Red clover silage

[Hughesy]

Finally managed to cut our new red clover rye grass ley today. Just wondering if anyone has any tips on making a good job of it. It’s going to be put into round bales. Is there any difference to straight grass silage. TIA.

 

[neilo]

Don't ted it lots, and don't touch/row it up when the leaves are dry, or they will shatter and fall off.
With the RC haylage I made in late May, I cut it with a mower that left it spread out, and left it for 48 hours with the intention of rowing up one day and picking up the next. When I went to row it up, the leaves were so dry they would have shattered, so I left it and rowed it up at dawn the next day, with a heavy dew on it. Baled it late morning. Seems to have worked OK.

 

[sticky]

At least 6 layers of wrap and I generally put extra net on to protect the plastic.

 

[Kevtherev]

As mentioned row up gently so as not to lose the leaf.

 

[som farmer]

son has been looking at the ELMS legume option, just 1 cut, in the autumn.

we are told, it makes a good value crop then, any views ? £750 ha

 

[neilo]

son has been looking at the ELMS legume option, just 1 cut, in the autumn.

we are told, it makes a good value crop then, any views ? £750 ha

Can you graze it up to a certain date, or not after Jan 1st?

RC is supposed to retain it’s feed value, but surely it would be pretty woody stuff by the Autumn. Still, at £750/ha, if you can use the crop for something, anything…

You farmers in England are so lucky to have such a generous SFI scheme. (*tin hat on)

 

[Sid]

As mentioned row up gently so as not to lose the leaf.

Or move it with the dew on it

 

[som farmer]

Can you graze it up to a certain date, or not after Jan 1st?

RC is supposed to retain it’s feed value, but surely it would be pretty woody stuff by the Autumn. Still, at £750/ha, if you can use the crop for something, anything…

certainly tempting, but l don't think we should wrap it !!!!!

not to sure about the finer details, need to sort siblings out, before l get to excited over it. But its a 1 yr thing. Grow a good crop after it.

 

[Sid]

son has been looking at the ELMS legume option, just 1 cut, in the autumn.

we are told, it makes a good value crop then, any views ? £750 ha

What code is that?

 

[neilo]

certainly tempting, but l don't think we should wrap it !!!!!

Would it stack up to graze it, even given the amount trod in? There would be a lot of tucker and a lot of OM returned to the soil.
Or do you have to mow it?

 

[som farmer]

What code is that?

wouldn't have a clue, read my last post.

 

[Kevtherev]

certainly tempting, but l don't think we should wrap it !!!!!

not to sure about the finer details, need to sort siblings out, before l get to excited over it. But its a 1 yr thing. Grow a good crop after it.

Chop it in the pit

 

[Sid]

wouldn't have a clue, read my last post.

Well firstly ELMS is the name of the over Riding scheme which the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery all sit under

So ELMs is incorrect

 

[som farmer]

Would it stack up to graze it, even given the amount trod in? There would be a lot of tucker and a lot of OM returned to the soil.
Or do you have to mow it?

don't know, understood to mow.

looking at the schemes defra dream up, l sometimes think they should be told of the centuries old norfolk 4 course rotation, they would love that, and it would make life easier for us. Most of their complications, would be solved by it.

but then, it would be to simple for them.

 

[som farmer]

Well firstly ELMS is the name of the over Riding scheme which the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery all sit under

So ELMs is incorrect

l think everyone knew what l was on about.

might be time for you to have another 'holiday break' from the TFF, like you have done before.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was on a farm near Hereford Last week that had two terrific fields of Red Clover ready cut in one of the Stewardship Schemes ,they did say which one if I can remember

 

[Sid]

l think everyone knew what l was on about.

I have no idea what option at £740/ha you are on about

 

[som farmer]

I have no idea what option at £740/ha you are on about

 

[Sid]

Is that some sort of code?

Num 3?

 

[Kevtherev]

What’s not to like about red clover personally I think more should be looking at it especially in dairy systems with the ever growing cost of bought in feeds.