Grass Measuring

Muckit

A 'progressive dairy farmer' no doubt taking out bales

Sorry couldn't resist

Seriously though - such a picture to have promoting your new baler!!

mf240

Sure it would be better than a snowball in their bellys next february.

Thought it was straw at first.

whelan2

Muckit wrote: »

A 'progressive dairy farmer' no doubt taking out bales

Sorry couldn't resist

Seriously though - such a picture to have promoting your new baler!!

Do people actually buy that anymore? Oh here reading 2009 auto trader

Deepsouthwest

Got my arable silage and second cut mowed yesterday and in today, extremely lucky with the weather. The arable silage was from a v rough field that I put a lot of time, work and money into this spring, definitely felt like it was worth it today. Here's a few pictures

Deepsouthwest

Arable silage from a field I reclaimed this spring in the pit this evening, here's a few pics

Brown Podzol

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Got my arable silage and second mowed yesterday and in today, extremely lucky the weather. The arable silage was from a v rough field that I put a lot of time, work and money into this spring, definitely felt like it was worth it today. Here's a few pictures

A west Cork man said to me one time that I get up in the morning and farm , he gets up makes the field and then farms. Well done, it's a credit to you.

frazzledhome

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Arable silage from a field I reclaimed this spring in the pit this evening, here's a few pics

Fair Dues. That is a super job, you must be thrilled with the result. We don't know we're born up here. The most we need to do is move a ditch or pipe a spring. Spectacular job, great feeling

leg wax

how ever things are going i would get a buzz out of that,great job.

Greengrass1

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Arable silage from a field I reclaimed this spring in the pit this evening, here's a few pics

Brilliant job. Is the field beside it yours?

freedominacup

Fair dues to you. You're putting fierce pressure on that child though. That's the pic to frame of the job.

Deepsouthwest

Thanx for the compliments lads. "Trying to make land where god failed", my dad used to call it! Took a lot of time and money, but yes there was huge satisfaction in seeing it all being swarthed out a few days ago. Also a major return on investment, in comparison to buildings etc.

Deepsouthwest

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Brilliant job. Is the field beside it yours?

Thanx gg, no don't own any fields boundsing, but have another 20 acres across the road from it, it's the field with the silage cut in the distance in pic 4.

Deepsouthwest

freedominacup wrote: »

Fair dues to you. You're putting fierce pressure on that child though. That's the pic to frame of the job.

How can u make out a child in that photo? Here's another pic that evening, I'm holding my 2 yr old ad I'm taking it, I like this one!

GrandSoftDay

Great work there lad, like leg wax said I'd get a great kick out of that!

Muckit

Excellent job! I'd substitute the word 'field' with 'farm' though!!

How many acres in that 'field' ?

freedominacup

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

How can u make out a child in that photo? Here's another pic that evening, I'm holding my 2 yr old ad I'm taking it, I like this one!

It's the one with the long shadow. You can see the little fella in your arms in shiloutte.

Brown Podzol

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Got my arable silage and second mowed yesterday and in today, extremely lucky the weather. The arable silage was from a v rough field that I put a lot of time, work and money into this spring, definitely felt like it was worth it today. Here's a few pictures

How many extra cows will that field support? I see where every cow in the state of Wisconsin generates $21,000 in economic activity a year can't be a whole lot different here. It would pay the Government well to pay for the cost of reclaiming that field.

Deepsouthwest

Brown Podzol wrote: »

How many extra cows will that field support? I see where every cow in the state of Wisconsin generates $21,000 in economic activity a year can't be a whole lot different here. It would pay the Government well to pay for the cost of reclaiming that field.

That's a v valid point, over 20 acres here, so crudely another 20 cows could be carried. A lot of land around here in much better order than what I started with in this case producing little or nothing. As I'm sure is the case all over the country. So much potential if land could be incentivised to be leased. But then lots of people will say that's just greed!

Deepsouthwest

Muckit wrote: »

Excellent job! I'd substitute the word 'field' with 'farm' though!!

How many acres in that 'field' ?

Just over 20 from my reckoning, must get it mapped. Contractor seeding it felt it was 22.5 acres, but what else would he say!

mf240

The goverment are more interested in birds and bushes than creating any incentive to increase production.

Look at all the bogs that were closed and left to grow dirt. Same with rules about hedge rows and reclaiming land.

Look at all the jobs land reclamation supports during the actual process, not to mention all the extra production that follows.

Brown Podzol

mf240 wrote: »

The goverment are more interested in birds and bushes than creating any incentive to increase production.

