Drought 2020

whelan2

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

Jeez , you have to get it cut before your neighbour does

Danzy

Cut yesterday, well back, if it was left another week it would make súgan chairs.

Mostly not headed out but the change was accelerating at some pace. Hoping 10 to the acre.

80sDiesel

Weird windy and dry day. I had dust blinding me in the fields where I was getting stuck last November,

Gods Gift

Cutting grass here that was heavier last week.
Withering back now. Getting picked up as soon as it drops out of the mower.

farming93

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

How much dung did it get?
I would say not enough K with the cut sward, you probably took alot out with the 10 bales per a re last year
K essential for the roots to absorb water

I'm not sure exactly how much but it was fairly heavily covered in dung. I may start putting more k on so. The farm drys up so fast here.

Say my name

farming93 wrote: »

I'm not sure exactly how much but it was fairly heavily covered in dung. I may start putting more k on so. The farm drys up so fast here.

What's your soils magnesium status?

If your calcium (68%): magnesium (12%) ratio is wrong and too much calcium. Your soil will be more open and dry faster.
The magnesium tightens it up a bit and makes it slower draining.

Edit: Just seen your original post. It got lime over the winter. Was that calcium lime?

farming93

Say my name wrote: »

What's your soils magnesium status?

If your calcium (68%): magnesium (12%) ratio is wrong and too much calcium. Your soil will be more open and dry faster.
The magnesium tightens it up a bit and makes it slower draining.

Edit: Just seen your original post. It got lime over the winter. Was that calcium lime?

I hadn't done a soil test in the last 3 years since I resseded it. I was deficient of lime by 5 tonne to the acre then. I put 3 tonne to the acre on it during the winter and when it was resseded three years ago it got three tonne. A soil test might be the way to go with it again?

Say my name

farming93 wrote: »

I hadn't done a soil test in the last 3 years since I resseded it. I was deficient of lime by 5 tonne to the acre then. I put 3 tonne to the acre on it during the winter and when it was resseded three years ago it got three tonne. A soil test might be the way to go with it again?

It would be no harm anyway.

That's a lot of lime in a short space of time.
Do one that has mag on the test. It'll also obviously have the pH as well.
Dung raises soil pH as well as lime.

Reggie.

Say my name wrote: »

It would be no harm anyway.

That's a lot of lime in a short space of time.
Do one that has mag on the test. It'll also obviously have the pH as well.
Dung raises soil pH as well as lime.

I would have thought dung would have lowered PH due to dying organic matter

Say my name

Reggie. wrote: »

I would have thought dung would have lowered PH due to dying organic matter

It raises it up to neutral pH due to increased biology.

Jim Cronin, veg grower from Clare had soil pH down in the 5's. He raised it up in the 6's with silage on the soil.
pH of silage is in the 4's.

whelan2

Are many supplementing grass atm?

Gods Gift

When herding now I have to leave jeep at the top of the lane and sneak down to see them. Get into position and use binoculars.
One false move and I’m spotted. All hell breaks loose. Crawling on my hands and knees camouflaged with grass and a few bushes to check the water trough.

Dakota Dan

Gods Gift wrote: »

When herding now I have to leave jeep at the top of the lane and sneak down to see them. Get into position and use binoculars.
One false move and I’m spotted. All hell breaks loose. Crawling on my hands and knees camouflaged with grass and a few bushes to check the water trough.

😀😀😀

richie123

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Meadows are well back from last year. I don't know what the panic is with some lads but you can see fields mowed for silage that could easily have been left growing for at least another 3 weeks

3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun

jaymla627

whelan2 wrote: »

Are many supplementing grass atm?

Always buffer here anyways but the mix has been upped from 6kgs dm a head to 10kgs dm a head, not short on grass and have a nice bit in-front of them but would hope it rains and can grab 30-40 acres of the milking platform for silage to tidy up ground that hasn’t seen the mower yet

GrasstoMilk

jaymla627 wrote: »

Always buffer here anyways but the mix has been upped from 6kgs dm a head to 10kgs dm a head, not short on grass and have a nice bit in-front of them but would hope it rains and can grab 30-40 acres of the milking platform for silage to tidy up ground that hasn’t seen the mower yet

What's in the buffer?

Dakota Dan

richie123 wrote: »

3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun

Plus the fact that you are sacrificing quality for quantity that will have to be made up with ration during the winter.

jaymla627

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

What's in the buffer?

8kgs beet/ 2kgs of oat hulls mix, 10kgs of last years first cut silage 80dmd% 16%p silage , 3kgs of a 14%maize/barley/hulls/soya bean ration, 50g of lactaid and 100g of a high phos mineral

memorystick

richie123 wrote: »

3 weeks to grow nothing.thats why they cut. the drought stopped grass growth and there was no point letting go on a few more weeks to be bet into the ground by the sun

What about the nitrogen

Buford T. Justice XIX

memorystick wrote: »

What about the nitrogen

Nitrogen wouldn't be a problem once the sugars are high enough. 24 hour wilt or less in this weather and it's good to go.

