Hybrid grass and red clover silage

[Carlowmann]

As title has anyone grown hybrid or Italian rye grass with 25% red clover for silage for autumn calving cows
Were you happy with silage quality and yield
Did the red clover cut costs on ton of silage produced and protein in dairy ration
If you have done it will you continue with it or not
Thinking of putting in some for a 3 or 4 year crop

 

[Horn&corn]

25% by weight or plant population. We’ve done 2kg in 12kg mix and clover can get pretty strong for later cuts. Makes ensiling challenging but good protein levels. Will struggle to get lots of milk from late cuts.
we don’t fertilise but use lots of umbilical muck

 

[Kevtherev]

@Sid

 

[Sid]

As title has anyone grown hybrid or Italian rye grass with 25% red clover for silage for autumn calving cows
Were you happy with silage quality and yield
Did the red clover cut costs on ton of silage produced and protein in dairy ration
If you have done it will you continue with it or not
Thinking of putting in some for a 3 or 4 year crop

We dropped whole crop for a medium term festeoliums and red clover leys.

Really happy with persistent and performance of it especially in the dry last year.

Just grazing some off with incalf heifers now after 3 cuts.

Only use slurry and composted FYM as nutrients source

 

[Carlowmann]

Seen 2 mixes advertised
Mix A
9 kg Aston crusader
4 kg red clover
1 kg white clover

Mix B
Lofa
Persues
Tetragraze
Red clover blend
Total 14 kgs

Is 4 to 5 kg of clover too much ?

 

[Sid]

Seen 2 mixes advertised
Mix A
9 kg Aston crusader
4 kg red clover
1 kg white clover

Mix B
Lofa
Persues
Tetragraze
Red clover blend
Total 14 kgs

Is 4 to 5 kg of clover too much ?

Plenty

 

[Horn&corn]

Too much for our ground if you want milk. Excellent first wheat after though.

 

[bigw]

We dropped whole crop for a medium term festeoliums and red clover leys.

Really happy with persistent and performance of it especially in the dry last year.

Just grazing some off with incalf heifers now after 3 cuts.

Only use slurry and composted FYM as nutrients source

Do you bake it or clamp it @Sid we grew it years ago but always found the silage was difficult to get right for baling and bales never wanted to hold their shape.

 

[Sid]

Do you bake it or clamp it @Sid we grew it years ago but always found the silage was difficult to get right for baling and bales never wanted to hold their shape.

Both, some fields we bale all cuts some we bale 2,3 and 4th cut.

Straight mower,always tedder Straight away.


Silage is 38%DM

 

[Carlowmann]

Both, some fields we bale all cuts some we bale 2,3 and 4th cut.

Straight mower,always tedder Straight away.


Silage is 38%DM View attachment 1087552

Did you put any white clover in the mix
Some mixes include a half to 1 kg and the advertising bumf with it says it's for filling in the gaps where red clover gets trampled out
Is it necessary or just sales putting a spin on their mix to be different and claim theirs is better

 

[Great In Grass]

Did you put any white clover in the mix
Some mixes include a half to 1 kg and the advertising bumf with it says it's for filling in the gaps where red clover gets trampled out
Is it necessary or just sales putting a spin on their mix to be different and claim theirs is bette

You don't need to put any White Clover in the mix, 3kgs of Red per acre is just fine.

 

[Sid]

Did you put any white clover in the mix
Some mixes include a half to 1 kg and the advertising bumf with it says it's for filling in the gaps where red clover gets trampled out
Is it necessary or just sales putting a spin on their mix to be different and claim theirs is better

White just seems to come here.
As the red has slowly disappeared, the white has taken over, can get red to last 4 to 5 years

 

[organicguy]

Bear in mind that we are organic and have grown red mixes for 20 years, but have gone away from any grass other than the best perennial ryegrass because after 1st cut the more productive grasses, especially Italian, just run to head as we do not appear to have enough fertility to produce a mass of leaf.
The key to silage, ether clamp or particularly bales is high DM.
Ideally for bales needs to be 50% but needs very carefully handled not to loose the leaf. Also needs an additive.
Brilliant productive stuff if done well, sh!t if handled badly!

 

[organicguy]

White just seems to come here.
As the red has slowly disappeared, the white has taken over, can get red to last 4 to 5 years

We always add 0.5kg white to fill in as the Red thins out and can then leave down longer.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Red clover is awesome stuff. This was sown at 4kg/ha last year and I'd call it plenty.

 

[M-J-G]

Bear in mind that we are organic and have grown red mixes for 20 years, but have gone away from any grass other than the best perennial ryegrass because after 1st cut the more productive grasses, especially Italian, just run to head as we do not appear to have enough fertility to produce a mass of leaf.
The key to silage, ether clamp or particularly bales is high DM.
Ideally for bales needs to be 50% but needs very carefully handled not to loose the leaf. Also needs an additive.
Brilliant productive stuff if done well, sh!t if handled badly!

Why does it need an additive, does it struggle to have enough sugar?

 

[davidroberts30]

Why does it need an additive, does it struggle to have enough sugar?

Clover is naturally low in sugar, high in protien

 

[organicguy]

Why does it need an additive, does it struggle to have enough sugar?

Yes, improved by perennial ryegrass, wilting. It also buffers the acid production so difficult to ensile but fine if you follow the rules.

 

[M-J-G]

Clover is naturally low in sugar, high in protien

Yes, improved by perennial ryegrass, wilting. It also buffers the acid production so difficult to ensile but fine if you follow the rules.

We decided to sow a field of it last Autumn, sown with tetraploids and hybrids to balance the sugar content.
We'll wilt as long as possible as it's going into bales, do you think that will be enough to avoid needing additive?

 

[O'Reilly]

Yes we've baled loads of it in the past, no additive, all fine