sheep will eat and keep docks from going to seed,there must be something about alkaloids ...............
....either that or nothing much else to eat and good fencing ...
....either that or nothing much else to eat and good fencing ...
Cover forage subsoiling crop.
- Thread starter DrWazzock
- Start date
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Heaps of condensed tannins in docks, it is amazing when you watch sheep eat, what they actually seek out firstsheep will eat and keep docks from going to seed,there must be something about alkaloids ...............
....either that or nothing much else to eat and good fencing ...
the buggers know where to find the things they crave - probably why humans have obesity issues, our foods are that shite in terms of nutrient value that we still crave when we have eaten. 
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
Heaps of condensed tannins in docks, it is amazing when you watch sheep eat, what they actually seek out first
Studies have been done on birds foot trefoil and it’s high tannins and it’s effect on breakdown of feed in the cows rumen.
JD-Kid
Member
- Location
- Akaroa.. New Zealand
I don't think we get many varieties here yet but demand is a likely reason, farmers have always tended to think like... well, farmers!
There is a lot more to ecology and landscape than seas of food - sometimes it will take decades for the cracks to show because we aren't looking for them - the Jena Experiment makes for interesting research as to the role of docks and dandelions in an ecosystem, if you're interested.
some intresting stuff there intresting the amount of people that don't sit and understand what grows were and why
how there soils formed the resons soils do things diffrent plants will do diffrent things we all try to correct soils
most if not all the plants used in farming in NZ are brought in weeds and seeds that have been changed over the years to grow better in local areas even docks and dandelions and they can also be used to show how far out of balance the soils are
the radishs here there are alot growen here for export
following alot of the US pages they were the wonder crop think part of it short term growth to suit cropping pre winter growth high N feeder and fast break down of bulb so N released quick
kales etc will crack ground about the same but slower break down of roots and if sub soiled before hand will drive roots down