Conserving a Herbal Ley

[steveR]

Popped across here from Livestock, as I had no response, much to my surprise!

Looking at a biggish (for me) tranche of herbal ley going in this Autumn under a STW scheme. Not quite sorted out areas as yet, as I am unsure if it will fit in a couple of locations...

The aim is to rotationally graze some of the crop and also conserve some (post clover flowering) for livestock fodder. Cotswold chaps say it is feasibly to cut in late June with good management... So Hay, Haylage or Silage? Nothing really online I have found, but I may have been looking in the wrong place!

Is hay a realistic option, if so, I am assuming it'll need to go through a mower conditioner to break the stemmy nature of the plants?

I was think if it has to be wrapped, a fusion chopper will work in reducing the poking effects? I found it worked well in dealing with a crop of ryegrass, heavily infested with Charlock!! The cows loved it!

Any hot tips???

 

[Barleycorn]

Just needs a good wilt if you've got chicory stems etc. We regularly put herbal leys in the pit.

 

[som farmer]

Just needs a good wilt if you've got chicory stems etc. We regularly put herbal leys in the pit.

to feed to ?
how much yield wise, do you graze them,
its allright reading up on the results, but nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth !

 

[onesiedale]

Are you reliant on it being conserved? Why not get the ground set up for grazing?
You'll graze it well into your 'housing period', with minimal costs. Just make sure that the stock are moved daily and have a back fence.

 

[Samcowman]

My thoughts it would be better ensiled as you will probably lose leaf from the herbs making hay and turning it.

 

[steveR]

Are you reliant on it being conserved? Why not get the ground set up for grazing?
You'll graze it well into your 'housing period', with minimal costs. Just make sure that the stock are moved daily and have a back fence.

Some of the land will not hold anything other than sheep after mid/late October... Certainly not until the ley is well established and has some ability to handle cattle. AND, I want the winter feed

I have been jiggling the area available between Bird and Bee mix, and teh Herbal Leys. First thoughts was a really heavy block of heavy land for the ley, but I realised, it is 6-7 cattle month grazing land only and is not that accessible anyway for water...

 

[steveR]

My thoughts it would be better ensiled as you will probably lose leaf from the herbs making hay and turning it.

Wondered that too. Thinking a lightish crop, (through a conditioner) and spread out straight away. Gently teasy into Windrows, and bale. Haylage or Silage will depend on the weather.

Might be time to get teh Acrobat out as it was great at just flicking a row over... I think some of the Alpine tedders work very gently on their "herby" crops...?

 

[steveR]

to feed to ?
how much yield wise, do you graze them,
its allright reading up on the results, but nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth !

Sucklers, outwintering on sandy land away from the farmstead, and start keeping the weaned calves (7-8 months) on over winter again, and feed them on the fodder.

 

[steveR]

Just needs a good wilt if you've got chicory stems etc. We regularly put herbal leys in the pit.

Ever bale it??

 

[som farmer]

Are you reliant on it being conserved? Why not get the ground set up for grazing?
You'll graze it well into your 'housing period', with minimal costs. Just make sure that the stock are moved daily and have a back fence.

no, we routinely back fence, paddock graze, dairy, and most paddocks, have a max 3 feeds, 36hrs, need to get something that 'lasts' on dry ground. Conserve, as and when crop goes past grazing, this year, it hasn't !

Some of the land will not hold anything other than sheep after mid/late October... Certainly not until the ley is well established and has some ability to handle cattle. AND, I want the winter feed

I have been jiggling the area available between Bird and Bee mix, and teh Herbal Leys. First thoughts was a really heavy block of heavy land for the ley, but I realised, it is 6-7 cattle month grazing land only and is not that accessible anyway for water...

even though we are a dry farm, we cannot out winter cattle on grass, if we do, its a reseed, don't ask me why, my old man told me, I tried it, and now I tell my son the same, he's tried it, and now agrees ! We grow kale and 1 yr ley for outwintering, feed and plough/cultivate.

 

[steveR]

no, we routinely back fence, paddock graze, dairy, and most paddocks, have a max 3 feeds, 36hrs, need to get something that 'lasts' on dry ground. Conserve, as and when crop goes past grazing, this year, it hasn't !

even though we are a dry farm, we cannot out winter cattle on grass, if we do, its a reseed, don't ask me why, my old man told me, I tried it, and now I tell my son the same, he's tried it, and now agrees ! We grow kale and 1 yr ley for outwintering, feed and plough/cultivate.

Can't knock personal knowledge and experience of a farm... ever!

I have grown overwintering fodder successfully on the super light sand here. August drilling and pray for some rain!

 

[som farmer]

Can't knock personal knowledge and experience of a farm... ever!

I have grown overwintering fodder successfully on the super light sand here. August drilling and pray for some rain!

our soils will pan easily, we aerate, and subsoil, we cannot work ground to 'fine', as if we have rain, it will surface cap, cannot roll seed in, with a flat roller, has to be a ring roller.
Am aiming to do less plough, and more 'tine' cultivations, ie sumo type, the theory being, we don't kill off as many worms, good bugs and fungi, hoping to improve soil structure.

 

[Barleycorn]

to feed to ?
how much yield wise, do you graze them,
its allright reading up on the results, but nothing like hearing it from the horses mouth !

We feed it to dairy cows. All the grazing leys are herbal, and we cut some which we will graze later.
Did you catch this View attachment Diverse forages Newsletter 2020.pdfDiverse Forage Newsletter. pdf?

 

[Barleycorn]

Ever bale it??

No, don't do big bales. I think that you would have to be careful with hard chicory stalks, a bit like lucerne.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I think you'd need to condition it, definitely. My boys take chicory sticks home to make kite-frames, so baleage wrap would have no chance unless you were to take a half-cut and then graze with sheep. Which then defeats the purpose neatly, as in you'd be better just to graze it and then destock!

 

[steveR]

Maybe..... leave Chicory out of the mix....?

 

[steveR]

Am aiming to do less plough, and more 'tine' cultivations, ie sumo type, the theory being, we don't kill off as many worms, good bugs and fungi, hoping to improve soil structure.

Same here really.

 

[steveR]

I think you'd need to condition it, definitely. My boys take chicory sticks home to make kite-frames, so baleage wrap would have no chance unless you were to take a half-cut and then graze with sheep. Which then defeats the purpose neatly, as in you'd be better just to graze it and then destock!

Yeah, I have some Chicory hanging on in wildflower mix, and god, do they get hard come Autumn when we are pushing through driving Pheasants!!

It was the chicory aspect that made me think on hay. Chopper baler and 8 layers of wrap? Getting costly then...

 

[tinsheet]

Cut it before the chicory gets to brittle?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Yeah, I have some Chicory hanging on in wildflower mix, and god, do they get hard come Autumn when we are pushing through driving Pheasants!!

It was the chicory aspect that made me think on hay. Chopper baler and 8 layers of wrap? Getting costly then...

Hay is always underrated if you can make it the right way, right.
And that generally means plenty of heat units and very little molestation, which I understand isn't always the done thing.
Nothing but stalks likes being thrashed about.