Silage 2021


Besides the price. I think an outfit like this still has its place.
I think it's a bit presumptuous to claim they make better silage than another contractor. Got little to nothing to do with layering and rolling lads especially with our wet crops, it's all about sealing.
 

Besides the price. I think an outfit like this still has its place.
no doubt. one lad i draw silage for runs a jf900 for one or 2 customers. they prefer the longer chop length and i spose it was a bit cheaper than getting a spfh in too but im not a fan of of those t&c's in the ad
 
I think it's a bit presumptuous to claim they make better silage than another contractor. Got little to nothing to do with layering and rolling lads especially with our wet crops, it's all about sealing.

I agree. Silage is cut in the field and made in the pit. Around here its common for lads to let silage bulk up as much as possible in order to make it worthwhile paying per acre which means less feed value.
 
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I think it's a bit presumptuous to claim they make better silage than another contractor. Got little to nothing to do with layering and rolling lads especially with our wet crops, it's all about sealing.
If only more lads could understand this life would be an ease on the pit, they’d nearly be stopping the trailers coming in because they think it’s not being rolled enough 😅
 
I push up silage for 3 weeks in May in Wicklow for a good friend of mine with what would be considered an old school outfit, 7710 on pottinger mx6, 6830 and 6155M drawing in, 6920 on pit with push off, hire in another tractor for long draw. We would lift 50-55 acres a day. As far as I can see if I was at pits it’s the way I’d be doing it the costs are very low compared to a large outfit and it gets through work grand.
 

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I push up silage for 3 weeks in May in Wicklow for a good friend of mine with what would be considered an old school outfit, 7710 on pottinger mx6, 6830 and 6155M drawing in, 6920 on pit with push off, hire in another tractor for long draw. We would lift 50-55 acres a day. As far as I can see if I was at pits it’s the way I’d be doing it the costs are very low compared to a large outfit and it gets through work grand.
at least the grass is light to go bigger swarths too
 
I think it's a bit presumptuous to claim they make better silage than another contractor. Got little to nothing to do with layering and rolling lads especially with our wet crops, it's all about sealing.
While that's true I would say they are very much linked. Its a lot easier to seal a well made square rolled pit than a lumpy heap of grass.
 
no doubt. one lad i draw silage for runs a jf900 for one or 2 customers. they prefer the longer chop length and i spose it was a bit cheaper than getting a spfh in too but im not a fan of of those t&c's in the ad
Why are you not a fan of the T&C's
 
If a hole is made in the cover of a badly rolled pit, it will rot a lot more than a well rolled pit. It’s all about the rolling.
That again is the seal. Any hole is going to create rot regardless. Focus more on the seal than the rolling.
Get an old 40 gal drum cut it in 2 pieces 2 thirds the way up, fill the bottom half and within reason tramp it down slightly, Mark the top level of the grass. Cut the top part a couple of inches down the side so it can slide over the bottom half n then bale tape the hell out of it to seal it up.
I've done it before and it makes perfect silage. I even tried it where I only quarter filled the bottom to see if it went off from being so little space filled in the drum but it made no odds, it's everything to do with the seal that's important.
 
Why are you not a fan of the T&C's
wouldnt you think it be easier to have the one rate especially if a disagreement comes up on how heavy/light the cuts are? maybe im nit picking. sure who knows, it probs work perfectly for them
 
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Why penalise the person taking lighter cuts .
Our buck charges by the acre as standard, but if its a very heavy grown out crop due to bad weather ground etc extra diesel and time are factored into final bill and like wise a lighter crop , less time and less diesel sees a good drop of standard price but we have the silage ground around the pit anyways .
 
wouldnt you think it be easier to have the one rate especially if a disagreement comes up on how heavy/light the cuts are? maybe im nit picking. sure who knows, it probs work perfectly for them
I think it's a good idea, it might encourage people to make quality over quantity. There is no advantage to letting it grow on or bulk up.
A bale of good quality silage cut early will last longer than a bale of average or poor quality cut later.
It might also spread the workload for them with some customers cutting earlier.
 
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That again is the seal. Any hole is going to create rot regardless. Focus more on the seal than the rolling.
Get an old 40 gal drum cut it in 2 pieces 2 thirds the way up, fill the bottom half and within reason tramp it down slightly, Mark the top level of the grass. Cut the top part a couple of inches down the side so it can slide over the bottom half n then bale tape the hell out of it to seal it up.
I've done it before and it makes perfect silage. I even tried it where I only quarter filled the bottom to see if it went off from being so little space filled in the drum but it made no odds, it's everything to do with the seal that's important.
That's fine and it's true. but in practice a well rolled well made pit is easier sealed and therefore preserved than a badly made one.
 
That's fine and it's true. but in practice a well rolled well made pit is easier sealed and therefore preserved than a badly made one.
I think @jcb411abuser is right on this one, you will make better silage in a silo tower than a pit. The stuff in a tower is only compacted by its own weight but should be perfectly sealed
 
I see the yearly midlands pit silage price rally is in full force on facebook 🤠🤠
Is this what you're on about, silage in the pit for €75/acre if you get it done before 25th May, goes to €90 from then until 2nd week of June and to €100 after that. Still cheap.
 
Is this what you're on about, silage in the pit for €75/acre if you get it done before 25th May, goes to €90 from then until 2nd week of June and to €100 after that. Still cheap.
I'd say he would be hard got on the 24th of May
 
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Is this what you're on about, silage in the pit for €75/acre if you get it done before 25th May, goes to €90 from then until 2nd week of June and to €100 after that. Still cheap.
Yes but every year that link is shared on Facebook and every other contractor in the area attacks him and it’s all visible to the public
 
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