Silage in October

Agrivator

Member
Going to gamble a cut at the end of the month. There’s a danger it’s going to be lush mushy stuff which isn’t the best for bedded yards but we don’t really have enough right now and I loath buying it in. Will be going in the pit. Had some lovely stuff in the past but I appreciate it was more luck than anything.

The only time when silage has a higher feed value than the grass from which it was made, is silage made from sappy autumn grass- but only so long as it is not over-rolled.

David Lever, when he was Director of the SAC Dairy Farm, Crichton, Dumfries.
 
The only time when silage has a higher feed value than the grass from which it was made, is silage made from sappy autumn grass- but only so long as it is not over-rolled.

David Lever, when he was Director of the SAC Dairy Farm, Crichton, Dumfries.
I’m not sure how that’s even possible.
It’s certainly in contradiction to my experiences where it’s been unpalatable at best and in edible at worst
 

Celt83

Member
Livestock Farmer
Buying silage in bales can be bit of a lottery as well!

Was short a couple of years ago and had a "taster" bale to try, it was beautiful stuff so ordered 100 bales to cover.

Come mid winter we opened the first of the delivered bales and they were full of docks and the odd rush.

Phoned the guy up and the barsteward didnt want to know! But worst of all come the summer three fields were plastered with docks where we had put the muck out!

We are short this year but have decided to buffer the silage with straw, but we have a mixer wagon so it'll be easy.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
A few years ago I was on the rake for a dairy farmer friend of mine who baled a fifth cut of silage on the 3rd November.
It was godawful stuff! Just wet slop.
we baled some for ourselves 30 odd years ago in December, not many days before Christmas, there was frost on the grass in the morning, wasn't the best LOL.
same year we started on the last day of March, it was a long season
 

Agrivator

Member
The only time when silage has a higher feed value than the grass from which it was made, is silage made from sappy autumn grass- but only so long as it is not over-rolled.

David Lever, when he was Director of the SAC Dairy Farm, Crichton, Dumfries.
I’m not sure how that’s even possible.
It’s certainly in contradiction to my experiences where it’s been unpalatable at best and in edible at worst

David Leaver was a Newcastle graduate, and for years was one of the leading authorities on all aspects of milk production and grass conservation.

Crichton are experts in growing and preserving grass. I can quite understand that if autumn grass is ensiled and well preserved by folk who know what they are doing, it can have a higher dry matter content than the original grass, be more palatable, and have a higher intake factor.


And once sappy autumn grass is in the pit, it isn't going to rot in the field. There are more things in heaven and earth..........
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
David Leaver was a Newcastle graduate, and for years was one of the leading authorities on all aspects of milk production and grass conservation.

Crichton are experts in growing and preserving grass. I can quite understand that if autumn grass is ensiled and well preserved by folk who know what they are doing, it can have a higher dry matter content than the original grass, be more palatable, and have a higher intake factor.


And once sappy autumn grass is in the pit, it isn't going to rot in the field. There are more things in heaven and earth..........

iirc he wasn’t a great advocate of grazing said grass though, as seems to be the current fashion.
Conserving it will always lead to DM losses, compared to having cows eat it fresh themselves, however much of an expert the fella was.
 

Agrivator

Member
iirc he wasn’t a great advocate of grazing said grass though, as seems to be the current fashion.
Conserving it will always lead to DM losses, compared to having cows eat it fresh themselves, however much of an expert the fella was.

In that case we shouldn't conserve grass in any form at any stage of growth, because it will always lead to DM losses.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
In that case we shouldn't conserve grass in any form at any stage of growth, because it will always lead to DM losses.

I try not to spend money to degrade feed by ensiling it, but if you run a system where everything is housed, or wintered on bales, you don't have much option.

The only thing you improve by ensiling is the DM%, everything else is made worse by conserving it, whatever the method. Mr Leaver's cows would certainly make better use of it if they grazed it themselves, as long as he had a system in place that allowed them to do so.
 

Devon James

Member
Location
Devon
Thanks to you all.

There doesn't seem to be anyone in this area selling bales cheap and I'm not geared up for transporting bales very far which is why I wanted to make my own.
The deciding factor I think is thanks to @Derrick Hughes , I'd forgotten the huge difference it makes to grazing all winter. So I'll see if anyone has some bales for sale or just sell a few stores.

I really do appreciate this discussion as my brain currently feels fried. (y)
I don't know what part of Devon you are in, but if you need a hand to source or transport bales I would be able to help. We will have bales for sale if you would like an analysis.
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Just thought I'd revisit this thread with the benefit of 'hindsight'.

I think I made the right decision [in not trying to do another cut] but for the wrong reasons, or at least different reasons than I expected.

The main difference is the cost of replacing the fertiliser I would have used. It would have made a small, questionable quality, late cut rather expensive.

My main fear was the weather, but October was very kind and provided ample opportunity for harvesting (as many of my neighbours did).

What I hadn't properly realised was that if it was going to be good enough weather wise to harvest, it would also be good enough to keep cattle out for the month and negate the need for the extra fodder.

Maybe I've been lucky but it seems to have worked well with keeping cattle out until now, using the September growth to finish and move on lambs and still have some cover for winter.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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