Introducing a rich herbal ley to Youngstock?

[steveR]

I am about to lob a small group of AAX heifers onto a DD herbal ley that has come well over winter, especially where I slipped on 10-15 units of N on /ac in Feb. Massive difference and that includes all the legumes and chicory in the mix too...

How best to introduce the stock onto the land without bloat being an issue? 40 odd years ago, there was a small paddock here that grew clover like mad, and I first met bloat!!

So, let them on for an hour or two/day, and then remove? Less time? Will be a large area initially, as I am limited with fencing at present with sheep in catches all over the damned place! Plenty of grass in the mixture.



You can see the difference on where the fert finished... deliberately, I might add, as I wanted to see the effect!

 

[DanM]

Fill up them up with hay/straw before you put them onto it later in day.

 

[martian]

On Friday I stuck mob of 30 yearlings onto our new herbal ley, which was undersown last year and has not been grazed yet. They are loving it and haven't blown up. Yet. No Nitrogen, I reckon you lose whatever benefit you gain in quantity, in the quality of the forage. And I'm mean.

Haven't come across bloat at all on our herbal leys, beyond one dewy morning four years ago when two steers jumped the fence and gorged on a red clover, which had dominated the grass and other herbs in one small patch. By moving them on later in the day and having the whole herd competing over succulent tit bits (rather than greedy fence hoppers stuffing themselves), we haven't had a case since.

 

[Samcowman]

Also got a new herbal ley I’m going to be grazing with dairy Bred Angus heifers in about 8-9 days time. Bit if a worry there’s not a massive amount there at the moment due to a combination of getting it in a little bit late, poor soil structure and even worse drainage. I will probably turn them in there in an afternoon and keep them in small blocks to start.
I’ll get some pics tomorrow.

 

[steveR]

On Friday I stuck mob of 30 yearlings onto our new herbal ley, which was undersown last year and has not been grazed yet. They are loving it and haven't blown up. Yet. No Nitrogen, I reckon you lose whatever benefit you gain in quantity, in the quality of the forage. And I'm mean.

Haven't come across bloat at all on our herbal leys, beyond one dewy morning four years ago when two steers jumped the fence and gorged on a red clover, which had dominated the grass and other herbs in one small patch. By moving them on later in the day and having the whole herd competing over succulent tit bits (rather than greedy fence hoppers stuffing themselves), we haven't had a case since.

Thank 'ee.

I am thinking I will offer a modest area where the growth has been more "natural", and see how they get on with that for a few days, along with plenty of hay overnight when they come off it...

 

[Samcowman]

This is the worst part of the fields which is also the part by the gateway. Looking at the forward forecast I’m probably going to hold them off of it for an extra week and skip them across this part quickly
On first rotation. The longer stuff you can see are wheat volunteers.

 

[steveR]

View attachment 952699View attachment 952700
This is the worst part of the fields which is also the part by the gateway. Looking at the forward forecast I’m probably going to hold them off of it for an extra week and skip them across this part quickly
On first rotation. The longer stuff you can see are wheat volunteers.

Jist wants a bit of the old "warm refreshing rain" and it'll motor...

Grazing, or grazing and cutting?

 

[Samcowman]

Jist wants a bit of the old "warm refreshing rain" and it'll motor...

Grazing, or grazing and cutting?

That’d be lovely, just have to do with cold wind with no rain.
Just grazing. Need to look after it and don’t want to put it back by cutting. I have red clover leys in for cutting.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

That’d be lovely, just have to do with cold wind with no rain.
Just grazing. Need to look after it and don’t want to put it back by cutting. I have red clover leys in for cutting.

Is it down long term? If so could you allow it to seed to fill the bare ground at some point this year?

 

[Samcowman]

Is it down long term? If so could you allow it to seed to fill the bare ground at some point this year?

Yes will be down long term. On these worst bits they will be getting seed chucked on them before first grazing so should get filled in. The majority of the fields aren’t like this bit.

 

[steveR]

That’d be lovely, just have to do with cold wind with no rain.
Just grazing. Need to look after it and don’t want to put it back by cutting. I have red clover leys in for cutting.

I am hoping to take a VERY light cut with a long 5" stubble later, but very mcuh playing it by ear...

"cold wind with no rain" we understand about too... :-(

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Yes will be down long term. On these worst bits they will be getting seed chucked on them before first grazing so should get filled in. The majority of the fields aren’t like this bit.

As you'll find on the Holistic Ecological Monitoring course (or may already have done so) it's quite an eye-opener just how much bare ground there is even in most PP if you really get down and look.

 

[Barleycorn]

When we started with herbal leys I bought a trocar for every tractor and Landrover. In ten years + we've never lost one to bloat.

 

[jonnyjon]

When we started with herbal leys I bought a trocar for every tractor and Landrover. In ten years + we've never lost one to bloat.

What is a trocar??

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It's the proper tool equivalent to sticking a knife into the rumen to release the gas pressure in a bloated ruminant, a life- saving operation.

 

[steveR]

View attachment 952871

It's the proper tool equivalent to sticking a knife into the rumen to release the gas pressure in a bloated ruminant, a life- saving operation.

Happily, I have not seen one in the flesh for decades...

 

[steveR]

On Friday I stuck mob of 30 yearlings onto our new herbal ley, which was undersown last year and has not been grazed yet. They are loving it and haven't blown up. Yet. No Nitrogen, I reckon you lose whatever benefit you gain in quantity, in the quality of the forage. And I'm mean.

Haven't come across bloat at all on our herbal leys, beyond one dewy morning four years ago when two steers jumped the fence and gorged on a red clover, which had dominated the grass and other herbs in one small patch. By moving them on later in the day and having the whole herd competing over succulent tit bits (rather than greedy fence hoppers stuffing themselves), we haven't had a case since.

It was very noticnable that the cattle preferred the non-N areas initially, and would stop there grazing in preference. With no rain and growth pretty well stopped, there is little chance of them gorging themselves!