Catch crop for cattle

DRC

Member
we have grown hybrid rye for the first time this year. It’s early harvest , probably end of June, will allow a catch crop for the cattle to graze late autumn/ early winter.
I’m well used to growing stubble turnips for sheep, which will be done after winter barley , but what would be best grown in this new situation . Some sort of kale mix, or a cheap grass mix.
@Kevtherev @Great In Grass
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Kale. What's your following crop? If SB or maize, grow swift, 1st round cattle then sheep in feb

I can tell you are farming in Cornwall.;) Rape/Kale hybrids don't regrow much up here once into late Autumn. There wouldn't be much for the sheep in February, although it might provide some meaningful keep come March/April, if it's maize following.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
You mean you can't graze in November and then again in feb?

Not a chance. I had a grass/Winfred mix in last Autumn. I pulled the sheep out in early November and put a bunch back in in early February. The grass (IRG/Westerwold) was growing nicely but the Winfred hadn’t done more than put a few small shoots out from the nodes.

From past experience, it does regrow well while it’s still warm, but nearly shuts down over winter here, which certainly isn’t high altitude or particularly ‘North’.
The OP might have a bit milder climate, but not a lot I suspect.
 

DRC

Member
Not a chance. I had a grass/Winfred mix in last Autumn. I pulled the sheep out in early November and put a bunch back in in early February. The grass (IRG/Westerwold) was growing nicely but the Winfred hadn’t done more than put a few small shoots out from the nodes.

From past experience, it does regrow well while it’s still warm, but nearly shuts down over winter here, which certainly isn’t high altitude or particularly ‘North’.
The OP might have a bit milder climate, but not a lot I suspect.
We’d be similar to you Neil. Not far away as the crow flies. The Welshpool area always looks like the land of milk and honey to me !
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
we have grown hybrid rye for the first time this year. It’s early harvest , probably end of June, will allow a catch crop for the cattle to graze late autumn/ early winter.
I’m well used to growing stubble turnips for sheep, which will be done after winter barley , but what would be best grown in this new situation . Some sort of kale mix, or a cheap grass mix.
@Kevtherev @Great In Grass

What did you go for in the end?

Looking for some winter keep for the sucklers, light land out of stewardship fallow. VERY dirty, so have mown the stuff for littering under the cows in a shed they run-back into :rolleyes: and will plough and spin/drill something this week.

Looking at a brassica based mix, but wondering if some IRG would be worth putting in a mix??
 

DRC

Member
What did you go for in the end?

Looking for some winter keep for the sucklers, light land out of stewardship fallow. VERY dirty, so have mown the stuff for littering under the cows in a shed they run-back into :rolleyes: and will plough and spin/drill something this week.

Looking at a brassica based mix, but wondering if some IRG would be worth putting in a mix??
I did one field of a kale/ forage rape / turnip mix, hopefully for the cattle, then straight stubble turnips on the rest.
They are up quite well, but desperate for a drink
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I did one field of a kale/ forage rape / turnip mix, hopefully for the cattle, then straight stubble turnips on the rest.
They are up quite well, but desperate for a drink

That sounds a bit like the Wynnstay mix in the flyer they sent this week ;)

Stubble turnips are an old standby for me, but not grown them for several years now as they don't fit in with the Contract farm arrangement I find/ This year may have to be an exception. Hopefully we in Shropshire will get some proper rain later in the week...
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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