The last few days have seen many farmers move to harvest second-cut silage as there was a brief break from the rainy weather.
The harvesting of silage crops has been a challenge this year, with first cut delayed by drought conditions and then second cut by drought, then rain.
At this point, farmers need to determine whether a third cut is needed to ensure that fodder supplies are sufficient for the winter months.
Weather
The challenging weather conditions experienced this year have resulted in many farms feeding more silage than expected and making less.
The amount of bales made from surplus grass supplies on farms is going to be significantly lower compared to other years.
This will mean that for many farms, the amount of fodder currently in the yard is going to be less than other years.
The likelihood of harvesting surplus bales in paddocks from now on is low, as grass growth will naturally start to tail off towards the autumn months.
The changing weather patterns that we are seeing more commonly now means that having excess silage in the yard is a must.
Weather has a significant impact on the Irish production system and having fodder available when grass is not accessible due to wet or dry conditions is vital.
Assessment
An assessment of current fodder supplies needs to be carried out over the coming days to determine the total amount of silage on every farm.
Once this has been done, farmers can then determine if there is enough for the winter or if a third cut is needed to ensure supplies are sufficient.
While there may be sufficient fodder supplies after the second cut, it is important to also ensure there is at least an extra month’s worth of silage in reserve.
It has been a challenging year for silage for everyone across the country, and purchasing fodder may be difficult this year.
Third cut
If a third cut is needed, farmers should determine how much is required and the area that is needed to grow this crop.
It is unlikely that the same amount of area used for first and second cut is needed, but for a small number that may be the case.
Ideally, land that is away from the milking platform should be used, as it is also time to start building average farm cover (AFC) moving into the autumn months and land around the yard may be needed to do this.
Farmers also need to consider when they may be harvesting this crop and if the land will be accessible at that time for machinery.
Moving into September, land in some areas can become tender, and heavy machinery can cause damage.
The drier the fields used the better, with cutting ideally in mid to early September.