Hitting the grass 23

[Milkcow365]

Stretching the new tractors legs!

 

[Llmmm]

Sheep off 30th Jan

Was that really eaten i have no doubt u had sheep on it till then but for sheep to do there job they need to graze to the clay

 

[Milkcow365]

Was that really eaten i have no doubt i had sheep on it till then but for sheep to do there job they need to graze to the clay

Was as bare as the desert when they left, magical part of sw Scotland here

 

[Llmmm]

Was as bare as the desert when they left, magical part of sw Scotland here

Im really impressed wish my grass grew like that

 

[yellowRock]

Was as bare as the desert when they left, magical part of sw Scotland here

When did you get slurry/fert on?

 

[Jdunn55]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

 

[Martyn]

Why is everyone cutting so early this year, loads of grass down around here, but can't of had much/any sun on! I always thought first week in May it kicks off but seams to be mid April around here I'm still waiting for my slurry to wash in/away, probably be 3rd week of may at the earliest

 

[Ben B]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

We'd aim for 60% dm so 40 % m. You blokes would call that haylage. Seems to be what the Americans aim for too.

 

[Beef farmer]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

The moment you cut grass it I'm effect starts to rot/deteriorate
We aim for 24 hours from mow to clamp, with an additive
Tedder wants to be as close to the mower as possible.
After 2 hours the cell walls close up and drying times increase.
Had an intresting few days with a silage specialist on a discussion group trip a few years ago

 

[DairyNerd]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

The quicker you pick it up the better, once it has reached your target DM. If you are really keen and have a rayburn or microwave put a kg of grass in and dry it out and work out the DM. I think I read once that grass tedded out can increase 1% DM an hour on a hot day but even in April/May i would say Monday-Thurs is a long time.

 

[Jdunn55]

Why is everyone cutting so early this year, loads of grass down around here, but can't of had much/any sun on! I always thought first week in May it kicks off but seams to be mid April around here I'm still waiting for my slurry to wash in/away, probably be 3rd week of may at the earliest

I've always (a whole 2 years in a row) gone early to aim for rocket fuel
I want 5 cuts off my silage block and then there's 20 acres of cow grazing that needs bringing back into rotation.

 

[Jdunn55]

The moment you cut grass it I'm effect starts to rot/deteriorate
We aim for 24 hours from mow to clamp, with an additive
Tedder wants to be as close to the mower as possible.
After 2 hours the cell walls close up and drying times increase.
Had an intresting few days with a silage specialist on a discussion group trip a few years ago

The quicker you pick it up the better, once it has reached your target DM. If you are really keen and have a rayburn or microwave put a kg of grass in and dry it out and work out the DM. I think I read once that grass tedded out can increase 1% DM an hour on a hot day but even in April/May i would say Monday-Thurs is a long time.

Damn, back to the drawing board then. I like it a little bit drier than most 40% is about right for me.

My main problem is there's only one of me, I've got a friend who can help me on Monday (off work as it's a Bank holiday) so was going to get him to tedd behind me whilst I mow
But Contractors can't get here until the end of the week to pick it up

 

[Samcowman]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

We cut late last Wednesday and picked up late Friday so about 48hrs with a ted on Thursday which was a really good drying day as well. Baler said 45%moisture. This was in first year Italians.

 

[DairyNerd]

Damn, back to the drawing board then. I like it a little bit drier than most 40% is about right for me.

My main problem is there's only one of me, I've got a friend who can help me on Monday (off work as it's a Bank holiday) so was going to get him to tedd behind me whilst I mow
But Contractors can't get here until the end of the week to pick it up

Yeh same here and you have more cows than me. In ideal world mow and tedd behind Weds for pickup Thurs but its not an ideal world so if not just do what you can and get on with life.

Edit: I wouldn't bother tedding it out if its going to be down 48 hours though.

Getting it off is important too if it is ready, ME will decrease with grass quality obviously and you want quality regrowth rather than further growth on 4500 covers, so no point not doing it then having to wait three weeks to get contractor again.

 

[Sylution]

Looking to do my first cut next week, will be cut with a straight mower, then tedded within a couple of hours of mowing.
I’ll tedd it every day until the day before it’s picked up when I’ll rake it together in the afternoon

how long would you leave it on the floor for? If I cut Monday would it be ok to pick-up Thursday? Or is that too long?
Trying to get it perfect
Thanks

One thing I would add is don't stress too much about it. Often feel that silage time becomes very stressful as we try and get everything perfect, like weather, grass quality and quantity sugars, timing of mowing and sheeting. So just concentrate most effort on what is most important to you. For me sheeting straight away without wind is what I mostly look for at the end of silaging.

Don't know about others but I am never quite as happy with young cut grass silage done in good weather as I think I would be, yes cows milk well, but often hard on them condition and cleanliness wise. And then I am never as disappointed as I think I will be with silage done when the grass has gone a bit more mature! Make of that what you want, but just my findings.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

I've always (a whole 2 years in a row) gone early to aim for rocket fuel
I want 5 cuts off my silage block and then there's 20 acres of cow grazing that needs bringing back into rotation.

5 cuts is keen. I don’t think I cut the lawn that many times last year

 

[Headless chicken]

As beef farmer says above 24 hours down is where you should be. Id take wetter silage over more days down to a point.

40%dm will end up with a lot of losses and requires some really good feed face management 32/33% id say is normally dry enough.

You only get one shot at first cut so don’t go rushing it ( I have done the same I should add) then you’re chasing your tail all summer.

 

[crashbox]

Thoughts on taking an earlier, lighter first cut, to chase protein, and improve chances of better 2nd cut before it dries up?

Thinking it will be more expensive per tonne on contractor fees but better quality grub and hopefully reduce bought in protein requirements...

 

[Jdunn55]

5 cuts is keen. I don’t think I cut the lawn that many times last year

No need to mow the lawn with the amount of times my cows end up in the garden

 

[Jdunn55]

New plan,
Cut 20 acres around yard Wednesday (I can turn that on my own)
Rake 20 acres Thursday morning so chopper has something to start with
Cut 50 acres here Thursday afternoon, got another friend who can sit on the Tedder for me
Rake 50 acres Saturday morning (wagon is booked)
Cut 50 acres at dad's Saturday afternoon to pick up Sunday afternoon

Gonna be busy but should be doable
Then get maize in the ground next week