Fodder beat clamp.

[MrFencer]

Grown 6 acres of fodder beet for the first time.
Looks a decent crop but need to make a clamp out of bales, which I need to buy in.
How suppose how long is a peice of string comes to mind but, would any body have a rough idea of how many bales I would need to make the clamp.

 

[davidroberts30]

A rough idea
I get about 150/160ton in a bunker 75ft long 15ft wide and stacked about 9 ft deep
Be honest I wouldnt want all your 180/200 ton lifted in 1 go unless you can use it In 3-4months

 

[MrFencer]

OK thanks.
How long will it keep in the ground if I only lift half now?

 

[davidroberts30]

OK thanks.
How long will it keep in the ground if I only lift half now?

March /april easy

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

March /april easy

As long as there are no mega frosts.

 

[neilo]

OK thanks.
How long will it keep in the ground if I only lift half now?

What variety is it? I never even think about lifting before February, when I know what's surplus from grazing. I have lost some Brigadier (& certainly the leaves) when we've had some prolonged -10 frosts, whereas the Geronimo over the hedge has coped fine, and carries on growing during the warmer parts of winter.
Putting more, and later, N on now to grow more tops, partly to frost proof it a bit more.

It won't start to bolt here until April/May, so I wouldn't be in any hurry to lift if you're not using it yet.... unless you're in a cold area and it's a low DM variety.

 

[Al R]

Grown 6 acres of fodder beet for the first time.
Looks a decent crop but need to make a clamp out of bales, which I need to buy in.
How suppose how long is a peice of string comes to mind but, would any body have a rough idea of how many bales I would need to make the clamp.

Same bushel weight as barley so around 640kg/cuM

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

What variety is it? I never even think about lifting before February, when I know what's surplus from grazing. I have lost some Brigadier (& certainly the leaves) when we've had some prolonged -10 frosts, whereas the Geronimo over the hedge has coped fine, and carries on growing during the warmer parts of winter.
Putting more, and later, N on now to grow more tops, partly to frost proof it a bit more.

It won't start to bolt here until April/May, so I wouldn't be in any hurry to lift if you're not using it yet.... unless you're in a cold area and it's a low DM variety.

How much later are you putting the Nitrogen on ?

 

[neilo]

How much later are you putting the Nitrogen on ?

Jim Gibb is talking about 250-300kg N/ha in NZ now, in four splits, with the last being in the equivalent of our October. I've not been brave enough, or rich enough, to go that far.... yet, and not sure what the new Welsh NVZ rules would have to say about it.

I have put the 'equivalent' of 200 kg/ha of N on this year, with the last dose being Amine Nitrogen (with some humic) through a sprayer in mid-September, with a second fungicide. There was certainly a crop response to it at that stage, and it took off again. Not sure how I'm going to get the electric fence through it for the sheep yet though....