The Poultry Keeper

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

i've brought some silage for the sheep and it's a bit Confused

next year i would like to make it myself
got a few questions
it's a mystery to me Embarassed

,i have been told you can make it in blue plastic barrels ,and then seal it ,the croft is almost impossible to get a tractor on ,can it be cut by hand ,nonie says she has been told to put 3 spoonfulls of treacle in a trangle on the top before sealing as it makes it really tasty
any ideas
with hay at 4.40 per bale it would be nice to save some money as the sheep and goats are costing a fortune ,if it's not possible that's fine just any thoughts please

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:14 pm Post subject:

I'll have to ask some of my neighbours Suz, since that's what they seem to do here in UC.... Also, we get hay direct from Sandy Ironside, at a quid cheaper than Crofter's (he supplies crofter's)... next time I make an order, I can pm you and then you let me know and I can order a few extra bales for you!

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2381 Location: South Cumbria

Farmers now tend to make sileage in plastic instead of a clamp , molasses used to be added but I don't think they do anymore, I will ask my neighbour if I see him but with 600 sheep lambing it might be a week or 3 Smile

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

no it's alright holly ,storage is a problem i can get it fairly cheaply from people i know ,but would prefer silage

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

i sort of know the threary but it's a hell of a lot of work for nothing if it goes wrong ,i might ask murdo when he comes to see the sheep he has spent weeks cutting silage on a huge scale

debcat · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject:

there's only one bloke who does silage up here
and I'm NOT asking 'him'

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

it's alright you don't have to ask him Twisted Evil

(you don't want a hefier called diamand do you Wink

) murdo at the farm told me how to do it,but i still get worried about it ,after hearing that a couple of animals died last year with listeria ,i could ask arthur
he might even cut hay for me if i asked
or i could ask nonies "freind" murdo,he's been cutting silage all summer at different farms down south ,it's just i was wondering if anyone did it ,i might make a couple of barrels and see how it goes Wink

debcat · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:28 pm Post subject:

Have you tried asking Kevin?
whats this about a heifer called diamond?

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

yep he says the same thing it is easy ,find youself some barrels Confused

and the crofters does the plastic to seal them ,leave the barrels on the field and feed when you need to

diamond is a lovely little hefier nonie wants to find a home for she is halter broken now Very Happy

but keeps licking people Wink

although ,there is a place that might be interested they are appling for a dairy licence and are hoping to make local cheese to sell in local shops Very Happy

Itsybitsy · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 1327 Location: Leicestershire

You have to leave it to wilt to remove some of the moisture content, not as long as you leave hay, but I would think for what you want it would be better a bit drier - perhaps two days cut before putting in the barrels, it just basically ferments (like sauerkraut) and needs to be sealed, the smaller the quantity the better the seal would need to be. What would you be cutting it with if you can't get a tractor on the land? and how long will the grass be? Treacle or molasses added would make it more palatable for picky eaters or if the sileage was a bit off, but it's not necessary.

Itsybitsy

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

Suz, if you get in a bind with cutting it and can't get a tractor, we've got a scythe for hay (has double handles), hay forks and a hay rake. But that's a last resort as if you've got more than an acre to cut, it's a killer. But you're welcome to borrow them if need be.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

i'm just going to phone up about going on a calving course nonie and i are going ,oh says he's not going but he has agreed to go on the lambing course Shocked

i keep telling him it's a night out but for some reason he doesn't seem to see a night with a cow as a night out

CP · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:25 pm Post subject:

debcat · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject:

he'd have to use his wellies

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6968 Location: isle of lewis

they are muddy now Shocked

my boss doesn't want to go either says he works with enough of them Twisted Evil