Timmaay

https://twitter.com/HMably/status/1266693589070950400?s=09

This chap is in Cornwall, let's hope its not a sign of what's to come...

memorystick

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Nitrogen wouldn't be a problem once the sugars are high enough. 24 hour wilt or less in this weather and it's good to go.

You sure? Not much on it anyway and due to cut in 2 weeks. A week early would be no harm so.

Buford T. Justice XIX

memorystick wrote: »

You sure? Not much on it anyway and due to cut in 2 weeks. A week early would be no harm so.

If you're worried, take a few samples of grass from the field and freeze them and then drop them off at a local Teagasc office and they'll tell you the nitrates and sugars.

We had high nitrates in our silage a few years ago during a drought and the advice was to give a 24 hour wilt and then put it in the pit. We had no issues whatsoever with it, fed out perfectly and cows demolished it when it was being fed. At worst, adding some molasses on top of the grass before picking it up will do the same thing.

_Brian

Timmaay wrote: »

https://twitter.com/HMably/status/1266693589070950400?s=09

This chap is in Cornwall, let's hope its not a sign of what's to come...

Looks particularly bad compared to the fields in the background. Maybe that’s a sacrifice paddock he’s using to feed them in to save others.

Anywhere here the rock is close to the surface is starting to burn. Nothing growing.

visatorro

jaymla627 wrote:

8kgs beet/ 2kgs of oat hulls mix, 10kgs of last years first cut silage 80dmd% 16%p silage , 3kgs of a 14%maize/barley/hulls/soya bean ration, 50g of lactaid and 100g of a high phos mineral

Are you feeding in the parlour?

Biscuitus

Cut our silage during the week. We are usually one of the later farms in the area but the contractor said we were one of the first. We barely got 60 bales, half of what we usually get. No decent rain in sight here so there was no point holding out for bigger yields when the quality was dropping every day.

Hay is being bailed tomorrow. We've never made hay so early. It's always nice to make hay stress free but looking across the ditch to see grass getting low is a not a good trade.

A few cows came back in heat when they never usually do. A bit worrying but it will just push more calves into May. The poor May grass is certainly to blame.

Bo dearg

can you connect two different wells into the one water system. wells are about 3 quarters of a mile apart

Bass Reeves

Biscuitus wrote: »

Cut our silage during the week. We are usually one of the later farms in the area but the contractor said we were one of the first. We barely got 60 bales, half of what we usually get. No decent rain in sight here so there was no point holding out for bigger yields when the quality was dropping every day.

Hay is being bailed tomorrow. We've never made hay so early. It's always nice to make hay stress free but looking across the ditch to see grass getting low is a not a good trade.

A few cows came back in heat when they never usually do. A bit worrying but it will just push more calves into May. The poor May grass is certainly to blame.

Silage was bales yesterday evening as well. Slightly over 7 bales/acre. Cut on Wednesday even and bales at 6 pm yesterday. Bales are so big that the tractor would not lift two together. They are stacked 3 high and stack is about 4 metres high. Grass was just starting to flower.

Neddyusa

Driest March April and May period in over 180 years in the Dublin region!

If long-term forecasts are accurate (thankfully they often aren't!) this year could make 2018 seem like a farming picnic in comparison.

https://twitter.com/FarmeyeIreland/status/1266820811907837953?s=19

TL17

Knew mine was little light. Old pasture and started seeding. Serious sun and wind yesterday/today. 6 bales to acre.12 last year. hope I not going to be seriously short

_Brian

Bo dearg wrote: »

can you connect two different wells into the one water system. wells are about 3 quarters of a mile apart

Sure.
I’m thinking Stick a non return valve on the supply from each and they won’t interfere with each other.

Bo dearg

_Brian wrote: »

Sure.
I’m thinking Stick a non return valve on the supply from each and they won’t interfere with each other.

yea that was my fear that one would be interfering with the other. Non return valve is probably the way to go

patsy_mccabe

Drought bad in the UK also.

orm0nd

Say my name wrote: »

It raises it up to neutral pH due to increased biology.

Jim Cronin, veg grower from Clare had soil pH down in the 5's. He raised it up in the 6's with silage on the soil.
pH of silage is in the 4's.

Think I posted sometime in the past that fellows I knew were struggling to make a living off 200 acres plus and a guy I know is making a comfortable living off a small plot. Jim was the guy I was alluding to.

One sound bloke.

Gods Gift

Spring barley sown here the 10 of April and it’s starting to shoot out. Finished growing and about 10 inches high. €40 for a 4 by 4 chopped bale for the diet feeder lads sounds reasonable I thinks.
Winter oats looks fantastic.

