I have been told I can take silage of a few fields that were not cut this year. I was going to get a flail topper in April / May and mulch the lot to feed the new crop. I have since been told that I would be better to cut and bale the crop in May for rough silage for the Highlands then bale what comes back in late July for the sheep What's everyone's thoughts.
What is the best to do with uncut grass crop.
- Thread starter S80RTE
- Start date
- Location
- Somerset UK
Flail it off now?
- Location
- Yorkshire
Regrowth will come back better if it's cut and removed. There will still be rotting grass in bottom when you do next cut getting raked up
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
The latter sounds like a good plan, seeing as you (presumably) have Highland coos that will want nothing but gutfill.
As above, if you flail off a big amount of material, it will mostly still be on the surface for the whole year.
- Location
- sw scotland
We cut a field for hay to tidy it up then not grazed again so it has a brown wet mat at the base which does dry out but would prefer not to gather it into a silage bale. If it can stand some cows feet graze it down or put some sheep on for a few weeks
farmgineer
Member
High density rotational grazing. Trample the litter into the floor and let it fertilize the ground ready for next year. Probably with sheep now... But cattle do a better job if it's not too wet. Need 200 ton/ha to get the job right (@Kiwi Pete will correct me if wrong). Will have to move multiple times a day or you'll get a bog. The ground will spring back like you've never seen.
ollie989898
Member
Can you get in a load of sheep to nip it all down now, then flail off what is left?
Nearly
Member
- Location
- North of York
ollie989898
Member
Get out and soil test it as well whilst you have time, check the state of play before you go committing a lot of expense to growing silage from it.
I am not surprised... Just looked at my outwintering cattle. All huddled in the shelter, eating straw rather than go out!
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
I think the best thing would be to get some sheep on there now, to eat it all down, then give it 90 days rest to regrow ready for next spring.
Nearly
Member
- Location
- North of York
Shelter?
- Location
- sw scotland
What part of the country is he in? If you can travel on it to bale it I would eat it instead
- Location
- Lorette Manitoba
Get some sheep in to chew it down. least amount spent to achieve the same result. Making silage from half rotting dead grass is like baling sh1t. Expensive fir nothing. Sheep will eat the edible stuff and walk the rest in.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Very difficult job with sheep, just to get them tight enough is difficult, the longer they are in a place the more damage they do
I cannot stand seeing cattle without a bit of shelter... 2 open sides and a roof
ollie989898
Member
If you are anything like down here, leaving grass that is grown on all winter is a recipe for a mess come spring as the stuff falls over and looks like wet mess, greatly impeding growth. May not be an issue on exposed sites or further north in the country but you won't find much in the way of long grass in Somerset before long, the sheep are in nipping it down tight. They are then taken back out as soon before the winter is out.
- Location
- Lorette Manitoba
I can see from my yard a couple of hundred beef cattle stood on frozen ground with only four strands of wire for shelter. They are fed very well and look in good condition but it was -24 last night with a brisk north wind that would shave you. not good animal husbandry or much compassion for them.I cannot stand seeing cattle without a bit of shelter... 2 open sides and a roof