Grazing Barley

[Jonny_2]

I've a no input field coming out of ELS this year which has done me well over the last 15 years however now I've got the chance I'd like to doing something more with it (once Ph etc has been sorted). Thinking of drilling barley and vetch in September for early grazing with ewes and lambs then run a mob of lambs on it at weaning. Hoping it will be easier to manage grazing compared to the rest of our permanent pasture and better quality over the summer.

Anyone got any experience of this? Considered forage rape however would like to use the same field to grow a similar mix each year

 

[neilo]

Assuming you're in the Northern Hemisphere somewhere, aren't vetches normally planted in the Spring, and get killed out by frost if left? Are they suitable for for Autumn sowing?

Barley doesn't provide much feed, other than maintenance, IME. For a September sowing, I'd have thought you'd be better sowing Westerwolds or IRG, or perhaps look at ProtoPlus (@Great In Grass ) if the soils still warm enough for clovers to germinate?

 

[Al R]

Forage Rye? Or westerwolds but I'm not sure how well westerwolds grow in the winter?

 

[Great In Grass]

Proto Plus is spring sown as very few clover plants will survive the winter. Autumn sown vetch is available very popular for CC.
We have an autumn sown mix with vetch but can't remember what else is in it.

 

[neilo]

Proto Plus is spring sown as very few clover plants will survive the winter. Autumn sown vetch is available very popular for CC.
We have an autumn sown mix with vetch but can't remember what else is in it.

Doesn't the Barenbrug blurb say ProtoPlus can also be Autumn sown?

 

[Great In Grass]

Forage Rye is possible (expensive though) & Westerwolds are far more winter hardy these days. An IRG mix is well worth consideration, if temps are above 3dC they will grow.

 

[Great In Grass]

Doesn't the Barenbrug blurb say ProtoPlus can also be Autumn sown?

Spring sown.

 

[Jonny_2]

Put off slightly by IRG, next door tried to graze some it was quite tall with a lot of stalk and they wasted loads, they had cut it 3 times before so maybe would spread out and stay leafy if just grazed?

 

[neilo]

Put off slightly by IRG, next door tried to graze some it was quite tall with a lot of stalk and they wasted loads, they had cut it 3 times before so maybe would spread out and stay leafy if just grazed?

The clover has all gone from the ProtoPlus I planted last year, so just IRG left there now. I walked across it this morning and was staggered how much regrowth there had been since it was grazed bare in early December. It's certainly growing at lower temperatures than any of my other grass.
It will be a hungry crop but will respond well to those inputs. Keep grazing it rotationally and it won't get a chance to go stalky. Unfortunately it will only last a year or two though.