Grass on the stem

Claas Grass

Claas Grass

Well-Known Member
What are lads paying for silage on the stem, you fertilise and spread slurry, wondering would it be worth it instead of grain, would have to be sprayed for docks too as not willing to have a field of dirt, I would happily spray it myself so long as it's reflected in the price :smile:
 
You are probably talking about taking 2/3 cuts every year then?

Are you in a strong dairy area? It's just a personal opinion but I think that's a great way of wearing out land as you can't guarantee that the high levels of P and K taken off will be replaced.
 
nashmach said:
You are probably talking about taking 2/3 cuts every year then?

Are you in a strong dairy area? It's just a personal opinion but I think that's a great way of wearing out land as you can't guarantee that the high levels of P and K taken off will be replaced.
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Ya definitely two cuts, it's a mixed area but there are a few big herds and a lot of expansion going on, have one field that sterile broome is becoming an issue in and wouldn't mind just using that as the field to try it out, that could be an issue I suppose if you were getting one off customers if it was a large area and just throwing out N
 
Ozzy Scott said:
Silage is too dear a crop to grow to get someone to give you its full value on the stem.
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I think some of the dairy lads up here are starting to value it a bit more in the last year or two, they are all wanting to use all their grass around the parlour and selling silage is no longer just I'll take it off your hands and even at that I'm doing you a favour thing anymore
 
Local lad who god rid of cows has his land let out for silage €120 for 1st cut buyer spreads the fert. 2nd cut is going for €50 per acre .That is about the go of it in the middle of an intensive dairy area
 
it's very variable, like everything else.

We're in good dairy country, we spread and spray ourselves. Most years around €170 first cut, a good year we've seen €190, last year we got a hundred.

Second cut is similarly variable. Some years you couldnt give it away, other years lads want to buy it with the first cut.

It's making less than the land would lease for, but we've never lost money (although if you annualise lime and reseeding costs we would have lost last year I guess)


Dont let anyone fertilise it themselves, all they'll want to do is put out can, and be prepared for a call or two every year from the dairy farmer who wants to export slurry as part of the deal. But doesnt want to actually export anything only paper.
 
Claas Grass said:
I think some of the dairy lads up here are starting to value it a bit more in the last year or two, they are all wanting to use all their grass around the parlour and selling silage is no longer just I'll take it off your hands and even at that I'm doing you a favour thing anymore
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Yea. A lot of guys (myself included) are beginning to realise how hard it is to get good quality silage. Its a vicious circle though as lads dont make enough cos theres not enough demand for quality, and theres not enough supply to create reliable demand.

Best way is this, sell it off the stem but go into a 3 year arrangement or rotation (different field each year if you're in tillage and want a break crop). But get it tested before and after. Ensure in the agreement that a nutrient management plan has to be followed. Most are dead simple anyway (normally I find its more about replacing a bag of 18-6-12 with something cheaper like 25-4-0 anyway)
 
A neighbour has enough silage made in his fist cut and has offered me the second cut .
It's old meadow relatively clean .I've to spread fert and I'll have to make bales . I can leave the bales in his yard and draw them as I need them .
He wants me to pay him per bale so what's it worth?
 
legsandland said:
A neighbour has enough silage made in his fist cut and has offered me the second cut .
It's old meadow relatively clean .I've to spread fert and I'll have to make bales . I can leave the bales in his yard and draw them as I need them .
He wants me to pay him per bale so what's it worth?
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It's worth getting it baled with a baler that's going to pack the hell out of them
 
legsandland said:
A neighbour has enough silage made in his fist cut and has offered me the second cut .
It's old meadow relatively clean .I've to spread fert and I'll have to make bales . I can leave the bales in his yard and draw them as I need them .
He wants me to pay him per bale so what's it worth?
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Tell him you might have a deal for the bales of him during the winter. let him do all the work
 
Ozzy Scott said:
Tell him you might have a deal for the bales of him during the winter. let him do all the work
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That would be the logical thing to do but he is not young and I already have some land leased from him . I have my own gear anyway . Thing is when you work it out the value of the actual grass is near zero .
 
Second cut ground around here for €40 /acre buyer puts on the fert.
A fair price is surely €5/bale.
I don't know what figures you are using that the value of the grass would be near zero but sure every one would take it if they got it for zero!!!
 
Ozzy Scott said:
Tell him you might have a deal for the bales of him during the winter. let him do all the work
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As a seller I'd always take less today than the speculative chance of more in the winter. Lucky bags are worth a fortune maybe one year in five on the spot market.

Another two years they might break even, the other two they're being sold for the price of the contractor's charge to get rid.


Unless you have a certain demand for bales you'd be a fool to make them for buyers who "might"
 
JohnBoy said:
As a seller I'd always take less today than the speculative chance of more in the winter. Lucky bags are worth a fortune maybe one year in five on the spot market.

Another two years they might break even, the other two they're being sold for the price of the contractor's charge to get rid.


Unless you have a certain demand for bales you'd be a fool to make them for buyers who "might"
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thats my point, and at least a "might" dosen't put you in a position of having to take them
 
JohnBoy said:
As a seller I'd always take less today than the speculative chance of more in the winter. Lucky bags are worth a fortune maybe one year in five on the spot market.

Another two years they might break even, the other two they're being sold for the price of the contractor's charge to get rid.


Unless you have a certain demand for bales you'd be a fool to make them for buyers who "might"
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Just sold 200 bales of hay off the field. They're all bought and paid for and heading west . I still have hay left over from last year that someone 'might' buy!
 
JohnBoy said:
It's bad enough that we're getting screwed by processors, but it's a bad day when farmers want to screw each other too.
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I wouldnt consider it screwing, I dont believe im getting screwed by the man buying my end product. If the processor isnt making money very quickly we would have no one to process our finished product. All im saying regarding the silage is why pay more now, than you will have to pay in the future, all to do this farmer a favor
 
A price per bale is surely the fairest on both parties if one can be agreed, nobody feels like they got a raw deal if the yield is higher or lower than expected. As for what it might be worth over the winter, no more than any transaction you do a deal you're happy with on the day and drive on. Nobody knows what next winter will bring, as my grandfather used to say about saving fodder "there was never a year yet it wasn't wanted". There might be lots of silage and hay out there at the minute but nature has a knack of balancing things out.
 
Tippcon said:
A price per bale is surely the fairest on both parties if one can be agreed, nobody feels like they got a raw deal if the yield is higher or lower than expected. As for what it might be worth over the winter, no more than any transaction you do a deal you're happy with on the day and drive on. Nobody knows what next winter will bring, as my grandfather used to say about saving fodder "there was never a year yet it wasn't wanted". There might be lots of silage and hay out there at the minute but nature has a knack of balancing things out.
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Old boys here say"if you made it you'll need it"
 
Blackwater boy said:
I'm paying 7 for first cut and 5 for 2nd cut per bale and all fert etc is covered by me. I was happy enough as I need to re build stocks
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Ye that's the sort of figures I'd be happy with .€3 for fert €11.50 mow bale n wrap Inc extra plastic €2 for drawing and stacking =€16.50 +€5 for the grass =€21.50 /bale
This is old style meadow . When it's baled dry it comes out smelling like tobacco and auld lads will say sure wouldnt u ate it urself but cattle eating this alone for the winter will come out a bit bigger but the same weight .
I'm not tryin to screw anyone but when a farmer thinks a bale is worth €25 it's hard to tell him his grass inside is only worth a fiver . Says a lot about the cost of baled silage .
 
Is 15 bales to the acre not a hell of a crop to be expecting for 2nd cut? What kind of fertiliser are you talking about?
 
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