How long to wilt first cut this year?

[crashbox]

Interesting to hear your thoughts!
We have some sappy first cut, will be tedding behind mower.

 

[Beef farmer]

24 hours

 

[upnortheast]

Mate of Grandson was pontificating, silage should be picked up straight behind the mower to minimise losses.

Told him, there speaks a man who has never woken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat having had a nightmare, the silage effluent was running in to the river.

So my rule is however long it takes to get to 28% when there will be minimal juice.
Unless you have 100% confidence in your ability to contain any effluent

 

[frederick]

So if mowing today probably 24-36. But if I was in a qué and it secured the forager then only 8.

 

[farmboy]

Ideal world I’d aim for 36hrs but did ours last week with 24hrs as was all weather window would allow to get it picked up before rain

 

[Farmer_1994]

Ideally no more than 24hrs. Spread wide as possible or Tedder right after mowing. Leave spread out till just before it’s picked up. Do not leave rowed up over night as you lose a lot of quality due to heating. All easier said than done if you don’t have the equipment.

 

[George Mitchell]

No more than 24, too much protein degradation after that. Then again I autoswathe rows side by side so there'll probably be howls of derision from plenty of others. Hate tedders, hate rakes, and I do all the mowing and forager work so suits me

 

[Headless chicken]

Stoma in the leaf closes after 2 hours of being cut I believe so most of the wilt woulx
Be done then

 

[Will Blackburn]

8 hours

 

[Boysground]

We cut everything yesterday and will pickup tomorrow. Just enjoying the sun actually being out and so far no rain on it.

bg

 

[andrew830]

36 hours this year as we had an environment agency audit and I didn't want any effluent

 

[sjt01]

We cut everything yesterday and will pickup tomorrow. Just enjoying the sun actually being out and so far no rain on it.

bg

We are just seeing a promise of sun at 10.15, not seen any since before cutting yesterday. There is a bit of wilt, so it should be OK tomorrow to clamp.

 

[Ducati899]

Will cut tomorrow afternoon and pick up sat lunchtime ish

 

[Bald Rick]

Ted twice here. Once immediately behind the mower and then again next morning.

Even this year our first clamp of 130 acres of 1st cut has come back at 31% DM & 12.3ME/16.5% protein.

Busy picking a bit more 1st cut as I type and will be doing so again on Friday

 

[M-J-G]

Mate of Grandson was pontificating, silage should be picked up straight behind the mower to minimise losses.

Told him, there speaks a man who has never woken in the middle of the night in a cold sweat having had a nightmare, the silage effluent was running in to the river.

So my rule is however long it takes to get to 28% when there will be minimal juice.
Unless you have 100% confidence in your ability to contain any effluent

Give that lad a double chop on a wet year and see how he feels by the end of the following winter.

 

[Sylution]

Cut last night and today, clamp tomorrow and Saturday. Usually leave 1st cut 24 -36 hours. 2nd cut is clamped sooner. Like many have said it is nice not to have running effluent from the clamp, and drier silage has less acidity for the cows. However every year is different and weather is the biggest factor.

 

[More to life]

More to do with letting the ground pitch off than the grass this year imo. 36-48 hours

 

[upnortheast]

Cutting today, spread out in the morning. decide when to chopping after that.
As @More to life says above letting the air at the ground will improve travelling conditions quickly

Cows are milking really well this week, Years of experience suggests they will milk well on this silage.
Though i`ve been wrong before

 

[sjt01]

Cut Tuesday, virtually no dry, overcast and foggy for 24 hours followed by rapid wilt!

 

[Wilmer]

As long as it takes to pick it up, mowed Monday Tuesday, picked up Wednesday, Thursday, Friday! It’s easy when all you’ve got to do is pick up the phone