The Irish Farmers Journal spoke to farmers and contractors from across the country as the tractors roared on Friday and Saturday to get strong pasture taken out.
Waterford contractor Ger Trihy was among the first in the country to cut silage in 2017.
Trihy cut 14 acres of silage for dairy farmers Michael and William Keane in a sunny Ardmore on Saturday.
With several of his machines already out in fields ploughing and sowing barley for other customers, Trihy pulled his trusty 1993 Massey Ferguson 3115 “from the back of the shed” to work the McHale 5500.
Taking five bales to the acre from the Keanes’ field, Youghal-based Trihy described the silage as “top quality, brilliant stuff”.
The field has been stopped all winter after having silage taken off it last September.
First crop
The main first cut of silage in the Ardmore-Youghal area is still some weeks away.
“Cows were out early and they grazed them tight; conditions allowed it. It will be another three weeks before the silage season gets going,” the contractor told the Irish Farmers Journal. “It’s usually around the first of May.”
Tillage work is progressing well, with Trihy’s men sowing malting barley for one farmer and ploughing in preparation for sowing feed barley in another.
“Conditions today were very good but yesterday was a bit sticky,” he added.
Longford
It is not just in the sunny south and southeast where grass growth has been strong. Co Longford dairy farmer John Payne had the balers in the fields on Saturday too.
Read more
Early silage season on the cards
Managing heavy covers
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