1st silage cut

[ann]

Well we have cut 2 of our fields today for silage, now all we want is a few days of good weather as last year we where cutting and baling in extreme conditions. This year all my grassing fields are yellow with buttercups, I'm not sure if the fields are short of lime, or its because the cows where so late being turned out the the buttercups got away on us!

How is everyone else getting on?

[Buryhill Dexters]

We have been really lucky with both timing & the weather, made round bale silage off 20 acres on the bank holiday weekend of May 25th/27th and made some lovely big square hay off another 25 acres which we baled 10th June and it started raining just after we finished getting it in about midnight.
just looking forward to another few fine days on the trot to get the rest done.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Not doing so well here, cut a few swaths round a three acre paddock on Sunday, baled it last night and wrapped this morning, but seem to be hitting snags with everthing I touch - mower is missing a guard from PTO input, can only get round twice without spending 10 minutes disentangling the shaft, bit ordered yesterday arrived today so that is good. Baler got almost all the small area baled then the pickup reel packed in and may be major problem. We can't handle large round bales and can't wrap small square ones which are the only options other than my own baler, so can't cut more unless certain of baling hay not silage. At least I have this with (for me) an early start so mustn't panic. Nearly forgot to mention the wrapper, rolls of wrap delivered last year and not used yet have cardboard centres which do not fit the holder, and a joint in the control mechanism has burst and had to be tied tight with twine.

I hope everyone else is having more luck.
Duncan

[Rob R]

Wow, Gloucestershire must be further on than it is round here!

Weve got some ready but we're yet to start as Paul decided to give the 'new' mower a complete overhaul before starting and it's turned into a total rebuild. At least when it's done we'll be able to get on faster as we have an extra 3 1/2 foot. Some of the grass has only just gone in but that's germinating now and some aftermaths from last backend will be the first to be cut, including some nice wholecrop from last year's barley that didn't get cut.

The buttercup are in abundance here too Ann - we're putting it down to a combination of the wet season last year, the cold Spring and that we were unable to get on the land last year to spread the muck that should have gone on.

[Broomcroft]

We round baled 10 acres of red clover/rye grass a couple of weeks ago, only got 5 bales an acre instead of usual 8-12, but didn't want it going stalky. The rest of fields only just coming ready now for a worthwhile crop. But rain coming tomorrow and the weekend, so nothing else cut yet. Next week fingers crossed!

Rain tomorrow so out fertilising today for that much needed 2nd cut on the 10 acres and also putting a sprinkle of fert on grazing leys as we haven't got any aftermath to graze yet. Everything's so late this year. Last year made silage mid-May. House Martins only just arrived as well.