Why Devon farmers will soon be extinct.

[Derrick Hughes]

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

 

[Henarar]

Old grass is old grass he never said it was old when he cut it

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

 

[Kiwi Pete]

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]

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

Bales per acre means nothing .what dry matter what size what density it's like an arable farmer saying he gets 17 bags of gain per acre

 

[Derrick Hughes]

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]

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 ?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

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

 

[Derrick Hughes]

But if he was putting it in bales (presume he wasnt) it would've cost a fortune

Pit

 

[digger64]

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

 

[digger64]

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?

Lets disease and molds in like an infection

 

[Bossfarmer]

They say as soon as its cut it starts loosing sugar etc? So baling right behind mower should make for the most nutritious silage just a bit lower DM?

 

[Henarar]

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

I don't take much heed to analysis I want some good palatable preserved grass for my cattle not a heap of wet sog full of chemical

 

[Henarar]

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,

 

[Henarar]

They say as soon as its cut it starts loosing sugar etc? So baling right behind mower should make for the most nutritious silage just a bit lower DM?

if you have 17 bales per acre there is not much sugar in it anyway

 

[An Gof]

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?

Are you that perfect that you never cut any grass and get rain on it before you manage to save it?
You must be truly blessed, a God amongst mere mortal farmers

 

[digger64]

if you have 17 bales per acre there is not much sugar in it anyway

Is it possible due to longer daylight that the wilt time required is less in scotland given good weather ?

 

[Henarar]

Is it possible due to longer daylight that the wilt time required is less in scotland given good weather ?

longer daylight I thought the sun never came up in Scotland and they used the heat from a candle to dry the grass

 

[Henarar]

Bales per acre means nothing .what dry matter what size what density it's like an arable farmer saying he gets 17 bags of gain per acre

17 sacks was a good crop
17 bales is a load of rubbish

 

[digger64]

Are you that perfect that you never cut any grass and get rain on it before you manage to save it?
You must be truly blessed, a God amongst mere mortal farmers

They say as soon as its cut it starts loosing sugar etc? So baling right behind mower should make for the most nutritious silage just a bit lower DM?

Bit more than a bit

 

[Derrick Hughes]

17 sacks was a good crop
17 bales is a load of rubbish

6 bales can be a load of rubbish .you can't comment unless you have seen the product