|
|
Post by RmarkV on Jun 15, 2007 8:40:37 GMT 1
oh and some farmers will let the grass dry for at least one day or sometimes two days...... over here it doesn't exactly matter how moist the grass is to farmers or contractors , iv never thought about the issue myself lak...... That isn't entirely true, most of farmers don't want moisture in the crop as it leads to a pollution hazard, and now with the Green party in government in the Republic, well that will be fun. Its all about DMD, due to farming practices here the swarth is king, and most contractors will have a 30ft swarth or even 42ft up to 60ft and i just have to wonder how can the crop ever be effectively dried. Allot of baled silage users will cut it out flat and then rake it after a few days, but for the contractor that means another tractor and tedder, and not many will do it! In the last few weeks it as been mentioned to me that some customers around the country are becoming more and more concerned with the speed of the silage been put in to the shed, one was even said to have told his contractor, if you intend to bring more then 5 trailers, don't bother coming, due to the losses he had the previous season. A trailer a minute is to much for Irish Pits and for loaders to pack and roll good |
|
|
|
Post by eppie on Jun 15, 2007 18:19:43 GMT 1
Younghale, you didnt read what i wrote. I said that it takes, for example, 6 to 8 weeks to grow a foot tall grass stand, the energy content in this situation is 100%. The next foot takes another month to grow, while the total amount of animal digestible nutritional value is maybe only 120% of the total grass stand that was 1 foot tall.
wet silage smells like a pest, and the risk of sour bacteria contamination is very high. My neighbour spread 2 silage heaps with the manure spreader, because the cheese factory refused his milk because of the bacteria. Whatever you feed cows, you taste in the cheese. Some greedy farmers fed their cows surplus onions, but their milk was refused as well because the milk had a terrible flavour.
|
|
|
|
Post by adamL on Jun 15, 2007 21:15:38 GMT 1
4 foot 9? I feel like a giant!!!
anyway, you want high dry matter for your cows, that means a nice long wilt 24 hours minimum and wilted spread across the field not in a massive great 60 foot swath.
If the seed head isn't emerging I'd say your cutting it too early. There is a balance to be struck between bulk and quality and I'd err on the side of bulk, for two reasons. Bottom line, the silage has got to see the cows through the winter and secondly sure your top quality rocket fuel silage will make alot of milk, but it will come at the possible cost of mastitis, feet problems and shorter cow life.
|
|
|
|
Post by eppie on Jun 15, 2007 22:11:03 GMT 1
AdamL, i agree with you partiall, many dairy farms feed too much protein, resulting in short cow life and high veterinary cost.
As you know, at home we dont have cows but about 30 horses. If the seed heads are emerging, we cut within a week and probably a week BEFORE some seed heads emerge. Horses dont need a super high energy forage, but the trash from grass grown for seed which is sold to the un knowing horse farmer, is of no use.
Forage, for any animal, needs some rough fiber to stimulate the intestines. Cows, horses and hogs. Even humans. The long irish grass will have the fiber, but will it have any energy ??
In Holland, though contract mowing is gainig popularity, still 80% of the farmers does his own mowing, and has tedders and rakes. If you call a contractor, he has got to come even if it's going to be a night job, or you call someone else.
As far as i've heard, in the UK and ireland, contractors are in the position to decide if your forage gets rained on or not, when they feel like working late or not.