Look at all the bogs that were closed and left to grow dirt. Same with rules about hedge rows and reclaiming land.

Look at all the jobs land reclamation supports during the actual process, not to mention all the extra production that follows.

It's only a very wealthy country can afford that green agenda. We had illusions of wealth during the tiger when all those regulations came in. Dick Roche and the sunset industry.

sandydan

Brown Podzol wrote: »

It's only a very wealthy country can afford that green agenda. We had illusions of wealth during the tiger when all those regulations came in. Dick Roche and the sunset industry.

Dickie figured out if cattle were got rid of carbon tax would be eliminated and he could build more housing estates like the one in Dublin (priory halls ) maybe

Greengrass1

How do you take out ground for silage on Agrinet. Did it before but can't find it

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

How do you take out ground for silage on Agrinet. Did it before but can't find it

Click on the paddock (bar) you want to take out on the wedge and a little box should appear with options for short or long term silage

Greengrass1

Thanks Trixi
Right
Farm Cover 634
SR 2.62. (8 acres out for reseed) and 24 still out for silage
Demand 45
Cover per/lu 240
Cows on 20l 1kg meal
3.83P
4.34f
Scc130

Timmaay

Click longterm for all of the silage also. Short term doesn't remove it from the afc or cc.

Greengrass1

Timmaay wrote: »

Click longterm for all of the silage also. Short term doesn't remove it from the afc or cc.

Ye I didm 7 acres picked up today so be a month for that's in

Timmaay

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Thanks Trixi
Right
Farm Cover 634
SR 2.62. (8 acres out for reseed) and 24 still out for silage
Demand 45
Cover per/lu 240
Cows on 20l 1kg meal
3.83P
4.34f
Scc130

And the two important figures above are AFC, 630 fairly bang on for now, and the CC of 240 is around when ya need to be also, it will rise when you put the silage back in defo. I think what David said yday makes alot of sense, keep your max cover to 1900, your overall farm SR is low enough so I'd say your biggest problem will be not going wildly over that 1900!

Greengrass1

Timmaay wrote: »

And the two important figures above are AFC, 630 fairly bang on for now, and the CC of 240 is around when ya need to be also, it will rise when you put the silage back in defo. I think what David said yday makes alot of sense, keep your max cover to 1900, your overall farm SR is low enough so I'd say your biggest problem will be not going wildly over that 1900!

I'd prefer be up at the 300 tbh. The silage ground coming back in is tired and wore out tbh. Piece we cut silage off 12 days ago has a cover of 340 so be another while before that's in.
Reseed def won't grazed before October but the hybrid is at 1700 in 4 wks so hope to cut that in 20 days time so that will be back in quick

Greengrass1

Anyone have the wire in yet?
Hadn't got to walk the place in the week and father set up paddock this morning. Good bit of grass on it. Possibly the highest one I have I'd say from looking around today half the farm in just over 1000 and other half below it

Milked out

Have it up all the time, feckin rain drove the cows thru it today tho. With the rain and warm weather next week grass will drive on I'd say. Not the best at covers but going into after grass at around 1400 I'd say farm averaging 900 I'd say not including 10% of farm reseeded or burnt off recently. Very rough figures.

Greengrass1

Trying to work out what the silage groynd yeilded
26 bales /ha @700kgs is 18, 200fresh.
@25% dm its 4.5t/dm.
Am I right?

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Trying to work out what the silage groynd yeilded
26 bales /ha @700kgs is 18, 200fresh.
@25% dm its 4.5t/dm.
Am I right?

At that dm, yes

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

At that dm, yes

Working that off what dm the silage waa last yr. Long way to go to get 15t off silage ground
That grass was sown 6 yrs ago and is all index 1

Greengrass1

Sorry I made a balls of that. I got 66 bales per ha.
Whush us 46t fresh which comes back to 10.5 t. Not as bad as I thought

just do it

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Sorry I made a balls of that. I got 66 bales per ha.
Whush us 46t fresh which comes back to 10.5 t. Not as bad as I thought

Phew, I was starting to wonder about you

Greengrass1

just do it wrote: »

Phew, I was starting to wonder about you

I think this stuff up duting milking and make a tits of it

freedominacup

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I think this stuff up duting milking and make a tits of it

Ya need a bigger parlour.

visatorro

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Trying to work out what the silage groynd yeilded
26 bales /ha @700kgs is 18, 200fresh.
@25% dm its 4.5t/dm.
Am I right?

Slightly off topic but contractors john deere baler made bales that weighted 860
Fusion three bales off the same field 840 kg

Greengrass1

freedominacup wrote: »

Ya need a bigger parlour.