CHOPS01

Cleaned off 2 fields with the topper on Thursday evening. Rock appearing in spots again that I saw for the first time in 2018.
Still have bales that were made in 2018. Baled that June almost haylage so very good quality. Put em up on DD about 6/7 weeks ago at very handy money to see would I shift em. Had one lad that wanted em but wanted to leave em here until the winter which wouldn't have worked as I want the slab they're on for this year's bales.
Looking like it could be a good thing I didn't sell them. Reckon I'll be feeding them in a fortnight's time.
Cattle doing a great thrive though at the moment.
Contractor booked for middle of the week. Crop looking light.

YFlyer

Must be great drying for hay and turf.

Say my name

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Silage was bales yesterday evening as well. Slightly over 7 bales/acre. Cut on Wednesday even and bales at 6 pm yesterday. Bales are so big that the tractor would not lift two together. They are stacked 3 high and stack is about 4 metres high. Grass was just starting to flower.

Whatever's in the bales now at least it's pure grass and no water.

Cut Friday here and baled yesterday.
11 bales/acre where it wasn't grazed. 10 bales where it was.
Both got 60 units Nitrogen.

Purple wrap was used where the money goes to Crumlin Children's Hospital.
Easy wrap on the baler wrapper and easy on the eyes when moving with the loader.

Have a field that I was able skip in grazing rotation that's got 20 units N. Will go with seaweed coated CAN 27 units and cut hopefully in a fortnight.

11 acres will be let up for a 2nd cut.

Personally I'm a hell of a lot better than this time 2018 with the same stock and same acreage.

Reggie.

Neddyusa wrote: »

Driest March April and May period in over 180 years in the Dublin region!

If long-term forecasts are accurate (thankfully they often aren't!) this year could make 2018 seem like a farming picnic in comparison.

https://twitter.com/FarmeyeIreland/status/1266820811907837953?s=19

MT reckons weather will return to normal in june with normal rainfall levels

Still waters

YFlyer wrote: »

Must be great drying for hay and turf.

I was near the bog yesterday working and the amount of hay made around is unreal, made in land you couldn't travel a lot of years, i was talking to one man in his 70s he can't remember a spell of weather like this since he was a young man, men like him have awful heavy land and this spell of weather is suiting them, he said he could do another month without rain and it wouldnt matter to him, this weather isn't suiting everyone but working to others benefit not having to be pulling tractors out of soft holes all summer

Wildsurfer

Still waters wrote: »

I was near the bog yesterday working and the amount of hay made around is unreal, made in land you couldn't travel a lot of years, i was talking to one man in his 70s he can't remember a spell of weather since he was a young man, men like him have awful heavy land and this spell of weather is suiting them, he said he could do another month without rain and it wouldnt matter to him, this weather is suiting everyone but working to others benefit not having to be pulling tractors out of soft holes all summer

Does he think he was young in 2018....

Still waters

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Does he think he was young in 2018....

Ill ask him Tuesday to clarify what he meant

jaymla627

Reggie. wrote: »

MT reckons weather will return to normal in june with normal rainfall levels

Doesn’t seem to be much agreement with his take on it for June by other posters on weather forum ....
He isn’t putting in half the effort as previous years with his analysis and is more wrong then right the last few months following his daily forecasts

tanko

jaymla627 wrote: »

Doesn’t seem to be much agreement with his take on it for June by other posters on weather forum ....
He isn’t putting in half the effort as previous years with his analysis and is more wrong then right the last few months following his daily forecasts

I followed his forecasts closely one summer a few years ago, they were a pile of crap.

Reggie.

tanko wrote: »

I followed his forecasts closely one summer a few years ago, they were a pile of crap.

I think that's all forecasts really. Very hard to predict

yosemitesam1

Reggie. wrote: »

I think that's all forecasts really. Very hard to predict

I wouldn't be surprised if the rain keeps getting pushed out for a while yet. Rain was forecast a week away for a good few weeks in 2018

endainoz

Reggie. wrote: »

I think that's all forecasts really. Very hard to predict

Especially long term ones, there are many different charts that might show something different and it's up to the forecaster to interpret them. Forecasting is much more accurate now that even ten years ago.

MickeyShtyles

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if the rain keeps getting pushed out for a while yet. Rain was forecast a week away for a good few weeks in 2018

In 2018, Thursday was rain day every week and it never came.

whelan2

I think local weather forecasts are the most accurate. Louth weather here is always bang on

Waffletraktor

Gods Gift wrote: »

Spring barley sown here the 10 of April and it’s starting to shoot out. Finished growing and about 10 inches high. €40 for a 4 by 4 chopped bale for the diet feeder lads sounds reasonable I thinks.
Winter oats looks fantastic.

Spring cereals will be atlesast 1/4 back on average, everuthing has gone to head and given that there's not many great winter crops if at all when add in all the wet corners and crap headlands....