Richard Charmley
Richard Charmley
Richard Charmley is a tenant on a 73ha (180-acre) dairy unit at Ightfield near Whitchurch in Shropshire,
supporting 130 Holstein Friesians.
OUR new recruit David has settled in well. Hes getting used to my antics, and up to now I have only caught him once with the electric fencer. He got his own back by leaving the portable unit on the tractor, with the lead laid across the seat.
The stubble turnips have finished and for the last 10 days we had to let the cows loose over them as they were starting to rot. The field is now going to be put back into grass, and I was told a light harrowing and a bit of grass seed would be enough. This was not the case as there were a lot of leaves and turnips still on the top, so the field was ploughed, then 1t of lime/acre was applied and a long-term grazing grass ley sown. It was then rolled with my new Grays 10ft roller, bought from a local machinery dealer, who, after reading my last article about budgeting for new machinery suggested he could supply all my needs.
First and second cut silage has now been tested and results are shown in the table. First cut was treated with Live System, second cut with Add-F. Both seemed to have done a good job, but we will have to wait and see how the cows feed on it in the winter.
The maize is a lot taller than last year, but has a much smaller cob. Harvesting will be much earlier this year compared with Oct 26 last year. But nightshade looks like it is going to be a bigger problem next year.
Much of my winter straw was bought in round bales from a local farmer at the rugby club promise auction, but I couldnt remember how much I had bought – or paid for it. But I soon found out when I arrived back one afternoon last week to find straw bales all over the yard. The rest will now be bought on a monthly basis as we have run out of storage.
I have not yet made the grade for the Whitchurch first team, I think I must be suffering from the rip dip effect – a Dutch genetic phenomenon causing a late peak.n
Both first and second cut silages seem to have done well, but the proof will be how cows feed on it
this winter, says Richard Charmley.
Silage test results
1st cut2nd cut
Dry Matter28%25%
ME11.510.3
Crude Protein19%14%
D-Value7264
pH3.73.9
Ammonia Nitrogen7021