Summer grass - be careful

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sun May 31, 2009 8:38 am

With the weather we have at the moment i thought i would just put my early thoughts on summer gras to you all.
As i walk in my feilds at the moment i see the grass being grazed burning off already with the very dry spells we have had and the fields i have set aside for winter fodder are very thin on grass growth, there seems to be no body in the sward.
So the warning signs are there for hay shortages next year if the dry weather continues.
I am lucky as due to last years wet summer i have 60 big square bales left over to feed this summer if it remains dry and arid and to make up the shortfall in crop this harvest.
Is Leicestershire in a micro climate or are others in the same position.

acrossthesea · Post by **acrossthesea** » Sun May 31, 2009 9:51 am

Hi Mark,
The cattle in Northern Ireland are in and out of the sheds like the proverbial jack in a box. At the minute on heavy ground you would'nt dare go on with a tractor. Where we are no silage has been cut. We are a a good 2 weeks behind. Some areas are worse than others. Fermanagh where ground is sold by the gallon not the hectare its very bad. Some cattle are not yet out. County Down would be growing the second cut as there ground is light. Here we where we are have just had 3 dry days but the fields are still saturated underfoot. Not only as it been unusually wet its been cold with it although this warm spell will kick start the growth. If things carry on this way it will be another 10 days before I can look at getting a crop. Some farmers are still buying in silage to be fed to cattle now. We were lucky we only had to get 1 big bale. £28 a bale its been fetching. Lets hope this good Summer arrives. Then as you say it will start burning. Fluke is always a problem here due to the wet, maybe this year we might not get it so bad.

Howard Hilton Hillhead Dexters N.Ireland.

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Sun May 31, 2009 10:43 am

On Bute we are much the same as NI, wet wet wet and cold with it so far this year. Most dairy cows have had to be kept in at night and some that went out early have been taken back in completely. Where they are grazing they are poaching badly and going across the fields at great speed, some halfway through silage fields as well as what they were meant to be grazing.We have had 2 dry warm days now, getting to be a bit of a habit! I cut rushes to have them sprayed in June last year and they are still not sprayed because the ground is so wet, can hardly walk on some of it let alone send in a tractor and sprayer.

Duncan

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Sun May 31, 2009 11:47 am

We're doing big bale clover silage on two fields and happy with our yields, but this land has not been grazed by cattle & until March 2008 had been down to set aside. We're hoping to get a second cut, but at this rate I'm sure our yields be down. Over the winter a neighbour grazed the leys with his sheep.

The grass fields we used last year for silage, I think from what Rob has said, may be lacking this time.

We have taken on new land this which has only been grazed lightly with sheep for the past few years & then topped. The cattle are grazing that, but there's plenty of it, but with ground beginning to dry out, it will be a different picture very shortly if the dry weather continues.

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun May 31, 2009 11:59 am

Here in South Wales many farmers chose not to do their silage last weekend as the forecast was bad but could have gathered it as the weather turned out OK, so they are wishing they had cut anyway. The weather has been lovely the last few days and the foragers are going all around this morning. The fields were very dry and cracking a few weeks back but the soil here is about perfect now but as it was so cold for so long I haven't long taken my cattle off the hay fields.

Stephanie

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Sun May 31, 2009 1:00 pm

We are like you Mark, here in North Yorks. Despite some wet weather the ground is now very dry and grass growth reduced. Very little getting cut yet despite the good weather.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 8:46 am

Last weekend I had to put an electric fence through one of my hay fields to allow my cows to graze. Very litte regrowth on fields already grazed, and as I am on the north downs (chalk) not much chance of it now. My other hay fields are not looking particularly good, there looks to be plenty from the edge, but when you take a closer look there is little bulk. I sold 400 bales of good rye grass and clover hay left from last year only a few weeks ago, I may live to regret doing so.
The forcast shows no sign of rain in the near future and with very little fallen over the past few months crop yields are bound to be down. My advice to those that havn't secured winter supplies yet, do so soon, you may be in for a rather nasty surprise if you don't.

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:05 am

Wet dismal and cold today (Sat), excellent. Trouble is we are showing at Rutland County show tomorrow and the forecast is just as wet, still you can't have it all ways so i will take the rain.

ann · Post by **ann** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 8:36 pm

we have just taken a first cut from one fiield and have got a decent crop, hopefully we might get a 2nd cut, however my other field was grazed longer than normal last year and still needs some more growth. Everyone around here has got their first cuts baled and in. I went over the moors yesterday to Saltburn by the Sea in Cleveland and ever farm we passed had got their silaged baled and wrapped, I think around here everyone has opt for a slightly lighter crop safely gather in, with hopefully a second cut to follow if poss.
we have been very lucky with almost a month of dry weather and got our cattle out earlier that usual this year. Hopefully the last few weeks have not been our

summer.

acrossthesea · Post by **acrossthesea** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:05 am

Managed to get the first cut yesterday. We have had 14 days without rain which is un heard of in N.Ireland. I think that Duncan on Bute has had simular weather. Being on peat we will be screaming for rain in the next couple of weeks. The tractor did'nt leave a mark in the fields which is most unusual but cracks are begining to appear. I am hoping that one small cut about August or September will do us. The cattle are now in eating the ditch bottoms. The big farms around us have cut and applied slurry which is now burning the fields. They might suffer later on as they need a second cut as the first one was'nt great.
Howard Hilton Hillhead Dexters (N.Ireland)

wagra dexters · Post by **wagra dexters** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:01 am

We have a desperately need foot of snow. A few more dumps like this before spring would be very welcome.
Margaret.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:21 am

We left our field late to get a big crop and that's what happened. Baled yesterday and got a massive crop of 12 plus tightly packed round bales per acre. Contractor says grass slow to start then took off.

Edited By Broomcroft on 1245918120

ann · Post by **ann** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 10:28 pm

I'm another happy bunny as I now have all my silage in and despite a slow start we have got over 130 round bales plus some haylage and the grass is starting to pick up already on the last field we cut :D :D

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:08 am

I have just got 200+ big square bales of haylage, well wrapped nearly hay, and i am very pleased. The crop seemed to thicken up at the last minute.
6 acres of small conventional backbreaking bales left to do!

nuttalls · Post by **nuttalls** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:10 am

good luck with your hay mark, we are on our last 400 bales today hope the weather holds for everyone. 200 big bales and 1000 little bales should keep my girls happy this winter.we've worked hard to get little bales but they are very handy jean jordeth