Many farmers chose to spread fertiliser after their last cut of silage in late July or early August in order to build up more fodder for the winter months.
The dry and warm weather this week will give farmers the opportunity to get their final cut of silage in for the year.
At this stage of the year, most of the silage that has to be cut is not on the milking platform and is on an out-farm.
Generally speaking, most cows have been offered most of the home grazing platform to build covers and extend the grazing season.
It is important for farmers to act on this good spell of weather, as when we get further into the autumn months, the weather can be more unpredictable.
The fact is, that we may not get a run of dry and warm weather like this for the rest of the year, which means that farmers will have to act on cutting silage this week.
Although, the National Ploughing Championships is on this week, farmers will need to organise their week to potentially get a day out at the ploughing and to stock up on their potential final supply of fodder.
Final cut of silage
According to Met Éireann, the weather is to be as high as 22°C and the warm and dry weather is to hold until Saturday.
By the weekend, as per Met Éireann, the weather is to break, with unsettled weather seen in most parts of the country, meaning there is a four-day window from now until Saturday to act on your silage cut.
With seven-month winters now becoming a reality in recent years, a lot of farmers fear that they won’t have enough silage for next winter.
However, if you have completed a fodder budget, you will know approximately how much silage is needed to get you through.
The aim should be to produce approximately 8t of silage per cow, which equates to about 10 bales/cow.
When cutting your silage, ideally cut the grass in the afternoon and evening when the sugar levels are at their highest.
Nitrogen (N) levels should be ideally below 600ppm, but can preserve up to 800ppm if adequate sugars are present. Grass uses approximately two units of N/day.
In practice, if you apply 100 units of N for first cut silage, the grass should use up the N in 50 days- depending on conditions, the N can be used up quicker.
However, the two unit rule should be used as a guideline to put out the fertiliser, but it should not stop you from cutting and so you should not be waiting around for the N levels to be perfect.
The quicker you wrap up your final cut of silage, the sooner it will allow you to go out with dairy washings or soiled water to build up grass on the ground for potentially getting stock out at or for closing off for the winter.
Farmers must act now to get in the final of cut of silage to alleviate of any fodder supply shortages for the winter, and a fodder budget should be completed now to see where you are in terms of fodder.