|
|
|
|
Post by adamL on Jun 15, 2007 22:42:39 GMT 1
AdamL, i agree with you partiall, many dairy farms feed too much protein, resulting in short cow life and high veterinary cost. As far as i've heard, in the UK and ireland, contractors are in the position to decide if your forage gets rained on or not, when they feel like working late or not. The best cow in the herd is the oldest one. Just before dad sold up he had a cow that gave hime a calf on ten consecutive (sp) February's, she'd never had bad feet and never had mastitis. Had he had a herd of cows like her he would have been a very content man. As for contractors and silaging, I'd say you want a contractor with a bunch of old guy's working for them, not a bunch of 18 year olds. The older guys go steady, don't break stuff and won't work late (so they get up the following morning). Dads silage contractor was excellent. He seemed to have a better forecast than dad and once he got the go-ahead he would only come if he thought he could get the stuff in without it getting wet. The guy has been going since the '60's and knows how to look after customers. Even in my relativly short life I have seen young contractors spring up from nowhere in a flurry of new paint, smoke and finance payments, then fall by the wayside when the take on too much work and can't keep their core customers happy. By the same token I think a lot of farmer abuse contractors. |
|
|
|
Post by RmarkV on Jun 16, 2007 0:25:12 GMT 1
What is the up take of baled silage in your areas? Would the majority be Round bales or square? Have done both in my time when we had a dairy herd, and round was far better! Thankfully we were in a position to do everything on our farm except setting maize and harvesting it. Salt water does wonders for cows feet  |
|
|
|
Post by adamL on Jun 16, 2007 15:16:05 GMT 1
What is the up take of baled silage in your areas? Would the majority be Round bales or square? Have done both in my time when we had a dairy herd, and round was far better! Thankfully we were in a position to do everything on our farm except setting maize and harvesting it. Salt water does wonders for cows feet in my "area" there is mainly houses, shops and roads, agriculture is not a major player around here. Our neighbour feeds round baled silage to his suckler herd. Cows always seemed to like round bale silage. It's long and chewy and is not as "hot" as the first cut precision chopped stuff. It makes a good buffer feed in the summer. If you but a round bale in a ring feeder in a field of grass, the cows will leave the grass and eat the silage. Very expensive to make though compared to bulk. But it's in handy units when you are not feeding much in the summer. I personally would not be keen to grow maize/corn to feed cows in the UK and especially Ireland. A decent grass lay should last the minimum of 3 years and it could be cut 3 times a year for only one establishment cost. By September you have all your winter feed in and can make plans. With Maize you start the winter with your winter feed still in the field. In these islands we normaly get plenty of rain to grow grass and too much rain to harvest maize. feel free to ask any maize growing dairy farmer if he can produce a litre of milk cheaper than his grass silage feeding neighbour. |
|
|
|
Post by Fred on Jun 16, 2007 17:13:25 GMT 1
Wet grass silage is no good for man or beast, I thought the days of water running out of the trailers on the way to the clamp were over! For good silage you want a leafy grass thats dried a little. If it's picked up wet or left too long before cutting the quality is going to be affected. Maize silage is becoming more and more widespread, fact. Why? because it has higher energy values and the cows milk well on it. Dairy cows and beef need this, if it's suckler cows then ok lower quality. Agree cows prefer a bale of silage to clamp.
|
|
|
|
Post by adamL on Jun 16, 2007 19:21:51 GMT 1
Maize silage is becoming more and more widespread, fact. Why? because it has higher energy values and the cows milk well on it. ...but can you produce a litre of milk cheaper with maize or grass? @16 pence per litre, cost of production is surely the major factor. |
|
|
|
Post by RmarkV on Jun 17, 2007 9:34:12 GMT 1
I personally would not be keen to grow maize/corn to feed cows in the UK and especially Ireland.
Well maize has risen around 20% in land area on last year and there has been a serious up take in contract maize, which is confusing me due to the nitrate rules. Apparently last year maize was even cut commericaly in Wexford.
|
|
|
|
Post by RmarkV on Jun 19, 2007 22:52:42 GMT 1
Managed a quick look at the cab of the 494 very nice, only wish it was on the combines!
Does anyone know if a new pick up will be built for the machine?
|
|
|
|
Post by Advice on Jul 2, 2007 2:44:58 GMT 1
How long will those pictures be available i wonder? They were removed already..................... Does Claas have so much power that they can have pictures removed from the World Wide Web?  ?? |
|
|
|
Post by RmarkV on Jul 2, 2007 9:03:08 GMT 1
It might spoil the showing of it in November. I know of one publisher, that is very hesitant about saying anything about claas that my be taken the wrong way by them, as they are one of their biggest advertising revenue stream. Freedom of the press  |
|
|
|
Post by guest on Jul 22, 2007 15:26:38 GMT 1
I have heard from a reliable source that there are already a number of these machines in the UK being tested, however it is very hush hush as it was put to me for an enourmous unveiling in agritechnica, i have also heard that the machine will be vastly redesigned
|
|
|
|
Post by In the know on Jul 22, 2007 17:03:35 GMT 1
There are two machines operating in the UK.
Heard that the one contractor that is using the machine is slightly disappointed that the only change is to the engine and the panelwork. He feels that the output is not a vast amount more that the 900 due to the fact the machine is at full capacity with the feed rollers and the cyld.
|
|
