Clover in silage/grazing ground?

DairyGrazing · Sep 19, 2021

Of the acres we have down to grass all but 10 acres is grazed but we do have dedicated silage fields that get grazed as the season goes. Some get grazed well into the new year depending on the year.

Some of the fields can be wet but not heavy soil types and docks are an issue.

I take it theres no point using red clover in fields that may be silaged a couple of times then grazed by cows/young stock repeatedly?

How would the small/large leaf clovers stand the system I describe?

Derrick Hughes · Sep 19, 2021

Most dairy farms i suppy dont include clover in cutting mixes if they have a big dock problem, but if you are including clover then go for large leaf , if you are grazing tight then you could add some small leaf that is more persitent when grazing hard

milkloss · Sep 19, 2021

Red clover is a catalyst for docks. Really don’t bother with rc if you have potential docks. It will put up with cut and graze as you describe but you can’t graze it hard or it dies off pretty quick.

Sid · Sep 19, 2021

DairyGrazing said:
Of the acres we have down to grass all but 10 acres is grazed but we do have dedicated silage fields that get grazed as the season goes. Some get grazed well into the new year depending on the year.

Some of the fields can be wet but not heavy soil types and docks are an issue.

I take it theres no point using red clover in fields that may be silaged a couple of times then grazed by cows/young stock repeatedly?

How would the small/large leaf clovers stand the system I describe?

Depends on the nitrogen usage through the season to the success of clover as it can suppress its efficiency.

I personally would be wary of red in heavily grazed areas as it can damage the crown and has a higher bloat risk.

Mid and large leaf for cutting
Small and mid leaf for grazing

Get the sward dense and motoring and it can suppress docks

Kevtherev · Sep 19, 2021

Pretty much what sid said above

Beef farmer · Sep 19, 2021

Sid said:
Depends on the nitrogen usage through the season to the success of clover as it can suppress its efficiency.

I personally would be wary of red in heavily grazed areas as it can damage the crown and has a higher bloat risk.

Mid and large leaf for cutting
Small and mid leaf for grazing

Get the sward dense and motoring and it can suppress docksView attachment 986723 View attachment 986724 View attachment 986725

It won't suppress the docks. Your lovely paddock above is a clean paddock. Once they get hold nothing will suppress them.

Derrick Hughes · Sep 19, 2021

I dont know

Beef farmer said:
It won't suppress the docks. Your lovely paddock above is a clean paddock. Once they get hold nothing will suppress them.

Ive just sprayed 40 acres of silage ground off now , putting in a cutting ley , i susspect chickweed will take hold ,we are quite bad for that so will spray after seed as come ,then access it next year for docks ,if its clean i may stitch some clover in

Martyn · Sep 19, 2021

Docks are pain, iv turned over clean feilds befor on rotation and then ended up with carpet of docks, only a few times have I turned over a dock feild and not seen clear evidence of regrowth!

Farmer Keith · Sep 20, 2021

The problem with spraying docks then scratching in clover is yet more docks germinate, I have tried seeding red clover through the dribble bar and tanker this season but right now I can’t say I’ve seen a single plant.

Derrick Hughes · Sep 20, 2021

Farmer Keith said:
The problem with spraying docks then scratching in clover is yet more docks germinate, I have tried seeding red clover through the dribble bar and tanker this season but right now I can’t say I’ve seen a single plant.

I may try frost seeding like they do in thr States , could be a waste but worth a try

Sid · Sep 20, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
I may try frost seeding like they do in thr States , could be a waste but worth a try

States and Canada have a completely different growing season to us.
Have you seen their fall colors?
Spring from thaw to green is so fast.

But worth a try if you have access to discounted seed I guess

Kevtherev · Sep 20, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
I may try frost seeding like they do in thr States , could be a waste but worth a try

I tried it
Waste of time our spring was too cold

Derrick Hughes · Sep 20, 2021

Sid said:
States and Canada have a completely different growing season to us.
Have you seen their fall colors?
Spring from thaw to green is so fast.

But worth a try if you have access to discounted seed I guess

Im always happy to try somthing and pass on my findings ,i have 3 diferent veraties of annual clover growing in Brasicas atm ,

Sid · Sep 20, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
Im always happy to try somthing and pass on my findings ,i have 3 diferent veraties of annual clover growing in Brasicas atm ,

Freezing and thawing.
As I said completely different weather patterns.
Issue here for a start would be too much cover in February for early grazing

Derrick Hughes · Sep 20, 2021

Sid said:
Freezing and thawing.
As I said completely different weather patterns.
Issue here for a start would be too much cover in February for early grazing

Not here you would see a spider on tbe fields in winter

Sid · Sep 20, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
Not here you would see a spider on tbe fields in winter

You realise your in the dairy section? White lice gone by new years!

Derrick Hughes · Sep 20, 2021

Sid said:
You realise your in the dairy section? White lice gone by new years!

Not here ,80 % of my grass is grazed or cut for dairy cattle , some fields lose sheep end of feb

cows sh#t me to tears · Sep 24, 2021

We had docks bad years ago before dad started spraying 30 years ago. A few years of Mcpa , docks basically gone. Clover still here. Do you have subterranean clover over there? I know you have balansa @Kevtherev .

Kevtherev · Sep 24, 2021

cows sh#t me to tears said:
We had docks bad years ago before dad started spraying 30 years ago. A few years of Mcpa , docks basically gone. Clover still here. Do you have subterranean clover over there? I know you have balansa @Kevtherev .

Don’t see many folk using it
White clover is the most popular and resilient here in most livestock systems.

cows sh#t me to tears · Sep 24, 2021

Kevtherev said:
Don’t see many folk using it
White clover is the most popular and resilient here in most livestock systems.

Different growing seasons. Sub is winter active unlike white clover. We used to sow a lot of white clover when we had the water to have permanent pasture.

Clover in silage/grazing ground?

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