Maize 2019

[Bald Rick]

Make a mess at harvest?

No.

Anyway I would have thought a few water filled ruts and a sprinkle of slurry to bring the worms up would have been of great benefit to the over wintering bird population. No foresight these environmentalists

Didn’t like to tell them that we’d been offered another 94ac on the same SSSI for maize from another landowner. Would have popped their cork if we’d planted that

 

[Beef farmer]

No.

Anyway I would have thought a few water filled ruts and a sprinkle of slurry to bring the worms up would have been of great benefit to the over wintering bird population. No foresight these environmentalists

Didn’t like to tell them that we’d been offered another 94ac on the same SSSI for maize from another landowner. Would have popped their cork if we’d planted that

Is the ground still fallow? Or back in grass and growing? They must have reasons?

 

[Bald Rick]

Is the ground still fallow? Or back in grass and growing? They must have reasons?

Ah, tis a long story but the nub is that the landlord didn’t tell us it was SSSI so we grew maize this year only for him to get a letter telling him he was a naughty boy. I emailed saying we had taken it in good faith on 5 yr FBT which they considered to be an application to grow maize again in 2020 - which they have now refused.
Can appeal but can’t be arsed. Landlord can have it back or massively reduce the rent

 

[holywell farmer]

Meanwhile in Merica
Never seen feed rolls iced up before

That must be hell on the chopper frozen maize

 

[Milkcow365]

Started the maize and I’m in us

 

[Beef farmer]

View attachment 845188View attachment 845189Started the maize and I’m in us

Just started? How much to cut?

 

[Milkcow365]

Just started? How much to cut?

90acres to do just started, not sure what ground will be like but we have no roads to go on, left my 15 year old brother in charge

 

[Milkcow365]

How long until we can start feeding the maize?
Plus how much does everyone think you need in a ration to see a benefit?
@stablegirl ?

 

[Bald Rick]

How long until we can start feeding the maize?
Plus how much does everyone think you need in a ration to see a benefit?
@stablegirl ?

Can feed straight away but the longer (+4 weeks) the better.
3 days for us to see a reaction but in solids . Up over 0.5% to just under 11% solids. Litres stable. Jerseys of course

 

[pappuller]

How long until we can start feeding the maize?
Plus how much does everyone think you need in a ration to see a benefit?
@stablegirl ?

as the rickster says longer left the better if you can, we started feeding it before the sheet went on and are feeding 50/50 grass silage/maize on a dm basis. its the 1st time ive fed as much but the results are there

 

[Bald Rick]

as the rickster says longer left the better if you can, we started feeding it before the sheet went on and are feeding 50/50 grass silage/maize on a dm basis. its the 1st time ive fed as much but the results are there

Danes were feeding at 70%+ maize to grass and getting phenomenal results with jerseys - 10.5%+ solids on ave 10k lactations.

 

[Scholsey]

Have heard a well respected nutritionist say before that maize shouldn’t be fed the year it was harvested, in a normal year left 2-3 months minimum.

 

[Bald Rick]

Have heard a well respected nutritionist say before that maize shouldn’t be fed the year it was harvested, in a normal year left 2-3 months minimum.

Yes but the respected nutritionist hasn’t laid out £700+/ac in growing and harvest cost to watch it sit there in a clamp not adding value to the milk cheque

 

[Scholsey]

Yes but the respected nutritionist hasn’t laid out £700+/ac in growing and harvest cost to watch it sit there in a clamp not adding value to the milk cheque

But he is the one who has farmers moaning at him that the 80% fresh maize ration as the farmer is running out of first cut is going straight through the cows and milk has plummeted.

 

[stablegirl]

We started feeding a week later as said it gets better and better.

We are 60% maize to 40% grass.

Latest analysis is 36%starch!

Currently 34 litres, 4.25% fat 3.5% protein.

 

[d williams]

Yes but the respected nutritionist hasn’t laid out £700+/ac in growing and harvest cost to watch it sit there in a clamp not adding value to the milk cheque

What ton ac did your maize yield??

 

[ridger]

Iv been feeding maize to the beef cattle this past month and hope it soon starts to show on them

 

[som farmer]

back in the 70's, when we started growing maize, not fit till dec, ice on the sheets, when opening up to go on top of grass, and again sheeting down, no bird repellant, used to cover fields with bamboo canes and string, and cut 1 row at a time, how the crop has changed.

 

[dinderleat]

How long until we can start feeding the maize?
Plus how much does everyone think you need in a ration to see a benefit?
@stablegirl ?

Work out what you have and how long you want to feed it for. Which should give you your feed rate but 50% seems to be the sweet spot

 

[Milkcow365]

1st cut then maize now into winter wheat like to make the land work