Grass silage thoughts

[Headless chicken]

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.

This is very true. It’s no point looking over hedges seeing what a neighbour is doing. We’ve adapted a system that works for us and that is cutting somewhere around the end of April/early may. A neighbour keeps saying to the contractors he’d like to cut same time as me yet isn’t able to get onto his fields until 1st April.

It will be very interesting to see your findings if you do cut later

 

[meekers]

I am on multi cut but am thinking the exact same- I will probably do a cut less this year. The problem I have with multi cut is managing the clamp. I think it works if you can get over 30% dm each cut cut in Scotland we can’t. That’s the difference with Holland and other countries mentioned. They grow a different type of grass and they have the weather to get it dry every cut. I think I’ve read too many articles by experts and now I’ve ended up making silage all bloody summer for not any saving per litre of milk.

 

[Beef farmer]

Contractors have done well on it tho.

 

[The Agrarian]

What's your problem in managing the clamp with young grass? I find it packs better than grass with stem in it, therefore less ingress of air generally. There's no spring back in pure leaf once you drive over it.

 

[Homesy]

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.

Bang on unless it's forecast a months rain. I remember when we used to do silaging with a neighbour, we did our first cut then went straight to do our neighbours. The day after we finished a his place I started mowing our second cut.

 

[meekers]

What's your problem in managing the clamp with young grass? I find it packs better than grass with stem in it, therefore less ingress of air generally. There's no spring back in pure leaf once you drive over it.

Problems with clamps slipping during the winter. It is a massive problem in SW Scotland for those on multi cut systems. Maybe we are putting too much in the clamps!

 

[dinderleat]

I cut 8th of may last year best silage we’ve ever made (12me) normally around end of may. We plan to cut if the weather is right and the grass is fit end of April beginning of may. Better forage has made a great difference on output this winter. At the end of the day forage is the largest part of the diet so why not make the best you can.

 

[The Agrarian]

Problems with clamps slipping during the winter. It is a massive problem in SW Scotland for those on multi cut systems. Maybe we are putting too much in the clamps!

I work in the same climate as you, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I can tell you quite categorically that the problem isn't the young grass - it's the self propelled milling the sh1t out of it. The last two times a clamp moved on me was when my own machinery broke down, weather was poor and I got a local SPH to lift the last of it. Since changing to wagon eight years ago, it hasn't happened once, four cuts a year, every year.

 

[BDBed]

Having set up a service last year to provide customers with the ability to cut and clamp grass when it is ready, we have had some really positive feed back on how cows have milked this timeand everyone reporting an increase in milk. One thing I have stressed is for the customer and myself to walk the grass and decide what stage is best for them and when that is as that varies so much. For young leafy grass chop needs to be longer to slow it down. If extra fibre is needed then that is surely cheaper than buying the energy and protein.

 

[vantage]

Frankly I read very little farming press these days.

A mate of mine slings it straight into the recycling unopened!

 

[Homesy]

I work in the same climate as you, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I can tell you quite categorically that the problem isn't the young grass - it's the self propelled milling the sh1t out of it. The last two times a clamp moved on me was when my own machinery broke down, weather was poor and I got a local SPH to lift the last of it. Since changing to wagon eight years ago, it hasn't happened once, four cuts a year, every year.

Having set up a service last year to provide customers with the ability to cut and clamp grass when it is ready, we have had some really positive feed back on how cows have milked this timeand everyone reporting an increase in milk. One thing I have stressed is for the customer and myself to walk the grass and decide what stage is best for them and when that is as that varies so much. For young leafy grass chop needs to be longer to slow it down. If extra fibre is needed then that is surely cheaper than buying the energy and protein.

You are both probably correct, but my neighbour does my silage with his self propelled. I ring him in the morning the grass is cut in the afternoon. The last time I had a contractor with a wagon do it he was a week behind and then he did in the middle of the night in the pissing rain. Contractors just take on too much acreage. I'm too old for the stress.

