Herbal leys for dairy cattle grazing

[som farmer]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

comprehensive and complicated.

 

[Great In Grass]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

Have you fallen for the Aber hype?

I have a good mix Hayvalley Holsteins & Jerseys were the last to take some.

 

[Great In Grass]

comprehensive and complicated.

It's a GS4 I'm afraid it has to be.

 

[Friesianfan]

Have you fallen for the Aber hype?

I have a good mix Hayvalley Holsteins & Jerseys were the last to take some.

Send it over.I’ll have a look. I’ve used aber mixes for years and got on well with them

 

[Kevtherev]

Send it over.I’ll have a look. I’ve used aber mixes for years and got on well with them

Des don’t like Aber grasses

 

[Friesianfan]

Des don’t like Aber grasses

Des?

 

[Kevtherev]

Des?

Derek very anti Aber for some reason

 

[Beef farmer]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

How long have you been in the gs4?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

Heavy or light land ?

 

[Jdunn55]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

Forget the sainfoin imo and put lucerne in, more likely to grow than the sainfoin down here in my experience, I planted 1.5kg of birds foot trefoil with mine to counter act the bloat risk from red clover and to hopefully help it persist a bit longer (really pleased I did!), wouldnt bother with white clover as already have 2kg of clover in the mix (plus it doesnt count towards the herbs and legume requirement of gs4) put more grass in to make up the difference and I would personally have more festuloliums in there (probably 2kg) as I think theyre quite good, i would also go for a soft leaf Mediterranean variety of cocksfoot, I went for donarta as it doesnt form the clumps like wild varieties, I would also be tempted to put the plantain up to half a kg, but wouldnt increase the chicory (I much prefer plantain to chicory)

 

[Friesianfan]

Heavy or light land ?

Heavy

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Heavy

Heavy Land Herbal Ley Grass Seed Mix (Acre Pack)

2.20 kg PARDUS Meadow Fescue
2.65 kg TODDINGTON Perennial Ryegrass Late Dip
1.85 kg COMER Timothy
1.00 kg LOFA Festulolium Hybrid
1.00 kg KORA Tall Fescue
0.20 kg Sweet Vernal Grass
1.40 kg MERULA Red Clover
0.40 kg AURORA Alsike Clover
0.25 kg Yellow Blossom Clover
0.20 kg LEO Birdsfoot Trefoil
0.70 kg ALICE White Clover
0.40 kg MERLYN White Clover
1.00 kg CANDY Common Vetch
0.25 kg CHOICE Chicory
0.20 kg TONIC Plantain
0.10 kg Yarrow
0.10 kg Sheeps Parsley
0.10 kg Sheeps Burnet
14.00 kg per acre

 

[pappuller]

Heavy Land Herbal Ley Grass Seed Mix (Acre Pack)

2.20 kg PARDUS Meadow Fescue
2.65 kg TODDINGTON Perennial Ryegrass Late Dip
1.85 kg COMER Timothy
1.00 kg LOFA Festulolium Hybrid
1.00 kg KORA Tall Fescue
0.20 kg Sweet Vernal Grass
1.40 kg MERULA Red Clover
0.40 kg AURORA Alsike Clover
0.25 kg Yellow Blossom Clover
0.20 kg LEO Birdsfoot Trefoil
0.70 kg ALICE White Clover
0.40 kg MERLYN White Clover
1.00 kg CANDY Common Vetch
0.25 kg CHOICE Chicory
0.20 kg TONIC Plantain
0.10 kg Yarrow
0.10 kg Sheeps Parsley
0.10 kg Sheeps Burnet
14.00 kg per acre

That looks like a proper buggers muddle to my untrained eye

 

[Derrick Hughes]

That looks like a proper buggers muddle to my untrained eye

That's GS4 for you

 

[Jdunn55]

Last grazed 24 days ago
I graze when the important bits are ready: grass, clover and trefoil
If it wasnt for countryside stewardship and being paid £120 per acre I would still put them in but wouldnt bother with any other herbs except from trefoil, chicory and plantain

 

[crashbox]

our cows really like chicory, watched one actively seeking out chicory, in preference to grass. We have put odd handfuls in with fert, for some fields, there are now odd plants, all over the farm, even those fields not targeted. That has suprised us, no need for a proper seed bed, to establish it, it's like a weed, but a useful one. The obvious use, of herbs, is the long taproot, for those that have them, giving growth in a dry time, bringing up minerals, and breaking through minor pans.

Our cows didn't want to know to start...
Now seem to like it, but took half the season!

 

[crashbox]

Last grazed 24 days ago
I graze when the important bits are ready: grass, clover and trefoil
If it wasnt for countryside stewardship and being paid £120 per acre I would still put them in but wouldnt bother with any other herbs except from trefoil, chicory and plantain

Cracking ley, looks pretty strong that, going to take a cut or trample it in?
Are you allowed fert on it?

 

[crashbox]

I’m looking for a bit more milk and yield from GS4 so had a play around and came up with this. What’s everyone’s opinions?
2kg abergreen
2kg aberzeus
2kg aberbann
2kg abergain
0.5kg cocksfoot
0.5kg Timothy
0.5kg meadow fescue
0.5 kg fetulolium
1.5kg red clover
0.5kg birdsfoot trefoil
0.5kg alsike
0.5kg white clover
0.5kg sainfoin
0.25kg chicory
0.25kg plantain
0.25kg burnet
0.25kg yarrow

The only way to know is try it. Even then, try again as know two fields/establishments /previous croppings/etc. are the same.
Some farmers are reluctant to spend money on seed, but IMO it's a cheap for a long term ley, you can make your money back in a single season. E.g. an extra £15/£20 per acre for custom mix vs PRG and white clover.
RE your mix, for my land, a lot of reliance on Aber varieties which I assume to be PRG. For areas with more growing season rainfall may work well.
If broadcasting, pre-roll and post-roll to give small seeds a chance.
Good luck.

 

[crashbox]

The only way to know is try it. Even then, try again as know two fields/establishments /previous croppings/etc. are the same.
Some farmers are reluctant to spend money on seed, but IMO it's a cheap for a long term ley, you can make your money back in a single season. E.g. an extra £15/£20 per acre for custom mix vs PRG and white clover.
RE your mix, for my land, a lot of reliance on Aber varieties which I assume to be PRG. For areas with more growing season rainfall may work well.
If broadcasting, pre-roll and post-roll to give small seeds a chance.
Good luck.

Also find out which seed types suit the prevailing land, and tailor the mix to suit. E.g. sainfoin and lucerne hate acid sub soil and will struggle, where as alsike clover (I believe) fares better in damp/acid ground.

 

[jimmer]