Silage 2022

Easten · 07-06-2022 9:23am

Another 3 day weather window for silage is forecast for this Weekend. I'd say it will be the busiest few days of the year in a lot of places. Crops are seriously heading out now, and after the rain it wouldn't be long turning into a jungle of stem and Docks if left for much longer

Lime Tree Farm · 07-06-2022 9:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168079#Comment_119168079

Personally I would prefer the Spring for selective weedkiller when they are actively growing and fertilise a week later.

whelan2 · 07-06-2022 9:58am

Was through my silage yesterday. Grazed bare at the end of April. Hope to cut this weekend .

YellowRattle · 07-06-2022 11:48am

I am currently restoring some upland meadows and used forefront. It gets to the root of docks but if it has a substantial root structure it survives and grows again.

Autumn is the best time as it’s when they store energy back to the root.

The only solution, bar spraying every year is like stones in a field. Got to be dug up manually.

I have been doing that and can see how forefront killed up to 2/3 of the root structure but that’s not enough to kill it.

There’s a reason why as you travel the countryside you see so many docks in fields.

morphy87 · 07-06-2022 12:01pm

Dry all day yesterday and it’s a good morning here so far with no rain predicted till tonight, I was thinking of mowing around 1 and picking up this evening,would this be a good job?

tanko · 07-06-2022 12:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168726#Comment_119168726

Have a look at the forecast rain radar on met.ie to see when the rain will get to you today.

amacca · 07-06-2022 12:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119167486#Comment_119167486

Was thinking of using an additive here, how do you apply it if you don't mind me asking? Does the machine (baler) apply it or do you spray it on rows?

Dunedin · 07-06-2022 12:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168726#Comment_119168726

It would be fine for pit but definitely not enough wilt for bales.

Bass Reeves · 07-06-2022 12:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168791#Comment_119168791

The baler man has an applicator. It cost about 800 euro 10 ISH years ago. Basically it has three 1'' pipes that trickle the powder onto the bales.

With the way the price of silage you are not sure where to start cutting costs

Mooooo · 07-06-2022 1:54pm

Additive prob better on early silage, may improve good silage but won't make late silage better. Molasses or acid to aid fermentation if sugars low maybe

Dunedin · 07-06-2022 2:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119169238#Comment_119169238

+1 sugars are lower in early silage. Wouldn’t have thought there’d be a need for it in later silage but open to correction.

morphy87 · 07-06-2022 2:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168848#Comment_119168848

Cut around 12.30,dryer than I thought, will take around 5.30 Andy then pick

Danzy · 07-06-2022 5:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168914#Comment_119168914

Probably in the hoors that eat it

SuperTortoise · 07-06-2022 7:37pm

Clicked into met eireann, clicked on farming, ... and its telling me what the weather was like over the PAST 7 days...

Fantastic, now if they could hazard a guess what the next 7 days might be like that would be grand like,

Lime Tree Farm · 07-06-2022 7:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119170954#Comment_119170954

That always annoyed me, viewing a clip of the weather from the last 2 hours. Well, at least they could claim accuracy.

Boogersnot · 07-06-2022 9:00pm

The guy that got the bales paid for all this year... fertilizer, contractor, baling wrap etc. No input cost for me which I understood means "off the stem". But I'm not sure if I'm right with that term. Would you still think 170 for first cut? He may not take a second one.

wrangler · 07-06-2022 9:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119171344#Comment_119171344

Cuttting silage off land takes a lot out of the land, It's very unlikely he used enough of the right type of fertiliser so get as much as you can off him

Sami23 · 07-06-2022 10:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119170954#Comment_119170954

Met Eireann are a complete joke lately if not all the time tbh.

They said yesterday that today was going to be wet "from the get go" but it turned out a brilliant day with sun and wind.

Problem was myself and all around me baled up everything yesterday due to the threat of rain by met eireann.

How are they getting away with it - what other profession could you get away with being wrong most of the time and still getting paid for it.

If they had called today as it came everyone around here would have saved much better quality silage 🤬

Gant21 · 07-06-2022 10:30pm

If you see Siobhan Ryan fire up the tractor and start cutting. Any other weather presenter I’d be tying down the trampoline.

mahoney_j · 07-06-2022 10:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119171829#Comment_119171829

Find met Éireann best bet when looking at weather …follow the weather radar short term for your area and usually ok …quality wise not going to make any odds now …..bit lower dm alright

roosterman71 · 07-06-2022 10:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119168757#Comment_119168757

Don't bother your hole. They've changed something and have gone to pot. Around here for the last few days:

Friday 3-June: Predicted rain from lunch. Wasn't a drop. Sun all day. I finished spreading slurry at half 10 and it was still bright and warm out
Saturday 4-June: Predicted an early shower then brighten up. Was dull all day, with a cold wind. I cut silage
Sunday 5-June: Predicted rain from around 3pm. Ended up with heavy drizzle from around 7am till 7pm. Screwed up my silage
Monday 6-June: Predicted cloudy but dry. Maybe 0.1mm rain for the day. Was actually cloudy, and more fecking heavy drizzle in the afternoon and brightened a bit by late evening
Tuesday 7-June: Predicted rain from midday. Again, nah. Was warm and blue skies till near 6 when it started to rain.

Like another poster said, a lot of lads baled yesterday in far from ideal conditions due to the forecast rain today. If they'd waited (including myself) there would have been much dryer stuff going into balers.

My own grass wasn't dry at baling time due to the Sunday weather. Shook it out Monday morning but there wasn't much drying. A bit, but not much. No matter, it's wrapped up now.

What sort of stuff will it be like when it opens does anyone know?

wrangler · 08-06-2022 7:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119171961#Comment_119171961

All you can do is your best, guys that have good silage is more down to good luck than good management this year.

Bass Reeves · 08-06-2022 7:52am

By the look of it from Saturday on there should be a decent weather window. Saturday and Early Sunday may have light showers. Ulster may not be as lucky.

That is from 3 days out so could change

somofagun · 08-06-2022 10:34am

Met Éireann are not alone, the BBC weather forecasting is away to hell as well. I know the BBC changed from the Met Office after nearly 40+ years using them to the Met Group, not sure who met Éireann use.

Sami23 · 08-06-2022 2:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119171913#Comment_119171913

Ah stop they forecast yesterday be showery all day from the "get go" and it never made a drop until near 6pm with blue skies and breeze all day.

On top of lower dm it cost me in having to pay for extra bales and extra plastic 😒

Their a waste of taxpayers money imo

Sami23 · 08-06-2022 2:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119171961#Comment_119171961

100%

funkey_monkey · 08-06-2022 4:24pm

I use Met Office and its bad too at the minute. Forecast was thunderstorms this afternoon. Changed to light rain. Then changed to rain in evening for 2hrs. Now it is for 1 hr. Predicted rain now, but nothing happening.

If they can't get it right for the next few hours then what chance does their long term forecast have.

valtra2 · 10-06-2022 1:22pm

First time doing pit stuff in a few years. How long would you leave it on the ground. Heavy crop. 10ft rows.

weatherbyfoxer · 10-06-2022 1:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119183573#Comment_119183573

24 hours then rake seems to be the norm around here anyway

Danzy · 12-06-2022 10:07pm

Last of it cut today bar the glas meadow. Closed mid April after Sheep.

The Swarts are like nothing I have ever seen.

Neighbour cut his, its closed since November. A small pony wouldn't clear them.

Silage 2022

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