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Why Devon farmers will soon be extinct.

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
if the grass or ground is at all wet when the grass is cut then baling a heavy swath behind the mower it will be wet shitty old stuff in under the swath and will make the silage stink, I don't care if you have a conditioner on the mower or not grass will not dry in a bloody great heap
Old grass is old grass he never said it was old when he cut it
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
we use a mower conditioner but it never gets a chance to rain on the swath, why does the mower conditioned grass in particular have this issue?
Really just because it crimps and bruises the stems, great for letting moisture out, and just as good at letting it in again! Once the sugar/sap/carbohydrates get replaced by water then it's lost most of it's value by the time you can harvest it. That's where tedding gives you the flexibility
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
he gets 17 bales to the acre it can't be nice young stuff
and any way old grass can be improved and turned in to useful fodder but it needs to see the sun
Young student who farmed near me used to cut his grass direct seen him cutting in the rain .full rate formic acid .his silage was just as good as my wilted stuff . I laughed at him until he showed me the analysis
 

digger64

Member
We mow it and spread it as soon as possible, then ted again the next morning then later row up and bale behind the rake
It may need another day if it's wet when cut or dull weather
If it's a light cut and really dry weather we bale the same day
I want it cut and baled as quick as possible but I also want it quite dry
I have no idea of dry matter but can tell when its how I want it while tedding, same with hay
Sounds good how many acres/bales can you handle per hit assume you wrap all that day ,do you use a moco ?
 
Last edited:

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Young student who farmed near me used to cut his grass direct seen him cutting in the rain .full rate formic acid .his silage was just as good as my wilted stuff . I laughed at him until he showed me the analysis
But if he was putting it in bales (presume he wasnt) it would've cost a fortune
 

digger64

Member
cutting spreading and raking the same day sounds pointless? it wont get time to dry out? does it justify the cost of buying a rake/haybob and the time yoking/unyoking and doing it to get very slightly dryer bales?
Bale alot faster as dryer ,bale alot faster behind the rake as 9m swathe bale quality usually better analysis dryer
less slurry etc etc etc etc
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Sounds good how many acres/bales can you handle per hit assume you wrap all that day ,do you use a moco ?
we were doing 10 acres a day last week, mostly Clare and I with a chap to drive the baler. it don't sound that much but that was hauled in right away as well and we do have other things to do
no I don't use a conditioner I invested in a big tedder instead,
 

How is your SFI 24 application progressing?

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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