Grass silage thoughts

[pappuller]

For grass?
Been using one from @Great In Grass for the last couple of years. Been very pleased with it.
Prior to that I was using Micronbio's offering.

Good job you prompted me [emoji106] must check on stocks

 

[ollie989898]

Keep cutting your first cut early. Let the later cuts bulk for longer?

Wholecrop would be ideal in your situation, too. Use it to clean the ground up so always pick the worst performing grass as the candidate for wholecrop if possible.

 

[Sylution]

I can see the logic. However I used to do a field of undersown spring wheat wholecrop every year. And with no feeder wagon it was a hard to get the cows to eat. And made my simple system more complicated.
I just feel there is more milk in 1st cut than any other cut. Eaven if the grass is left to bulk up until just pre heading date. Trouble I have with a multicut type silage here is that I have more cuts of varied quality to make up for the shortfall in 1st cut bulk. The actual 1st silage made on 6th of May last year is rocket fuel and gives loads of milk, but there is not enough quantity to last me the winter. And I end up feeding more of cut 2,3and4 to dairy cows. Which are good silages and made with young grass, but never replicate a 1st cut. This is just my 3 years experiance.

 

[Homesy]

My feelings are the same as yours Sylution. I don't grow wholecrop. My first cut is supposedly 11.9 ME but is feeding worse than last years 10.9. Lack of fibre, just going straight through them. Tried all sorts of blends to no avail. Weather and contractor permitting I will leave grass to mature a bit more this year.

 

[multi power]

Whole crop or mixer wagon are not needed
Good grass silage and access to some hay, only need a ring feeder or similar

 

[Grassman247]

Your on the right track. I only do 2 cuts, third cut is grazed by cows and heifers, first cut is done 19th of May, no additive used on any grass silage. System is very profitable. Would I be better doing more cuts, definitely not. We aren’t in America or Holland, we don’t have the weather or the grass varieties for multi cut.

 

[Beef farmer]

Your on the right track. I only do 2 cuts, third cut is grazed by cows and heifers, first cut is done 19th of May, no additive used on any grass silage. System is very profitable. Would I be better doing more cuts, definitely not. We aren’t in America or Holland, we don’t have the weather or the grass varieties for multi cut.

Youd graze all of your silage ground now in march?

 

[betweenthelines]

Can you group the cows so that the rocket fuel first cut is only feed to the fresh calvers?

 

[Grassman247]

Youd graze all of your silage ground now in march?

Why would I graze my silage ground now? I make first and second cut and then graze third cut

 

[Beef farmer]

Why would I graze my silage ground now? I make first and second cut and then graze third cut

So shut up in november till may? Just intrested. A lot of spring chaps here graze it in march then take 1st cut similar time to you

 

[ollie989898]

Your on the right track. I only do 2 cuts, third cut is grazed by cows and heifers, first cut is done 19th of May, no additive used on any grass silage. System is very profitable. Would I be better doing more cuts, definitely not. We aren’t in America or Holland, we don’t have the weather or the grass varieties for multi cut.

The UK can grow grass better than America or Holland on average judging by what I have seen!

The average European would get very excited if they could grow crops of grass silage as heavy as ours!!

 

[Beef farmer]

The thought of making rocket fuel then needing to add straw or hay to hold it up is madness. Just let it go 7 days.

 

[multi power]

The thought of making rocket fuel then needing to add straw or hay to hold it up is madness. Just let it go 7 days.

Totally different allowing access to hay compared to cutting a week later

 

[Spear]

Always find 2nd cut better for milk than first. Hard to get good weather for 1st cut

 

[gone up the hill]

Beef farmer isnt cutting his first cut already is he??

 

[The Agrarian]

It's all very well leaving it another 7 days. But I find you have to aim for a date, and be prepared to go a little bit before it if the window is there. It's better that than missing it and waiting two or three weeks for the next window.

Sylution, I'm not clear why you think your other cuts after first will not be made in as good condition. Bad weather can befall any cut, including first. Some years I have made better second cut than first. This year my fourth is better than third.

I also feed blocks at the feed rail, and no whoecrop this winter. Yes, the dung is pretty black, but it's not much of a problem. Rather that than stiff dung that sticks to the slats in dry weather.. Mind you, I'm not standing underneath them in a parlour. Try a drop of chopped straw or hay at one end of your feed passage. They won't eat much, but they'll pick at it.

 

[Sylution]

I agree. I just feel that I have pushed my cutting date for 1st cut too early now. And I feel 2nd half of May would suit here. Going back to how it was. I was not really having a go at early silage or multicut. Just thought i would explain my findings of dabling in a sort of multicut system. There is so much press and hype about multicut and cut early that you can think going back to a more traditional system is a backward step.
Finding out what works on your own farm is key.

 

[Beef farmer]

I agree. I just feel that I have pushed my cutting date for 1st cut too early now. And I feel 2nd half of May would suit here. Going back to how it was. I was not really having a go at early silage or multicut. Just thought i would explain my findings of dabling in a sort of multicut system. There is so much press and hype about multicut and cut early that you can think going back to a more traditional system is a backward step.
Finding out what works on your own farm is key.

Most press articles are sponsored by machinery firms, or chem/fert companys........

 

[The Agrarian]

Frankly I read very little farming press these days.

 

[Blue.]

Your on the right track. I only do 2 cuts, third cut is grazed by cows and heifers, first cut is done 19th of May, no additive used on any grass silage. System is very profitable. Would I be better doing more cuts, definitely not. We aren’t in America or Holland, we don’t have the weather or the grass varieties for multi cut.

1st and 2nd go to the milkers 3rd to the youngstock here,never used an additive,no need.

Graze off till April with lambs,so all fresh grown.