What is the best to do with uncut grass crop.

S80RTE

Member
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.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
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.

The latter sounds like a good plan, seeing as you (presumably) have Highland coos that will want nothing but gutfill. (y)

As above, if you flail off a big amount of material, it will mostly still be on the surface for the whole year.
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
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
 
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.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
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.
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
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
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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.
 

Flatlander

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lorette Manitoba
I cannot stand seeing cattle without a bit of shelter... 2 open sides and a roof :)
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.
 

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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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