tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959525637967423074.post826048554656168612..comments2024-01-01T08:37:03.814+00:00Comments on Owd Fred (Countryman): How we in the UK moan about the Weather 51Owd Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04208524077476780953noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959525637967423074.post-21354937037382534922011-09-15T07:05:14.344+00:002011-09-15T07:05:14.344+00:00Thanks Jason, ours now is about the "Black la...Thanks Jason, ours now is about the "Black layer" stage. In the early days of using maize for silage in UK it was only the contractors that had machines capable of chopping maize, by the time they came to us this one year we had had frost and the grains too dry. When we dug the silage out and fed it, the grains came through the cows’ whole. <br />To counter that some farmers ran pigs with the cattle, to glean out and eat the undigested grain, be it maize or wheat<br /><br />The choppers now have a pair of rollers that crush the grain as its chopped, the same thing happens with wheat, a lot of wheat is chopped as whole crop silage in our parts particularly if it been dry and short of grass, as it has this season.<br /><br />I’m too old and lost all my gusto these days to be bothered with new crops to grow and feed, but one of my neighbours wanted some land to grow extra maize, so I am an observer (observe with interest particularly the big new machinery they come with) on how the younger chaps run the modern dairy farm.Owd Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04208524077476780953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2959525637967423074.post-44929898429034927412011-09-14T22:15:03.061+00:002011-09-14T22:15:03.061+00:00Silking is when the silk appears on the cob which ...Silking is when the silk appears on the cob which is the signal that the corn is pollinating. It takes thirty to forty days from silking until the (very wet and immature) grain is on the cob, and then another period of time while the kernels fill with starch until the grain is fully mature *this stage is called black layer). To maximize test weight and speed drydown, grain corn needs to be fully mature before any threat of frost. This was often a concern for us in Ontario as we could get a killing freeze at any time after September 15th, and some times much earlier than that. Corn grows best in places with hot summer days (85-95 degrees) and relatively cool nights (60-70 degrees). Here in Tennessee we are often too hot at midsummer for corn to grow in an ideal manner. <br /><br />Ideally, we cut corn for silage when the kernals are at one half milk line or slightly before. Corn left later than this quickly lignifies, especially in hot weather. Here in Tennessee, early planted corn silage might be cut from mid July through the end of August. During this time frame, temperatures are often in the mid to upper 90's during the day and in the mid to upper 70's during the coolest time of night.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092424684260339977noreply@blogger.com