Local contractors got their annual call-up to help Coolmore with baling straw in Co Tipperary this week.

Alan and Philip Walsh, driving for contractors Richard and Thomas Murphy, Ardfinnan, along with Noel McCarthy and Paul Farrell, driving for Thomas and John Cooney, Knockeeven, Clerihan, were pictured baling on Grange Farm, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

The variety sown at Grange Farm was Tower and it was cut at 15% to 17% moisture, yielded over 4t/ac and bushelled on average 65-67KPH, Coolmore agronomist Tony Nugent told the Irish Farmers Journal.

20,000 bales

It is believed that the stud can use up to 20,000 bales per year and although it grows a large acreage of winter barley, it also buys in a significant amount from local farmers.

All buying of straw will be completed this week by farm manager Joe Holohan, with the quality of paramount importance for the racehorses of the future.

“It must be top quality in terms of colour and being dust-free for the horses,” Nugent explained.

The stud also grows its own oats for feeding and started cutting Husky at Ballymackey, Newcastle, on Tuesday.

Early indications are that the crop is doing 3.8t/ac at a moisture of 16% and 55KPH.

Some of the oaten straw will be kept in-house, some sold on the flat and some will be chopped. The wheat crop is a fortnight away from harvesting.

The next crop that will see the combine headers will the oilseed rape in the coming days, followed by the wheat.

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