Farmer Focus: Can I hold out for bulkier first-cut silage?

Well, haven’t things changed in five weeks? Trump decides to bomb Iran and act like a petulant child when no one wants to join him. Aside from that, it will have a huge impact on the majority of our inputs.

The sun has come out, which has allowed us to take the pressure off our slurry pits. That said, we haven’t actually put very much slurry on, as there is so much grass there.

See also: 8 ways to produce award-winning silage

About the author

David Luxton

David Luxton farms with his partner Sarah Haworth on her family’s 101ha all-grass farm on the north Devon/Cornwall border. They run a 200-cow housed Holstein Friesian herd averaging close to 11,000 litres, milking through three robots on a guided system. A further 28ha are rented for growing grass and maize

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My long-suffering nutritionist Matt wants me to go for a bulkier first cut this year to try to make a more stable base ration for the cows.

I will do my best, but fear “green fever” will probably get the better of me.

It’s a condition I’ve suffered with since I was young, when I would pester Mum to take me out to watch my uncle silaging, using his old trailed Claas Jaguar to pick up single mower rows.

It’s funny how a couple of days of sun can lift your mood. I can only describe this winter as never-ending. Even the starlings had had enough of the rain and left a month earlier than normal.

But then I watched Britain’s Got Talent and realised what a wonderful community we live and work in. I, probably like the rest of you, had a tear in my eye watching the Hawkstone farm choir get the golden buzzer.

It goes to show we are stronger together, which is why I have started my next project: I have recently been appointed NFU dairy rep for Devon.

It’s interesting learning what they do for us for the amount it costs each year to be a member.

I know from personal experience that our new dairy unit wouldn’t be there without the NFU legal team fighting the planners.

As for the cows, we have had a bit of an improvement – about 2.5 litres a cow, and the fresh cows and heifers are coming in better.

We ran out of haylage back in the summer and fed the dry cows hay for six months; it’s starting to look like this may have been a factor in holding the cows back.

We have tested positive for mycotoxins and have put a binder in today, so hopefully this is the silver bullet I’ve been looking for.