Someday ill work away in the 6 unit for as long as I can and when milk price steadys a bit

just do it

Greengrass1 wrote: »

I think this stuff up duting milking and make a tits of it

Smartphones should be banned from the workplace

Greengrass1

just do it wrote: »

Smartphones should be banned from the workplace

Dont say that to my dad

freedominacup

This will go down as the worst grass year ever here. Just done a quick run around. Almost nothing over 1000kg. No regrowth on paddocks grazed last week. I thought we had turned the corner but it's all stop again and with the nip in the mornings and the shortening days it's hard to see a wedge building. I topped one paddock that was reseeded last year three weeks ago and while it has greened up there's not 600 on it and it wasn't topped tight only took out tufts. The two paddocks bounding it have better covers but quality not great. I should have baled them in early July but we thought the drought was going to break and grazed them with too high covers. Still feeding bales plus three kgs meal to barely hold them at 20l. Solids ok at 3.7 & just over 4. I'm glad we pushed hard in April and May. We saved over a tonne of dm per ha then and we've needed it all.

If we were doing it again I'd bale the big covers and no N until there was a real break in the drought. We spread can last week of June and end of July almost all wasted imo. If conditions aren't right for urea I won't go in these conditions again. Spread urea two weeks ago and got a response to the place greened up at least and some paddocks with a bit of cover pushed on but that's all stopped again. Rotation well over thirty days bales are keeping it there. Hard to know how much good a lot of rain would do at this stage.

Hugh 2

freedominacup wrote: »

This will go down as the worst grass year ever here. Just done a quick run around. Almost nothing over 1000kg. No regrowth on paddocks grazed last week. I thought we had turned the corner but it's all stop again and with the nip in the mornings and the shortening days it's hard to see a wedge building. I topped one paddock that was reseeded last year three weeks ago and while it has greened up there's not 600 on it and it wasn't topped tight only took out tufts. The two paddocks bounding it have better covers but quality not great. I should have baled them in early July but we thought the drought was going to break and grazed them with too high covers. Still feeding bales plus three kgs meal to barely hold them at 20l. Solids ok at 3.7 & just over 4. I'm glad we pushed hard in April and May. We saved over a tonne of dm per ha then and we've needed it all.

If we were doing it again I'd bale the big covers and no N until there was a real break in the drought. We spread can last week of June and end of July almost all wasted imo. If conditions aren't right for urea I won't go in these conditions again. Spread urea two weeks ago and got a response to the place greened up at least and some paddocks with a bit of cover pushed on but that's all stopped again. Rotation well over thirty days bales are keeping it there. Hard to know how much good a lot of rain would do at this stage.

Drowth never really broke in mid Waterford it jest seemed to rain everywhere else.
Feeding bale silage here to cows have cattle locked in one paddock also on bales..

Haven't measured for a week but last week had 2 weeks of 40 growth and for the two previous weeks only had growth of 25. Hardly the types of figures you need to be building up a bank of grass in preperation for year end:(

whelan2

how are ye fixed for winter feed? are ye eating into much of it?

Dawggone

freedominacup wrote: »

This will go down as the worst grass year ever here. Just done a quick run around. Almost nothing over 1000kg. No regrowth on paddocks grazed last week. I thought we had turned the corner but it's all stop again and with the nip in the mornings and the shortening days it's hard to see a wedge building. I topped one paddock that was reseeded last year three weeks ago and while it has greened up there's not 600 on it and it wasn't topped tight only took out tufts. The two paddocks bounding it have better covers but quality not great. I should have baled them in early July but we thought the drought was going to break and grazed them with too high covers. Still feeding bales plus three kgs meal to barely hold them at 20l. Solids ok at 3.7 & just over 4. I'm glad we pushed hard in April and May. We saved over a tonne of dm per ha then and we've needed it all.

If we were doing it again I'd bale the big covers and no N until there was a real break in the drought. We spread can last week of June and end of July almost all wasted imo. If conditions aren't right for urea I won't go in these conditions again. Spread urea two weeks ago and got a response to the place greened up at least and some paddocks with a bit of cover pushed on but that's all stopped again. Rotation well over thirty days bales are keeping it there. Hard to know how much good a lot of rain would do at this stage.

Grow maize and you'll get more tons DM/acre . Then winter milk.....and Bob's you're aunt!!

