Herbal lay silage

[twizz]

Looking at doing some herbal lay for silage.
to replace grass silage. How many cuts of silage would I expect to get and what tonnage would I get and is it good to fatten cattle

 

[steveR]

Superb fodder, and stock love it...

I graze ewes and lambs and then take One cut, then a light grazing into the back end for weaned lambs. This management is so far, keeping the ley going. Lost one ley after the ground lay wet and the Chiocory and plantain disappeared. Make sure the grass seeds are vigorous... *

Fert is FYM best overwinter (or late Autumn). It will respond to a tickle of N, but not too much, as it defeats the object really! A HL is NOT a high productivity crop IMO.


* Best to specify a sensible priced med term clover ley, and add a bit of chicory and plantain. Then if you lose the "Herbs" you still have a productive ley. Got a Welsh friend done just this.

 

[ploughman1963]

I’d say starting point is that ‘herbal ley’ is a very broad term and open to interpretation. In an organic system I am expecting little or no change to production- 11t /ac of 11.5-12.2 ME silage off 5 cuts and leys that will produce for 6-7 years +. High nitrogen applications to ryegrass leys would likely see the herbal element being topped up annually ?

 

[twizz]

I was hoping to get 3-4 cuts with slurry and nitrogen been applied and then not grassing over winter as it won’t be fenced

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I graze mine hard with sheep all winter , then first cut mid June, then 2 more cuts if the weather allows , it gets cut same time as grass leys , try and keep the mower up a bit
3rd cut last year was 18 Protien just under 13 me , yield will be few bales down on pure Ryegrass

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I was hoping to get 3-4 cuts with slurry and nitrogen been applied and then not grassing over winter as it won’t be fenced

You will easy get 3 , it is slightly slower in the spring mind