Growing cattle on forage rape

[Sid]

Thinking about this for a summer cover crop. Any one with any experience?

Grows well. If mature and grazed with grass low bloat risk
Can regraze, but that's where we had bloat issues. Don't bother now just muck and reseed asap

 

[Sid]

The clue is in DD , if he wants to plough then fair enough . But then all the disadvantages kick in , it won't carry stock as well when he wants to graze and he's ploughing up an army of weed seeds

I asked about the 2 weeks saved.

The other is immaterial IMHO

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I asked about the 2 weeks saved.

The other is immaterial IMHO

Not for the likes of an Organic farmer . But you spray aprox a week before cutting and drill day you cut . If you spray after cutting yiu have to wait at least 14 days to get some growth to spray . In dry weather it could be longer

 

[Sid]

Not for the likes of an Organic farmer . But you spray aprox a week before cutting and drill day you cut . If you spray after cutting yiu have to wait at least 14 days to get some growth to spray . In dry weather it could be longer

So you don't save 2 weeks then if you spray before cutting?

But to spray you need regrowth. Better just to stick the plough in and get the job done.

Can you DD with muck on then or do you have to rely on bagged?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

So you don't save 2 weeks then if you spray before cutting?

But to spray you need regrowth. Better just to stick the plough in and get the job done.

Can you DD with muck on then or do you have to rely on bagged?

I was replying to the man who said he was direct drilling , not ploughing ,I have not put muck on myself so can't answer the muck issue.
I'm mucking for Hybrid Kale and Ryegr ass this week, that will be ploughed , i just hope the yellow weed dont spoil the job , im no a fan of rape. Had a big bloat problem when we tried it on dairy cows

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Never spray before ploughing as long as the rape gets going weeds not a problem.
Haven't grown hybrid for quite a few years, found the extra cost wasn't worth it and the timescale for getting reseed in after rape works better

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Never spray before ploughing as long as the rape gets going weeds not a problem.
Haven't grown hybrid for quite a few years, found the extra cost wasn't worth it and the timescale for getting reseed in after rape works better

You can get Hybrids for little more than the cost of rape now being £1/kg more
I agree with you not spraying, but we have docks here so I never miss an opportunity to hit them back

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

Haven't priced it for a few years, used to triple the cost . Straight forward old fashioned forage rape works for me

 

[Kevtherev]

So you don't save 2 weeks then if you spray before cutting?

But to spray you need regrowth. Better just to stick the plough in and get the job done.

Can you DD with muck on then or do you have to rely on bagged?

You can indeed DD with muck spread
Thinly preferably I’ve drilled into mucked field no problem today.
(Short term grass though)
If mucked a little while before drilling and it may have rained a pass with a chain Harrow in front can help.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

What sort of width picture frame Pete?

This is exactly what I was planning with a first go at summer brassicas this year

Also need somewhere to ambush the rabbits.... lesson from last year was that 1m of grass doesn't give much time for a shot

Depends on your field, but 6 - 8 metres? Enough to turn a tractor around on (don't use a JCB or you will need a bigger farm)

Bearing in mind that those "3 outside rounds" with a 3m drill represent quite a percentage of the actual paddock area