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Making silage or haylage question/thoughts

  • 03-05-2013 03:30PM
    #1
    Cran
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,269 ✭✭✭


    Looking for thoughts and ideas, on something I've been thinking about....

    I out winter majority of my ewes, and buy in Hay to feed them which is supplemented with feed buckets for singles & twins, and meal for any triplet or thin ewes. Main reason I buy in the hay is I work full time, and its just suits better than making my own. Recently acquired some land away from the main holding and been thinking about taking silage/haylage off it, as no water source and just be easier than grazing.

    I was wondering can you feed silage as easily outdoors as haylage/hay to sheep or is it considerable messier. Secondly anyone use contractors start to finish to make baled haylage and is it expensive or difficult to make good quality depending entirely on contractor?:confused:


Comments

  • #2
    jp6470
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 111 ✭✭jp6470


    would do start to finish,haylage/hay for number of horse people.can work in to money for them,if looking it kicked out several times.dont think will bother with a lot of it this year.cause yes i think its gona be more difficult and time consuming.and fuel.
    Would only out winter few cattle and tramping is a issue with feeder.and always thought after heavy rain they weren't bothered with hay and pulled more out than silage.but if snow etc.i like to see them with hay instead of damp silage,maybe warm them up


  • #3
    Richk2012
    Closed Accounts Posts: 528 ✭✭✭Richk2012


    Cran wrote: »
    Looking for thoughts and ideas, on something I've been thinking about....

    I out winter majority of my ewes, and buy in Hay to feed them which is supplemented with feed buckets for singles & twins, and meal for any triplet or thin ewes. Main reason I buy in the hay is I work full time, and its just suits better than making my own. Recently acquired some land away from the main holding and been thinking about taking silage/haylage off it, as no water source and just be easier than grazing.

    I was wondering can you feed silage as easily outdoors as haylage/hay to sheep or is it considerable messier. Secondly anyone use contractors start to finish to make baled haylage and is it expensive or difficult to make good quality depending entirely on contractor?:confused:

    Dont like feeding ewes wet silage , regardless if they are inside or out .
    Always try to get it fairly dry before baling .
    Fed the ewes very wet second cut silage 4 years ago as i ran out of dry feed and they all got pink eye . Vet said it was to to with that .

    I know most contractors are so busy cutting baling , wrapping and drawing when the odd window of good weather arrives , that they dont have time to be tossing hay .

    If you have a tractor it might be an idea to buy a haybob .
    There not that expensive and if you have this land for a number of years it might be a good investment .
    Plus requires little hp to drive it .
    Little 135 does the job no bother ;)


  • #4
    6480
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 725 ✭✭✭6480


    the whole serect with haylage is not to over wilt it and this varies with different types of grasses and dont bale it f it is wet and well wilted as this is the worst stuff you can make


  • #5
    razor8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭razor8


    you need to cut it short, bare 6 weeks if possible but you are entirely dependant on weather which can screw up everything. when done right they go mad for it. i would agree with 6480 not to over wilt it but if its long you can avoid turning it a few times and if you dont you just end up with standard silage


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