cover crop to fatten store lambs

agcon1

Member
Location
derbyshire
looking to sow a cover crop july/august, straight after harvest and then graze with store lambs, but would want field back end of feb, to sow with spring barley... what cover would do this?
can you fatten lambs on cover crop alone?

first time we've thought about doing this so its all new to us and any help would be welcome

Thanks in advance
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
looking to sow a cover crop july/august, straight after harvest and then graze with store lambs, but would want field back end of feb, to sow with spring barley... what cover would do this?
can you fatten lambs on cover crop alone?

first time we've thought about doing this so its all new to us and any help would be welcome

Thanks in advance
When did you want to graze it
 

Welshlamb

Member
Location
Cardigan
Will the price of fertiliser put people off, growing catch crops, for store lambs this winter. Fertiliser alone will be roughly £100 a acre, plus seed and cultivations, and on top flea beetle damage ?
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
well seeing as i want the field back for spring barley at end of feb, then graze it in november/december onwards??? maybe earlier
One of our winter farms follows turnip/rape/kale mix with spring barley. We start grazing at Christmas and they follow us into each finished block weather permitting. Works really well. All sown early/mid august behind the combine
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
well seeing as i want the field back for spring barley at end of feb, then graze it in november/december onwards??? maybe earlier
If you can get it in mid July then Maincrop Turnips , but any later then stubble turnips or rape , be worth putting some common vetch and Berseem Clover in if you can get it grazed before much frost , cost of Nitrogen it's worth a gamble as it will leave some for the following crop , winter Vetch won't give you much unless it's grazed later on
 
Will the price of fertiliser put people off, growing catch crops, for store lambs this winter. Fertiliser alone will be roughly £100 a acre, plus seed and cultivations, and on top flea beetle damage ?
Putting 50/100kg to acre of fert to get a good crop of turnips could be cheapest food all winter
PXL_20220322_160642789.jpg
 

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