 

[The Agrarian]

I understand. If SPH is your only option, then wet and soft are not good combinations with that. If you can't change the harvester, I can see why you'd consider changing the grass. The only thing I'd say about that is that, although it's been a fairly long time since I fed wet AND stemmy grass, because I hit the weather badly, I'll never forget what it was like to feed. Truly, unbelievably awful. I recall getting negative milk from forage, the intake properties were so bad. I'd do anything not to experience that again.

 

[BDBed]

You are both probably correct, but my neighbour does my silage with his self propelled. I ring him in the morning the grass is cut in the afternoon. The last time I had a contractor with a wagon do it he was a week behind and then he did in the middle of the night in the pissing rain. Contractors just take on too much acreage. I'm too old for the stress.

One of my main aims was to make sure we don't take on too much. I may charge a higher rate but with silage service is king. It amazes me how most contractors don't realise how they can make or break their customers Year.

 

[it's not over]

A neighbour of mine told me years ago," you boys are all the same,all you talk about before Christmas is quality and after Christmas its quanity" he was a 1970s style farmer,two cuts with British friesians

 

[Beef farmer]

A neighbour of mine told me years ago," you boys are all the same,all you talk about before Christmas is quality and after Christmas it quanity" he was a 1970s style farmer,two cuts with British friesians

2018/9 i was bulk all the way

 

[vantage]

A neighbour of mine told me years ago," you boys are all the same,all you talk about before Christmas is quality and after Christmas it quanity" he was a 1970s style farmer,two cuts with British friesians

Lasts years drought wasn't the problem for forage production here ,it was the abysmal spring,cold,cold,cold and wet. 1st cut was down by 40-50% here. Later were all within expectation.

 

[Sylution]

I think also that the lays and type of grass has a bearing on the system. All my lays are mid to late heading prg, and will grow thick and not to tall. Cutting early gives good quality but lot less bulk. And the 2nd romps away and can turn from quality leaf to all headed stem in a week in early June, if I happen to be ready to harvest in a wet spell. Where as before I had more leeway to harvest 2nd cut at around 5/6 weeks after 1st.
As I have said before, the patience to wait a week if the weather is good will be hard. And I might well cut younger next year again. I just want to say that multicut silage has not improved my milk from forage in a way that I thought it would.

 

[ploughman1963]

Problems with clamps slipping during the winter. It is a massive problem in SW Scotland for those on multi cut systems. Maybe we are putting too much in the clamps!

Or maybe you are using the wrong harvesting equipment? We use wagons, cut every 28/30 days, can snatch 120 ac in a day in between the showers - have cut in the rain and picked up next day in glorious sunshine on the one dry day. Light crops wilt faster, dry out quicker and get lifted quicker- and grow back quicker. You’d be doing something wrong if a clamp of wagon silage slipped. Sorry, general comments not directed at you

 

[Grassman247]

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

No graze right through December and then close up, although geese have been having a fair go at it this spring, can’t believe how much grass a few geese can eat

 

[The Agrarian]

I think also that the lays and type of grass has a bearing on the system. All my lays are mid to late heading prg, and will grow thick and not to tall. Cutting early gives good quality but lot less bulk. And the 2nd romps away and can turn from quality leaf to all headed stem in a week in early June, if I happen to be ready to harvest in a wet spell. Where as before I had more leeway to harvest 2nd cut at around 5/6 weeks after 1st.
As I have said before, the patience to wait a week if the weather is good will be hard. And I might well cut younger next year again. I just want to say that multicut silage has not improved my milk from forage in a way that I thought it would.

You do raise an important point regarding 1st cut timing. It's quite possible, with our short and thick type of diploid leys, to cut first too soon, before the heads are moving up the stem. If you are too early, those heads will come up very quickly with the regrowth, and limit the potential of the second cut. Best if at all possible to split open stems before cutting to see where the heads are, and that you are going to get them.

As for bulk, growing stem simply dilutes the digestible material in the sward. You wouldn't dream of trying to graze milkers on a three cut silage sward - so why offer it to them in fermented form?