Grazing swede tops with lambs

Bald n Grumpy · Oct 5, 2021

I know it's been discussed before but I can't find it.
Swedes have a good top on this year and was thinking of biting it of with lambs, before the ewes start on swedes around Christmas. Pulled them last year but this year they can do it themselves , thought electric fencing would be easier with the tops gone. Any thoughts ?

neilo · Oct 5, 2021

Won’t the roots only mean the ewes have a low protein diet?

Tops & roots strip grazed together are a complete diet, without the need of any bought in feed.

Run a quad bike down the line you want to put the fence and job’s a good ‘un.

Derrick Hughes · Oct 5, 2021

I used to fatten 1000 lambs on swede tops , they won't touch the roots untill tops have gone , if you leave them for a while then tops will grow back , it's works fantastic, don't put ewes on as they will go straight for the roots if they had roots before, don't put a fence as holding them tight will encourage them to eat roots , give them the lot , I had 1000 lambs on 40 acre, That would normally be from November through to December , lambs came off once tops were gone , then I started harvesting through till march,

Bald n Grumpy · Oct 5, 2021

neilo said:
Won’t the roots only mean the ewes have a low protein diet?

Tops & roots strip grazed together are a complete diet, without the need of any bought in feed.

Run a quad bike down the line you want to put the fence and job’s a good ‘un.

Good point , glad I asked know
Thanks

Derrick Hughes · Oct 17, 2021

Maincrop turnips here

Bury the Trash · Oct 17, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
Maincrop turnips here
View attachment 991834

mine have got Mildew as well butactually far worse than that in a large ish area of a field

adda · Oct 17, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
Maincrop turnips here
View attachment 991834

When was that planted

neilo · Oct 17, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
mine have got Mildew as well butactually far worse than that in a large ish area of a field

Mildew? Or Alternaria?

Mine had alternaria bad last year, which stripped all the leaves off just after they’d recovered from the sawfly attack. The first frost saw it off, then a few fresh leaves came back. The result was the bulbs not filling through the Autumn.

I may have spilt some OSR fungicide on it when it started this year, which stopped the fungal disease and it’s still in full leaf and building roots (now it’s had a drink). An extra cost though, of course, but I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat another year.

Derrick Hughes · Oct 17, 2021

neilo said:
Mildew? Or Alternaria?

Mine had alternaria bad last year, which stripped all the leaves off just after they’d recovered from the sawfly attack. The first frost saw it off, then a few fresh leaves came back. The result was the bulbs not filling through the Autumn.

I may have spilt some OSR fungicide on it when it started this year, which stopped the fungal disease and it’s still in full leaf and building roots (now it’s had a drink). An extra cost though, of course, but I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat another year.

Whatever is on mine it is recovering now

Derrick Hughes · Oct 17, 2021

adda said:
When was that planted

Early July

Bury the Trash · Oct 17, 2021

neilo said:
Mildew? Or Alternaria?

Mine had alternaria bad last year, which stripped all the leaves off just after they’d recovered from the sawfly attack. The first frost saw it off, then a few fresh leaves came back. The result was the bulbs not filling through the Autumn.

I may have spilt some OSR fungicide on it when it started this year, which stopped the fungal disease and it’s still in full leaf and building roots (now it’s had a drink). An extra cost though, of course, but I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat another year.

yes, from a distance it looks like /could be one or the other ill have a close look later. its been devastated atm that's for sure,came across it about 2/3 weeks ago.

exmoor dave · Oct 18, 2021

Derrick Hughes said:
Whatever is on mine it is recovering now

Mine too,
Turned completely yellow and the leaves shrivelled up,
Looking much better now and new green leaves taking over.
At a guess abit of water (lack of) stress started it.

Grazing swede tops with lambs

Bald n Grumpy

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Derrick Hughes

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Bald n Grumpy

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Bury the Trash

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