5live

freedominacup wrote: »

This will go down as the worst grass year ever here. Just done a quick run around. Almost nothing over 1000kg. No regrowth on paddocks grazed last week. I thought we had turned the corner but it's all stop again and with the nip in the mornings and the shortening days it's hard to see a wedge building. I topped one paddock that was reseeded last year three weeks ago and while it has greened up there's not 600 on it and it wasn't topped tight only took out tufts. The two paddocks bounding it have better covers but quality not great. I should have baled them in early July but we thought the drought was going to break and grazed them with too high covers. Still feeding bales plus three kgs meal to barely hold them at 20l. Solids ok at 3.7 & just over 4. I'm glad we pushed hard in April and May. We saved over a tonne of dm per ha then and we've needed it all.

If we were doing it again I'd bale the big covers and no N until there was a real break in the drought. We spread can last week of June and end of July almost all wasted imo. If conditions aren't right for urea I won't go in these conditions again. Spread urea two weeks ago and got a response to the place greened up at least and some paddocks with a bit of cover pushed on but that's all stopped again. Rotation well over thirty days bales are keeping it there. Hard to know how much good a lot of rain would do at this stage.

A lot i'd say. Ground temps are high so there should be an immediate response once there is N available. I'm still putting out a Pasture Sward after each grazing, not sure if its a waste or not but, going by previous droughts, there will be growths up into the high 70s for a week or 10 days until it drops back to normal growths again.
More hope than optimism though.

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Drowth never really broke in mid Waterford it jest seemed to rain everywhere else.
Feeding bale silage here to cows have cattle locked in one paddock also on bales..

Haven't measured for a week but last week had 2 weeks of 40 growth and for the two previous weeks only had growth of 25. Hardly the types of figures you need to be building up a bank of grass in preperation for year end:(

I was the opposite with growth, 40s dropping to 20s the last 2 weeks. I was holding the rotation at 35 days but had to go in with bales and 2kgs ration a week ago but will have to go in with more if no change in a week.

I have about 90% of my silage requirement but dropping by the day:(. I will be buying bales but hopeful that with ground so dry i may be able to keep cows out till December and reduce silage demand that way.

Greengrass1

5live wrote: »

A lot i'd say. Ground temps are high so there should be an immediate response once there is N available. I'm still putting out a Pasture Sward after each grazing, not sure if its a waste or not but, going by previous droughts, there will be growths up into the high 70s for a week or 10 days until it drops back to normal growths again.
More hope than optimism though.


I was the opposite with growth, 40s dropping to 20s the last 2 weeks. I was holding the rotation at 35 days but had to go in with bales and 2kgs ration a week ago but will have to go in with more if no change in a week.

I have about 90% of my silage requirement but dropping by the day:(. I will be buying bales but hopeful that with ground so dry i may be able to keep cows out till December and reduce silage demand that way.

May do a measure tomorrow. Stocked at 1.8 now with reseed out now. Still slow to build though. 40ac is the most I could get the father to spread with N

f140

freedominacup wrote: »

This will go down as the worst grass year ever here. Just done a quick run around. Almost nothing over 1000kg. No regrowth on paddocks grazed last week. I thought we had turned the corner but it's all stop again and with the nip in the mornings and the shortening days it's hard to see a wedge building. I topped one paddock that was reseeded last year three weeks ago and while it has greened up there's not 600 on it and it wasn't topped tight only took out tufts. The two paddocks bounding it have better covers but quality not great. I should have baled them in early July but we thought the drought was going to break and grazed them with too high covers. Still feeding bales plus three kgs meal to barely hold them at 20l. Solids ok at 3.7 & just over 4. I'm glad we pushed hard in April and May. We saved over a tonne of dm per ha then and we've needed it all.

If we were doing it again I'd bale the big covers and no N until there was a real break in the drought. We spread can last week of June and end of July almost all wasted imo. If conditions aren't right for urea I won't go in these conditions again. Spread urea two weeks ago and got a response to the place greened up at least and some paddocks with a bit of cover pushed on but that's all stopped again. Rotation well over thirty days bales are keeping it there. Hard to know how much good a lot of rain would do at this stage.

I thought it was just me who was tight. the last two to three months have been tight. I have plenty silage though just not for the grazing. Im going with two bags of 18-6-12 for the last round in a few days to try and grow some bit to build up.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

Grow maize and you'll get more tons DM/acre . Then winter milk.....and Bob's you're aunt!!

We gave it up as a bad job. Soils are too light and we're too high. Near neighbours get good crops. Wholecrop is much more reliable. Winter milk will probably form part of the equation if we really push sr. Talking to a milk manager today and we'll probably be pushing an open door on that going forward.