Cost to produce silage/acre

[Cowmansam]

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?

Problem with feeding rocket fuel to youngsters is take a lot of keeping clean it runs through them that fast if it’s baled and not to short chop isn’t as bad as if clamped difference for us is 1/3 extra straw

 

[Jdunn55]

Problem with feeding rocket fuel to youngsters is take a lot of keeping clean it runs through them that fast if it’s baled and not to short chop isn’t as bad as if clamped difference for us is 1/3 extra straw

Thanks, that was my other worry, so possibly better off making bales later in the year for the youngsters with the chop off on the Baler but still young grass

 

[buffalo_soldier]

I did my dissertation on the advantages or multi cut about one hundred years ago, should of published it

 

[ridger]

Seen a pit of multicut grass a few weeks back, it was so 'soft'that everytime a grab is taken out, the face slides

 

[Manney]

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.

This is what I do. One big cut end of May to fill the silage clamp that I use for the shoulders of the grazing season.

Second cut and odds and sods is baled. Usually try to make lower quality baled silage for gut fill during the dry period. Have been thinking about dropping some rented ground I make silage on and just buying in hay.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Too depressing working out the costs for round bales , I try not to think about it. Just do our best to make as few as possible.

Could do with a few more forage wagon contractors locally.

 

[Beef farmer]

Wagons work out for us between 9 and 13 quid an acre.
Its the only way to do multi cut cost effectively.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Wagons work out for us between 9 and 13 quid an acre.
Its the only way to do multi cut cost effectively.

How far is it to the field on average?

 

[Beef farmer]

How far is it to the field on average?

2 miles.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Thats good majority of ours is with in 1km radius with a little 4km there and back. Something we need to look at especially when we build some more pits. We need to get better at making milking silage off the grazing ground.

 

[More to life]

I did my dissertation on the advantages or multi cut about one hundred years ago, should of published it

must have been hard work with a single chop

 

[Beef farmer]

must have been hard work with a sythe chop

 

[In the pit]

It’s extremely simple ,when there is a surplus of grass take silage straight away .in a deficit feed a bit back to them . With your own baler you could drop bits out now and bale and back into rotation, which will give you quality grazing to produce cheap milk with a little cake in to top up
Leave the chopper of everything and just make rocket fuel long fibre silage , perfect for young stock and milkers

 

[Helpinghand]

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

just an observation, if your Milk urea was low, why not feed something like brewers grains while they are available in summer and save yourself a good amount of money than make an already expensive cake even more expensive ?

 

[Jdunn55]

just an observation, if your Milk urea was low, why not feed something like brewers grains while they are available in summer and save yourself a good amount of money than make an already expensive cake even more expensive ?

I've never had anything to do with them tbh, what price are they and what me, protein etc?

 

[Helpinghand]

I've never had anything to do with them tbh, what price are they and what me, protein etc?

So this is where you need to make your own mind up and not listen to the masses. So brewers grains at the moment id say average approx £47/tn. the Mash Filtered Brewers are 25%DM, 11.8 ME, 25% CP, 9% oil, 57% NDF.

many on here will say they are way too expensive for brewers grains because they are only a forage replacer. however it is also the cheapest high quality protein you can get on the market at £188 per ton of DM, if you treat is as a compound replacer it will save you a considerable amount on you feed costs along with improving animal health and increasing intakes. 4-5kg per head is the about right to maximise intakes and make the most of the products benefits. Coming from the brewing industry there's a lot yeast.

 

[Sid]

So this is where you need to make your own mind up and not listen to the masses. So brewers grains at the moment id say average approx £47/tn. the Mash Filtered Brewers are 25%DM, 11.8 ME, 25% CP, 9% oil, 57% NDF.

many on here will say they are way too expensive for brewers grains because they are only a forage replacer. however it is also the cheapest high quality protein you can get on the market at £188 per ton of DM, if you treat is as a compound replacer it will save you a considerable amount on you feed costs along with improving animal health and increasing intakes. 4-5kg per head is the about right to maximise intakes and make the most of the products benefits. Coming from the brewing industry there's a lot yeast.

Is that price per ton realistic into Cornwall?

 

[vantage]

Is that price per ton realistic into Cornwall?

£47/t , ex brewery?!
Living near many chimney pots can have some advantages, quite different on the Western extremities of the UK.

 

[Helpinghand]

£47/t , ex brewery?!
Living near many chimney pots can have some advantages, quite different on the Western extremities of the UK.

i dont see why not, you pembs boys arent that far from Magor, even though forfarmers may be in 50's their mash pro 30 are closer to 30%dm and 30% protein, ive tested plenty of samples from other farmers. So a mash pro 30 at £54/tn is same value for money as standard mash filter grains at £47/tn delivered.
i know farmers in somerset who contracted grains coming from northampton at £47/tn.

 

[Helpinghand]

Is that price per ton realistic into Cornwall?

there are Brewers grains being sold out of St Austell, or Magor would be a possibility but i understand Forfarmers dont like taking too many grains over the bridge. the other option near you is northampton, there would most likely be a 5 in front of the price.
lets say your brewers are £55/tn delivered, that still £220/tn of dry matter tell me this winter you will find any feed that cheap. replace a 1kg of cake or blend with 4kg of brewers grains and see if it saves you money on the ration, what i guarantee will happen is your cows will thank you for it.

on that distance i would imagine maintaining supply in winter will be an issue, however with some farmers we find room for 2-3 loads to put away for the winter so when things do go wrong on the fresh loads they can dig into the pitted brewers, and thats how you guarantee yourself all year round brewers grains. Before anyone who reads this says they dont have the room.... there is always room if you are committed.