Got some Italian ryegrass that I drilled into rape stubble (cultivated) as a cover. Rape grew like mad and grass underneath so we grazed it pretty much all autumn with a lot of sheep and had a job to keep on top of it anyway took Sheep off 2 weeks ago rape is eaten bare and grass is coming along nicely it's had zero Chem fert or slug pellets and I've seen no damage at all from slugs on rape or grass but today I walked it and slime everywhere I'm planning to graze in the new year and up until drilling in April and drill with weaving gd into s barley. Anyway will the sheep destroy the slugs or the eggs or am I going to be in trouble come spring?
Grazing cover crops. Does it have any effect on slugs?
- Thread starter tr250
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I'd be inclined to wait and see...I reckon slug pellets do as much damage to slug predators as to slugs, so when the next slug hatch happens, there are not enough predators to control them. The sheep will tread on a few slugs and their eggs for sure as well as making it less hospitable for them. By spring everything will be harmonious.
Or not. You'll know if you have to treat by barley time.
Or not. You'll know if you have to treat by barley time.
I've never really taken much notice of slugs at this time of year being mainly winter cropping in my short memory and using slug pellets. But I think the slugs are mainly juvenile so probably hatched since the sheep came off