First time growing a crop to out winter cattle on

[vulcan]

Got this drilled today to out winter cattle on lost me picture of field getting sprayed off will get fert on it next day or so then put bales of silage out ready for winter when it grows then re seed back to grass next spring.

hally doing the drilling.

 

[milkloss]

This is a subject I'd like to learn more about. I presume you've got quite dry ground?

 

[vulcan]

Got some dry fields which this is one only done 6acres as a trial this year se how I get on not sure how close ishould put the bales when I put them out got 50 in corner of the field to put out ready for winter.

 

[M-J-G]

Is the unsprayed grass for a run back? It can be useful in a wet spell to give them an area to lay on.

I've found that a pass with a Grassland Subsoiler will help land carry a bit better during the winter.

 

[vulcan]

The unsprayed part of field will be for next year as it's a 12 acre field but electric poles down the middle of it so always work the field as 2 6acre fields.

 

[vulcan]

Couple of pictures first is at about a month after down just after spread with slug pellets after it got attacked lost about a acre of it to them second picture took this weekend bales out ready for winter.

 

[d-wales]

How many you expecting it to hold? And for how long

 

[vulcan]

Not sure on that yet first time trying it so will just se how it goes at the minute I'm looking at it lasting 100days as got 50 bales out a bale every other day for say 15 cattle is what I'm guessing at.

 

[South Downs Farmer]

Looking good. I wish we could put wrapped bales out in the crop like you have, down here the birds would tear them open within a week

This will be our sixth winter outwintering cattle on brassicas, so I hope it works just as well for you. I prefer moving the leccy fence daily to hours of in-out-in-out the tractor cab putting bales in ring feeders any day!

 

[vulcan]

Started the field just over a week ago not had much rain for a while so things going well so far got 17beef heifers in at the moment more going in tomorrow after tb testing here's some pictures from last weekend.

 

[South Downs Farmer]

looking good, jealous of your undamaged bales! Been a very kind winter so far for outwintering compared to last year, long may it continue!

 

[vulcan]

Odd bales got a few holes off birds pecking but hardly any wastage will take a picture of one when I remember will also take pictures when we get a wet spell

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Why scatter the bales around the field? Surely better to put them in lines spaced out along each headland. So they get a fresh bale when you move the fence.

I saw this system in NZ and seemed to work well.

 

[bert]

Will you just roll a ring feeder over the bales?

 

[vulcan]

Yeah just roll the feeder over the bales so dont need to take a tractor in the field is the plan but already had a tractor in to lift 2 bales out as put them to close together at the end they started at more spread out what's left out so hope not to need to lift any more and more cattle going in the field a bale last the 17thats out 3days at the moment as for the bales scattered about the field hope they spread there muck about the field more and not poach a line up the field if they were in a row first year doing it so trial and error.

 

[milkloss]

Interesting thread @vulcan. Thanks

 

[dannewhouse]

Winfred forage rape they recommend 100 cattle per acre per week, at these figures your 17 should last 35 weeks on crop alone no bales < do you think this is roughly right?
what do your reckon the bales are supporting I would say 20 heifers eat 1 bale per day?
ie in totale you have had say 750 cow weeks, 600 from the crop and 150 from 50 bales?

100*6acre=600 cow weeks /17 cattle = 35 weeks

I always fancy out wintering 1 group of sucklers but haven't tried it yet, I have some stubble turnips and forage rape in for sheep and that isn't doing as well as they suggested but I don't put quite as much fert on as recommended and was a tad late drilled

 

[Sussex Martin]

Looks a very interesting experiment, are you costing it so you can compare costs to being housed ?

 

[tinsheet]

Doing a trial this year with 6 acres of kale, got 20 in calf heifers on it giving them about 1 meter a day, just move the electric fence up to the edge of the kale and they pull it out underneath, it's up to 5' high in places, the only bug bare is having to put a bale of hay in every two to three days, can be bit muddy then,
They also have a grass run back which they only use if it's raining to go and sit down. We're 1100 feet up and reasonably free draining, will definitely do it again next year, cattle looking good on it, (Angus and south Devon cross), will get a pic or two at some point.

 

[milkloss]

Might seem a silly question but are there any regulations you could trip up on whilst doing this? I'm thinking NVZ, gaec and that sort of thing.