Forage crop for sheep

Stewartry hill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Galloway
Most years we grow20 ish acres of forage rape or swift after silage in late June .this year the field is smaller 12 acres and shallow.so looking to direct drill some forage or turnips.late May to get the same amount of feed.What are the options?
 

Stewartry hill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Galloway
South West Scotland fault coastal. loam shallow and rocky no arable skills hear. looking to dd to leave stones where the are .male would be a option .but talk for fencing
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Is for sheep to last to match though of main crop turnips wondering about dd ing them

I DD Massif maincrop turnips every year, to graze from Christmas to March. Yield better than swedes here, and establishment more vigorous to help get away from flea beetle & weed competition.
They seem almost as frost hardy as swedes, although tops melt in the winter. Far higher yielding than Green Globe, and sheep seem to graze them better than GG too.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I DD Massif maincrop turnips every year, to graze from Christmas to March. Yield better than swedes here, and establishment more vigorous to help get away from flea beetle & weed competition.
They seem almost as frost hardy as swedes, although tops melt in the winter. Far higher yielding than Green Globe, and sheep seem to graze them better than GG too.
When would you normally sow them . We used to Sow Swedes first week of May as they would just continue to grow before bolting in late March
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Think you said you were , direct drilling . Your weed control is roundup. Dont think there is anything you can used after. Any direct drill , seed rate i suggest is 1.5kg to 2 kg 1.5 if a good seed bed , if i was doing it I would mix a few onces of swede in just for verarity
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Think you said you were , direct drilling . Your weed control is roundup. Dont think there is anything you can used after. Any direct drill , seed rate i suggest is 1.5kg to 2 kg 1.5 if a good seed bed , if i was doing it I would mix a few onces of swede in just for verarity

I assume you’re quoting per hectare?;)

Bloody seed salesmen and their pushy sales!🤣 A kg/ac is too high a rate for Massif turnips ime. If you get decent establishment, even that rate leads to too much top/smaller roots.
Seed rate will always be a bit of a guess as you don’t know what the weather will do, what flea beetle will kill, etc, so usually play safe at 1kg/ac (DD with a Simtech).
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Drill off out today . Lovely day for it
20210415_090552.jpg
 

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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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