Forage ...how short.?

[Clever Dic]

This weather continues with no real end in sight. My first cut was on budget in tons but 2nd cut is dire..
Great quality made but what is the the situation out there for those that grow forage to feed their own stock.?
Is it tight ? Worrying? or now getting critical.?

 

[Stewartry hill]

Got about 75% of what we should have at this time of year another cut to come by no feet on and not likely to be this week so short getting critical stock reduction before winter

 

[had e nuff]

This weather continues with no real end in sight. My first cut was on budget in tons but 2nd cut is dire..
Great quality made but what is the the situation out there for those that grow forage to feed their own stock.?
Is it tight ? Worrying? or now getting critical.?

Got more 1st cut than last year and good quality. Still need some 2 nd cut to see us through winter. We will get it eventually just might be a bit late. Luckily had about 200 bales of silage left from last year that we are feeding now.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

First cut was a good crop, second cut is non existent, thankfully we also had a good carry over

 

[Kidds]

Have heard of folk that have already used up their 1st cut.

 

[Al R]

Have heard of folk that have already used up their 1st cut.

Hearing the same around here with big herds.
No one has carry over, those who turn stock out had them in 6 weeks earlier than normal and turned out 6 weeks later than normal.

We fed over double what we normally feed to the sheep and over double the amount of energy buckets.

 

[Gedd]

I've got plenty I think depends when autumn/winter turns up but winter feed in general is in short supply up here in north east as long winter/spring used all stock's up now people stati

 

[spin cycle]

just pondering what to do myself....got enough hay in but no regrowth.....should be ok oct onwards when fodder beet kick in....but thats someway off......thinking perhaps close lambs up and feed conc to finish now 22p/day/hd or malt nuts 8p/day to store

 

[Bury the Trash]

just pondering what to do myself....got enough hay in but no regrowth.....should be ok oct onwards when fodder beet kick in....but thats someway off......thinking perhaps close lambs up and feed conc to finish now 22p/day/hd or malt nuts 8p/day to store

No brainer? finish now while the price is still up.....if they are doing keep them doing......











'course........i might be wrong ...

 

[spin cycle]

No brainer? finish now while the price is still up.....if they are doing keep them doing......
'course........i might be wrong ...

drought could mean price stays good for finished lambs OR a glut of unfinished lambs could result in price crash

 

[Bury the Trash]

drought could mean price stays good for finished lambs OR a glut of unfinished lambs could result in price crash

Ive always found sheep to do better in the dry than the wet. even on little keep.

 

[DeeGee]

Ive always found sheep to do better in the dry than the wet. even on little keep.

Historically according to many senior farmers, sadly too many now passed on, fatstock such as cattle and lambs have always done well in dry weather on seemingly little grass.

Dairy cows will obviously be different, and there is of course a limit as to how well fatstock will do on next to nothing, but apparently dry weather has generally always been better than wet for livestock condition.

 

[spin cycle]

another ponder is are stock farmers better or worse off than arable in this situation?....we have the stock but have to supplemetary feed but arable get one shot with yields/quality

 

[Farmer_Joe]

My grass growth is shite, just cut some as its literally wilting stood in the filed (dying off as its so dry) abysmal crop hope it rains lots soon and stays warm for a second crop (never really need one) its tough for people who normally need 2/3 cuts even if it does come good. As above lambs look cracking to say how shite the grass for them is they do seem to do well considering so far

 

[andybk]

just getting to the point of putting rams in with older early ped stock , think i will hang fire on a proportion of normal jan lambers ,maybe move them out to late march along with replacement shearlings , could be expensive winter looking at straw situation , grain could be dear as well if drought continues, we have enough feed and plenty of keep lined up , but dont really need another prolonged cold spell like this year with lambs on the ground and reduced feed stocks if some fed now

 

[Old Tip]

About half of the first crop we usually get and second crop is brown as a dessert, no sign for f rain for at least a month they reckon and we live in the wettest place in England

 

[Henarar]

we have enough feed for the winter and a long one at that but we don't have enough to feed from now on that's for sure,
we don't make that much second cut any year about 20% of total but if this carries on that will come to nothing as its on dry ground
it all depends how long it goes on, another two or three weeks and then good rain and the grass grows we will be fine if it keeps on into august it could be a different story

 

[Greythundercloudys]

When it finally breaks, and it will, there will be plenty of grass this backend, a bit of rain and all thay heat in the ground, fingers crossed.

 

[Boohoo]

Forage supplies aren't critical here yet but they are worrying. 1st cut yields were lower than usual and a lot was lower quality than usual too. Grass isn't growing and most dairy herds are being fed silage. Straw will be in short supply due to a reduced area of winter barley and spring barley being very short. There's plenty of hay about as people who wouldn't usually make any themselves have taken advantage of light crops and good weather. Those who make hay to sell would've been better making silage this year.

 

[sticky]

I have double what I need, no complaints, but that is due to being well under stocked from killing a lot of ewe lambs in April. I bought some cattle to graze and these are going on well, having said that the grass is not coming back at all and so I will probably put a rack out in a couple of weeks. My kale has failed so l will wait and put stubble turnips in and see then how the store lamb trade is.