feed which would also give the ground a rest from being cut

Then I would do a final cut in late September of haulage for the in-calf heifers

But as pointed out this is presuming that the weather and grass growth is on my side, which is why I budgeted for 6 cuts, because if I cant make enough top quality silage from 2 cuts then I'll keep cutting every month until the end of september or until I do have enough, as I can quite easily buy in crap from elsewhere!

Edit: the first 2 cuts would also be going in a clamp with self propelled

 

[Jdunn55]

Did you not have to produce a forecast either when you went for the tenancy or when you sought finance?

I would have thought reviewing the difference between "predicted and actual" costs might be a more useful exercise.

Yes and that's exactly what I am doing, some things I've done well others I havent and other things have cost more than I expected and others less

Eg: spent more on fertiliser and cake than I budgeted for mainly due to both being more expensive than normal but I've also bought more fertiliser than I predicted and had to use an 18%cake instead of a 14% as milk urea were VERY low

But my ai costs have been half what I predicted because I've been managing to do it myself without compromising results
Also my fuel bill is half what I predicted

Silage wise I'm not convinced I budgeted enough the first time round which is why I'm looking back at the figures

 

[Martyn]

Yes and that's exactly what I am doing, some things I've done well others I havent and other things have cost more than I expected and others less

Eg: spent more on fertiliser and cake than I budgeted for mainly due to both being more expensive than normal but I've also bought more fertiliser than I predicted and had to use an 18%cake instead of a 14% as milk urea were VERY low

But my ai costs have been half what I predicted because I've been managing to do it myself without compromising results
Also my fuel bill is half what I predicted

Silage wise I'm not convinced I budgeted enough the first time round which is why I'm looking back at the figures

I think your doing really well to be any where close to your plan going into a tenancy, my budgets have always gone out the window the moment we signed any of our tenancys because of unknown issues, guess the fact you worked on the farm before hand has hand a massive value, we had EA turn up day three of our tenancy here, and condemned our silage pits and slurry store, so that was £65k to find to get the slurry system in place for the winter, landlord went 50/50. Silage pits still not sorted.

 

[Henarar]

For sure it is better for your sucklers.
But the question was from a dairy farmer trying to produce milk.

Yes I know and haven't contradicted that but Sidjon brought sucklers in to the conversation and I was just putting a different viewpoint to what you guys may see as not so good silage, is that OK ?

 

[sidjon]

Yes I know and haven't contradicted that but Sidjon brought sucklers in to the conversation and I was just putting a different viewpoint to what you guys may see as not so good silage, is that OK ?

Sold some bedding hay to neighbour in the the spring, reckons it was the best hay he's every fed, was being very general with the suckler guys ,as feeding them ferns and rushed all winter would still make their cows fat, but it ain't food for making milk

 

[Henarar]

Sold some bedding hay to neighbour in the the spring, reckons it was the best hay he's every fed, was being very general with the suckler guys ,as feeding them ferns and rushed all winter would still make their cows fat, but it ain't food for making milk

I do know what you mean

 

[jimmer]

Didnt you just..........make bales?

We all make rash decisions sometimes

 

[Tirglas]

I'll elaborate on my plans, planning on an early first cut at the end of april, second cut end of may (obviously this is subject to weather as is life!) To feed the milkers and yearling heifers over winter.

Then if I have enough good silage I would leave the silage ground until August and cut as a hay crop to feed which would also give the ground a rest from being cut

Then I would do a final cut in late September of haulage for the in-calf heifers

But as pointed out this is presuming that the weather and grass growth is on my side, which is why I budgeted for 6 cuts, because if I cant make enough top quality silage from 2 cuts then I'll keep cutting every month until the end of september or until I do have enough, as I can quite easily buy in crap from elsewhere!

Edit: the first 2 cuts would also be going in a clamp with self propelled

Reckon aiming for a first cut first week of May then you could go for hay on second cut when

1.Daylength longest mid late june
2. Grass would be trying to run to seed anyway

Then as long as your seed mixes are long term they shouldn't run to seed again so quality good for the rest of the season to cut or graze

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Once you have your block a bit tighter don't rule out doing one big cut in the first week of June. This year was exceptional because of the wet May but we would have averaged nearly 15t an acre. It's fine for dry cows and cows in their last couple of weeks of lactation and is very cheap to make with tons of slurry and urea. When you have the forager making clouds of smoke and going walking pace you know you're getting your money's worth. That's the only grass we put in a pit, the rest is bale's.

 

[jerseycowsman]

You won't roll/harrow am acre for 5 quid
Any contractor mowing/tedding/raking for your figures, id love them to come and do mine.
You won't rent an acre for 125 either.
Best not to work out silage costs!

6 cuts is mega hard on the ground, I'd also question fert costs

With 6 cuts you should have some rocket fuel.
Are the costs not irrelevant tho? You have no alternative if you wish to milk cows

With 6 cuts they are adding straw to get some fibre. Silliest thing I’ve seen for a while!

 

[Jdunn55]

Once you have your block a bit tighter don't rule out doing one big cut in the first week of June. This year was exceptional because of the wet May but we would have averaged nearly 15t an acre. It's fine for dry cows and cows in their last couple of weeks of lactation and is very cheap to make with tons of slurry and urea. When you have the forager making clouds of smoke and going walking pace you know you're getting your money's worth. That's the only grass we put in a pit, the rest is bale's.

I was planning on buying hay for when they're dry as people are willing to sell it for less than I could make it the number of people who sell hay for £20/£25 a bale around here is astronomical, bought 100 bales this year for £15 a bale (last years hay but still fine for dry cows!)

My idea was to feed the rocket fuel when they calve in February and then feed my third cut (which would be hay/haylage) when they come into the sheds in late october until they go dry in november as it should slow their milk up and reduce my costs down as hay is cheaper to make than silage - I have plenty of shed room for it

It wouldn't be loads of first cut, just enough to feed them fully in February and at night in march, plus my young stock as well?

Did you graze your silage ground before doing your big cut in june? I don't really have that option on most of my silage ground as it doesnt have any water so cant even put young stock on it

 

[Jdunn55]

Reckon aiming for a first cut first week of May then you could go for hay on second cut when

1.Daylength longest mid late june
2. Grass would be trying to run to seed anyway

Then as long as your seed mixes are long term they shouldn't run to seed again so quality good for the rest of the season to cut or graze

Grass is all long term so fine on that aspect, I could do exactly as you say fairly easily

If I cut my first cut in late april would that have any detrimental effect on the hay crop? Only reason being I cant graze it so if left to may it tends to have too much stalk for my liking. I cant imagine it would

Next question for everyone do my young stock need top quality silage? Or will they be fine with hay?! I was aiming for rocket fuel red clover silage for them so I could possibly cut concentrates out completely over the winter? Am I just making it more expensive elsewhere by doing so?