Kenneth Flynn is a lecturer at Gurteen College in Co. Tipperary, and farm manager to its 1000ac farm.

At Gurteen there are 250 dairy cows and 70 suckler cows, as well as 450 ewes. Of the 1000ac, 120ac are designated to tillage.

In Kenneth’s words, “basically everything” the farm grows it uses. Each year, it cuts between 250-300ac of silage – and this year is no different.

However, silage 2023 has yet to kick off on the farm, with first cut due to take place in the middle of May.

“I was hoping to do it the first week of May, but everything’s a little bit behind at the moment so it’s probably going to be next week,” Kenneth said.

Quality pit silage at Gurteen College

Once cut, the farm uses a combination of bales and pit.

“We’ll put between 250-300ac into the pit, and then we’ll make about 400 bales of silage as well,” Kenneth explained.

When it comes to storage, the farm manager has opted to use Rhino products.

“At the moment we’re using their cover. We’re using Clingseal,” he said.

Clingseal is a clamp sheet that sits directly beneath traditional silage sheets. It is flexible, thin, and can ‘cling’ more closely to the contours of the clamp’s surface and tucks better at the side.

As it provides a better air seal, Clingseal also facilitates a faster, more efficient fermentation process, resulting in silage with greater nutritional value and increased dry matter intake (DMI) potential.

It comes in a range of sizes, including 8m x 50m; 11m x 50m; 16m x 50m; 18m x 50m – all at 40μm. It is also 100% recyclable.

Gurteen College farm has been using Clingseal for two years, and Kenneth said it’s been going “very well”.

Commenting on the product, Kenneth said: “We find very little waste on the pit and it’s quite easy to put on.

“There’s no problems in getting it onto the pit and we find even up along the sides and the corners, there’s no waste, so we’ve been very happy with it.”

Going forward, Kenneth doesn’t see himself moving away from using Clingseal.

“We’re very happy with it, so for the foreseeable future anyway we intend to keep using it.

“I see more advantages to keep using it than moving away from it,” he said.

Minimising losses

Clingseal clamp sheets are often used in combination with Rhino protection nets, as is the case on Pat O’Connell’s farm in Co. Cork.

Pat previosuly had problems with silage spoilage, mostly from birds.

“The main issue with our silage storage has been the crows. They tend to land on top of the pit and dig their claws in,” he explained.

However, with this net and sheet system he has seen a large reduction in spoilage in his silage.

“With the protection nets, the silage is kept safe and the plastic is kept tight along the sides of the pit and all along the joints,” Pat said.

For more information on Rhino products, click here.