cover crop to fatten store lambs

agcon1

Member

Location

derbyshire

• Apr 18, 2022

• #1

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

 

Jerry

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Devon

• Apr 18, 2022

• #2

Any decent brassica will do it if you can allow for it in your rotations

 

Just because

Member

• Apr 18, 2022

• #3

@Derrick Hughes

 

Will 1594

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

Other side of the river to sandringham

• Apr 18, 2022

• #4

Stubble turnips , will fatten best - , dont spray cerials with some of su herbs , residual will stunt them ,
nowt in cover crops ,
so wea re told by sheep grazier ,

 

sticky

Member

Location

Near Stratford upon Avon

• Apr 18, 2022

• #5

Stubble turnips and fodder rape.

beat me too it.

 

Great In Grass

Member

✓

Location

Cornwall.

• Apr 18, 2022

• #6

As @Jerry says a good brassica or a Stubble Turnip (energy) Forage Rape (protein) mix.

 

Kevtherev

Member

✓

Location

Welshpool Powys

• Apr 18, 2022

• #7

Any brassica as mentioned
Either stubble turnips leafy turnips hybrid Rape or a mix of them.
(A number of farms are now using a forage rape Italian ryegrass mix too)

 

Derrick Hughes

Member

✓

Location

Ceredigion

• May 2, 2022

• #8

agcon1 said:

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

Click to expand...

When did you want to graze it

 

agcon1

Member

Location

derbyshire

• May 2, 2022

• #9

Derrick Hughes said:

When did you want to graze it

Click to expand...

well seeing as i want the field back for spring barley at end of feb, then graze it in november/december onwards??? maybe earlier

 

Welshlamb

Member

Location

Cardigan

• May 2, 2022

• #10

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

• May 2, 2022

• #11

agcon1 said:

well seeing as i want the field back for spring barley at end of feb, then graze it in november/december onwards??? maybe earlier

Click to expand...

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

 

tinsheet

Member

Livestock Farmer

Location

West Somerset

• May 2, 2022

• #12

Forage rape.

 

Derrick Hughes

Member

✓

Location

Ceredigion

• May 2, 2022

• #13

agcon1 said:

well seeing as i want the field back for spring barley at end of feb, then graze it in november/december onwards??? maybe earlier

Click to expand...

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

 

Just because

Member

• May 2, 2022

• #14

Welshlamb said:

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 ?

Click to expand...

Putting 50/100kg to acre of fert to get a good crop of turnips could be cheapest food all winter