Grazing clover.

[King Rollo]

I sowed a 'herbal ley' of sorts last autumn. Took a cut of bales off it in June - mainly grass with plenty clover. The regrowth is mainly clovers, nearly 100% in much of it.

The plan was, and is, to strip/mob graze a group of yearling stirks on it. They have been on long grass for the past month.
The clover has flowered and is quite mature now.

Will it be safe to let them on it?
Is there still a risk of bloat and will they need supplemented with hay/silage, minerals?

I thought I'd get a more balanced sward but the clover is dominating just now.
I don't want to bale it. I've too many bales already.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

If that was mine I would mow it and feed the bales on a grass field to give youcontrol and a it would be better for the clover that cattle tramping it down - yes I know that's not the answer you want

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Put plenty of straw out in feeders......trouble islike everyone else you probably haven't got plenty of it . Hay will be ok but straw better . Molasses in a feeder is good too .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Ring feeders in next field and put dry silage in them

 

[MGS6930]

@King Rollo - I recognise that view, we're less than a mile from you !. Good to see somebody local on this for a change, we stitched in 60 acre of red and white over the summer so would be keen to see how this goes for you, did you do any analysis on your bales ?.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Spoke to a mate this morning who's grown it for years and has never seen bloat -take its-steady and keep a good eye on them but grass runback would help a lot

 

[organicguy]

In my experience something as mature as that will not cause a problem, just make sure they are not hungry when they go on the first day, then do the proper mob stock and feed the soil!

 

[neilo]

@King Rollo - I recognise that view, we're less than a mile from you !. Good to see somebody local on this for a change, we stitched in 60 acre of red and white over the summer so would be keen to see how this goes for you, did you do any analysis on your bales ?.

Out of interest, how did the stitching in of red clover work? Has it established ok?

 

[andybk]

the biggest issue of grazing red clover that high is stock ripping the roots out the ground or breaking them below the crown which will kill them , best cut if poss and feed out the bale

 

[King Rollo]

@King Rollo - I recognise that view, we're less than a mile from you !. Good to see somebody local on this for a change, we stitched in 60 acre of red and white over the summer so would be keen to see how this goes for you, did you do any analysis on your bales ?.

That's got me thinking.....!

I haven't started using the bales yet. I'll get it analysed when I've some bales open. Hopefully it'll be as good as I'm expecting.

 

[King Rollo]

Spoke to a mate this morning who's grown it for years and has never seen bloat -take its-steady and keep a good eye on them but grass runback would help a lot

Put plenty of straw out in feeders......trouble islike everyone else you probably haven't got plenty of it . Hay will be ok but straw better . Molasses in a feeder is good too .

Thanks. I'll get a ring feeder down and offer them some hay I think.

 

[King Rollo]

In my experience something as mature as that will not cause a problem, just make sure they are not hungry when they go on the first day, then do the proper mob stock and feed the soil!

A proper mob stock is the plan. Struggling to keep them on the right side of the electric fence is the reality!
Aiming to continue moving them every second day - so I'm hoping the weather doesn't turn too wet.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Looks fine to me. It's pretty safe when it's flowered, just don't let your cattle go hungry or they gorge when you move them. Especially important when those sneaky frosts start and the nitrate levels go up - shift them sooner than later IYSWIM

 

[MGS6930]

Out of interest, how did the stitching in of red clover work? Has it established ok?

Yea its worked well for us, we done a fair whack of soil sampling and addressed the deficiencies in the year before, we then stitched in straight after first cut (Same day as the forager) , we have then been very gently grazing trying to prevent the clover getting crowded out by our ryes, but its up and established well. Had to find another home for the slurry that ground usually gets after first cut or it would have been smothered as it chitted.

 

[Dog Bowl]

I overseeded with some red clover that @Great In Grass supplied to me this spring. Its the first ever successful overseed I have done. I cannot believe how well the clover took. Its also tolerated me cutting the sward twice during its establishment. Its now being grazed by heifers. Its a sea of red clover and no issues with grazing it.

 

[MGS6930]

That's got me thinking.....!

I haven't started using the bales yet. I'll get it analysed when I've some bales open. Hopefully it'll be as good as I'm expecting.

If your bales were anything like that crop just now, they'll be rocket fuel !.

How did you manage that re-seed in the spring and between crops ?.

 

[Great In Grass]

I overseeded with some red clover that @Great In Grass supplied to me this spring. Its the first ever successful overseed I have done. I cannot believe how well the clover took. Its also tolerated me cutting the sward twice during its establishment. Its now being grazed by heifers. Its a sea of red clover and no issues with grazing it.

That's good to hear.